Longwood was in a curious position until last year. The school, which borders Middle Island Country Club and is little more than a drive and long iron from Spring Lake Golf Club, had no golf team.
“There are some good golfers in this school, but nobody knew about them,” said Stu Glass, a golf enthusiast and teacher at the high school.
People know about Longwood‘s golfers now. The Lions formed a varsity team last year, enlisted Glass as coach and went 5-7. They won their first four matches this year.
Ray Nicosia, the team’s top player, usually scores in the low 40s on the par-36 Spruce course at Middle Island. Glass praised Nicosia’s 40 amid rain, cold wind and snow last Friday. Tom Madigan, Jeff Norton, James Knipe, Jason Kahn, John Sturmer and Russell Rye also contributed to the winning streak.
“One of the things you have to learn in golf is that you have to be aggressive without getting too emotional about it,” Glass said, adding that his golfers might have violated that unwritten rule in an 8-1 defeat against a strong Rocky Point team. Glass said of the Lions, “perhaps they were trying too hard.” The winners were led by Jim Gilbert’s 40.
Longwood 8 Centereach 1
Longwood 9 Newfield 0 April 8
Golf Longwood 7 Comsewogue 2 . April 10
Longwood 5 1/2 Miller Place 3 1/2 . May 6
Rocky Point 8 1/2 Longwood 1/2 . May 8
Comsewogue 6 Longwood 3 . May 9
Ward Melville 7 Longwood 2 . may 14
Connetquot 5 1/2 Longwood 3 1/2 . May 16
Ward Melville 9 Longwood 0 . may 20
At Rock Hill Golf Club, Manorville Conference I
Team Results: *Whitman 403, Smithtown West 429, Huntington 430, Kings Park 447, Smithtown East 449, Harborfields 457. Top Individuals: Mullaly (W) 75, Moran (SE) 78, Jaffe (W) 78, Udell (W) 81, Fiero (SW) 82. Conference II
Team Results: *Sayville 411, Brentwood 431, East Islip 438, LaSalle 440, West Islip 472, Lindenhurst 477. Top Individuals: Buckholz (Brent) 75, Reilly (Say) 76, Lonieski (Say) 81, Goelz (EI) 81, CamCam (LaS) 82. Conference III
Team Results: *Rocky Point 402, *Ward Melville 411, Bayport 422, Bellport 435, Sachem 452, Floyd 454, Longwood 471, Miller Place 473, Comsewogue 475. Top Individuals: Gilbert (RP) 76, Leidell (WM) 76, Windsor (RP) 77, Kozlowsky (WM) 78, Sasz (Bay) 79. May 22
