NDA golf team has high hopes for season

By Bill Doyle | CFP Correspondent
 
Addison Cutting was asked how she felt about no longer having her older sister Olivia as a teammate on the Notre Dame Academy girls golf team.

Addison looked at Olivia, who was standing by her side, and the two girls broke into tears and hugged.

“It’s very sad,” Addison said. “She’s always been an inspiration to me.”

Addison is a freshman and NDA’s No. 2 golfer. Olivia is a senior and would have been one of NDA’s top golfers as well, but she is no longer eligible to play. She’s already used up her four years of eligibility, two at Shrewsbury High and two at NDA after transferring halfway through her junior year and repeating a year. So she’s serving as an assistant to head coach Cara Cullen this spring.

“I wish it wasn’t the way it is, but I understand it obviously,” Olivia said.

The Cutting sisters played together the past two years and helped NDA qualify for the state tournament both years. In 2022, Olivia was the medalist in the Central Mass. Athletic Directors Association Tournament and led the Rebels to the team title. She also led NDA to third place in the North/Central/West Sectional championship and a berth in the state tournament.

Olivia and Addison both play golf left-handed. Olivia has the better short game, but Addison hits the ball farther, up to 260 yards.

Last year, Addison scored an eagle during the sectionals to help NDA qualify for the state tournament for the second year in a row.

The Rebels prayed the Our Father before every match.

“It means a lot to me,” Addison said. “I play volleyball as well and before every game we pray then too. I think praying before every golf match helps me, it helps my mindset, it helps me stay in the game.”

Ms. Cullen attends Mass at Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish in West Boylston, but she also worships at St. John Parish in Worcester because of her fondness for Father John Madden. She’s a big believer in praying as a team.

“It’s cool,” Ms. Cullen said. “I grew up with it and it’s important. You definitely need a higher power sometimes when you’re out there.”

The Rebels are fortunate to have Ms. Cullen as their coach. She and her brothers Matt, Mike and Nick Marrone own the two courses where NDA practices and plays its home matches, Wachusett Country Club in West Boylston and Kettle Brook Golf Club in Paxton.

Last fall, Ms. Cullen became a volunteer assistant for the St. John’s middle school, junior varsity and varsity golf teams, which also practice and play at Wachusett and Kettle Brook.

“Boys are quieter than girls,” she said.

Her nephew Andy is a sophomore at St. John’s, and he played on the varsity for the Pioneers’ state championship golf team last fall.

Ms. Cullen pointed out that the St. John’s boys get to play golf all summer and they’re in peak form when they try out for the St. John’s golf team in the fall. The NDA girls, on the other hand, must practice indoors in the late winter and early spring before playing outdoors in the cold on wet courses early in the season. The girls, however, get to play their season-ending tournaments in much better weather than the boys do.

Ms. Cullen was a standout field hockey goalie at NDA and went on to graduate from the University of Notre Dame. Her daughter Elizabeth played golf at NDA and her son Peter played golf at St. John’s.

When the weather doesn’t cooperate, the Rebels and Pioneers can work on their games on Wachusett’s three golf simulators in the clubhouse. Some less fortunate girls’ teams must settle for practicing with tennis balls in gyms.

Ms. Cullen stresses having fun and teaches the girls not to be afraid to laugh at themselves. After Addison hit a poor shot on the first tee at Bedrock, Olivia and the other Rebels broke into laughter. Ms. Cullen said it was probably good for Addison’s teammates to see that everyone can hit a bad shot once in a while.

“You have to be able to laugh at yourself in golf and have fun,” Ms. Cullen said. “Enjoy it. What are you going to do? Are you going to start crying every time you have a bad shot? Golf is tough enough because it’s so individual and people are watching you.”

The Rebels enjoy playing for Ms. Cullen.

“It’s great,” sophomore Georgia Beland said. “I love it. She’s not overbearing about it, but she still encourages you to practice. It’s nice because practices are relaxed, but we still get a lot done.”

“It’s so fun,” Addison said. “She makes it as fun as possible.”

Georgia is NDA’s No. 1 golfer.

The Webster resident won the North/Central/West Sectional championship as a seventh grader and she won the Central Mass. Athletic Directors Association Tournament as a seventh grader and as a freshman. She began golfing at age 6 in golf camps at Cyprian Keyes Golf Course in Boylston and started playing competitive golf at 11. Georgia expects to have a big year.

“My short game has definitely gotten better and I hit the ball a couple yards farther now,” she said.

Seniors Mackenzie Hagearty and Brooklynn Sleeper, junior Lillian Marrone and freshman Maddie Faucher are other top golfers for the Rebels. Lillian is
Ms. Cullen’s niece. Ms. Cullen kept 17 girls on the team this spring. She’s reluctant to cut anyone and wants her golfers to keep everything in perspective. If they have an important exam coming up, she’ll allow them to study at practice. If they have to miss practice to stay after school to work on a science project, that’s fine as well.

Her approach works. NDA has had the top girls golf team in Central Mass. in recent years and has high hopes for this spring.