TicketsCINCINNATI -- As the No. 40 Cincinnati men's golf team sets out for Las Vegas Thursday to prep for its first-ever NCAA Regional appearance, the Bearcats have two first-time nuances on the horizon: the stage itself and Mother Nature.
"Desert golf is gonna be a huge challenge," head coach Doug Martin said. "We don't have anyone on our team that has done it. We can't play the tournament course until the official practice round, so we will leave here Thursday and get three days in the desert. The key thing is getting used to the elevation as the ball goes a different distance as the temperature changes. We have a lot of stuff to do to get ready."
Martin, the AAC Coach of the Year, is in his 14th at the helm in Clifton. While only three of his current golfers are returners, it has been way longer than that since UC has gone this far west. Its last excursion to the Mountain or Pacific time zones came in Fall 2012 in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.
"I've never played desert golf," fifth-year senior Sam Jean said. "It will be a first for a lot of guys. We'll go out there several days early to practice and get a little more used to it. The ball flies differently out there, but the grass is similar to what we play at Coldstream (the team's home course). We'll be ready to go."
The NCAA adornments upon arrival to Bear's Best will certainly elicit many feelings different from the other 11 events this year. For Jean, who last May became Cincinnati's seventh individual to make the field, it is a chance to build off what he has seen before.
"It definitely helped," he said of his Columbus appearance. "Being there last year and seeing what it was like, just missing it as a team was disappointing because I wanted to be out there with the guys. I'm excited to not just make the top-five, but we're going out there to try to win.
"Individual is a lot less pressure," he said. "When you play for the team, it affects everyone, and I think there's a little more pressure because we want to play well for our teammates. With this being my last year, I'm really excited to play for hopefully two more events."
Jean, a three-time All-AAC honoree, also called camaraderie the team's greatest strength.
"Guys want to play well and for each other," he said. "We all love each other, and that's a huge strength. We're grinders and never out of it. I love that we are a scrappy team that can get it done even if we don't have our best that day."
For Martin, there are hopefully many more new songs to discover.
"When we travel, we use a Sprinter van, and I listen to music I don't normally listen to with those guys being in charge of the aux," he said. "They love fighting for each other, and that's what it's all about."
The action begins Monday, and live scoring is available here. Stay tuned to @GoBearcatsMGolf on Twitter and Instagram to follow the journey.
"Desert golf is gonna be a huge challenge," head coach Doug Martin said. "We don't have anyone on our team that has done it. We can't play the tournament course until the official practice round, so we will leave here Thursday and get three days in the desert. The key thing is getting used to the elevation as the ball goes a different distance as the temperature changes. We have a lot of stuff to do to get ready."
Martin, the AAC Coach of the Year, is in his 14th at the helm in Clifton. While only three of his current golfers are returners, it has been way longer than that since UC has gone this far west. Its last excursion to the Mountain or Pacific time zones came in Fall 2012 in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.
"I've never played desert golf," fifth-year senior Sam Jean said. "It will be a first for a lot of guys. We'll go out there several days early to practice and get a little more used to it. The ball flies differently out there, but the grass is similar to what we play at Coldstream (the team's home course). We'll be ready to go."
The NCAA adornments upon arrival to Bear's Best will certainly elicit many feelings different from the other 11 events this year. For Jean, who last May became Cincinnati's seventh individual to make the field, it is a chance to build off what he has seen before.
"It definitely helped," he said of his Columbus appearance. "Being there last year and seeing what it was like, just missing it as a team was disappointing because I wanted to be out there with the guys. I'm excited to not just make the top-five, but we're going out there to try to win.
"Individual is a lot less pressure," he said. "When you play for the team, it affects everyone, and I think there's a little more pressure because we want to play well for our teammates. With this being my last year, I'm really excited to play for hopefully two more events."
Jean, a three-time All-AAC honoree, also called camaraderie the team's greatest strength.
"Guys want to play well and for each other," he said. "We all love each other, and that's a huge strength. We're grinders and never out of it. I love that we are a scrappy team that can get it done even if we don't have our best that day."
For Martin, there are hopefully many more new songs to discover.
"When we travel, we use a Sprinter van, and I listen to music I don't normally listen to with those guys being in charge of the aux," he said. "They love fighting for each other, and that's what it's all about."
The action begins Monday, and live scoring is available here. Stay tuned to @GoBearcatsMGolf on Twitter and Instagram to follow the journey.