High School Female Athlete of the Week: Vanessa Betancourt a rock for Huntington Beach golf

Golf can be a trying sport that tests the patience of those that try to play it.

Vanessa Betancourt would not have it any other way.

As she worked her way through trial and error, Betancourt settled on the sport of golf because she knew deep down that the physicality of soccer was not for her.

So Betancourt found another way to challenge herself. It all began with a trip to the driving range at Meadowlark Golf Club. Her father, Dave, enjoyed going to the driving range, but that was about the extent to which his involvement in the sport went.

Even without being a serious golfer himself, he recognized that his daughter had taken a liking to swinging a golf club, and more than that, she had a knack for doing it well right off the bat.

“He was just practicing for fun, and I picked up a club, and I liked it,” Betancourt said of picking up her father’s hobby. “I took a couple of classes. I didn’t have any friends or anything in it, but I really grew to enjoy it.

“I think he saw that I naturally kind of had a feel for the game. I had a decent swing when I started off, so I think he was kind of excited to get me into it, and we had fun doing it together.”

Betancourt took lessons from Dan Yenny at Meadowlark. Although she became a first-generation golfer in her family, golf soon became something that the whole family was invested in.

Each family member supported Betancourt’s golfing in their own way.

“It’s kind of nice because all of my family has kind of gotten in on it,” Betancourt said of the familywide support she receives. “My mom likes watching golf, and she will take me to tournaments. My dad likes researching it and helping me. My brother has started playing a little bit, too.

“It’s kind of nice because it’s something that brings us all together, and they’re all very supportive, which I’m really grateful for.”

Huntington Beach High was in the midst of a streak that saw the girls’ golf program win four consecutive Sunset League crowns when Betancourt arrived at the school as a freshman.

She became a key contributor for the Oilers during the second half of that run, helping Huntington Beach win the league title in 2016 and 2017.

“When she walked in as a freshman, she almost immediately became our No. 1 player and has steadily improved every year since then,” Oilers coach Melanie McCaffery said. “Scoring average has continued to get better.”

With the addition of Corona del Mar and Laguna Beach, the Sunset Conference was reorganized into two four-team leagues. Although the Oilers’ league title streak was ended by Los Alamitos last season, Betancourt did not slow down. She finished the season as the Surf League MVP.

“She’s rock solid,” McCaffery added. “You can always expect a pretty good score out of her every match we play. Probably her biggest strength is her mental toughness. She’s very mentally strong on the golf course.”

McCaffery considers the Oilers’ home course at SeaCliff Country Club to be a difficult one that plays longer than its raw yardage. She has seen Betancourt keep calm in the face of that challenge.

On one occasion, McCaffery recalled watching Betancourt triple bogey the par-five No. 1 hole, only to respond with three birdies in a row to get right back in the match.

“To me, that said everything about her mental toughness and her ability to get refocused,” McCaffery said. “To snap right back and not pout about it, just go out and make the best swing that she can make from there on in.

“That’s something that a lot of kids can’t overcome.”

Betancourt committed to UC Riverside in the spring and plans to major in psychology once she is there.

A three-year captain for the Oilers, Betancourt is stepping into an even larger leadership role this year with three freshmen in Huntington Beach’s starting lineup in Chloe Griffith, Chloe Aala and Stella Daniels.

Huntington Beach has won its first two matches of the season, sweeping a home-and-home set against Long Beach Wilson. The Oilers beat the Bruins 206-210 in the opener at Big Rec Golf Course in Long Beach, and Betancourt was the medalist with a one-over-par 39.

At home, Huntington Beach won more convincingly by a score of 197-214.

Betancourt adheres to McCaffery’s mantra that every stroke counts.

“I’ve always been a safe player,” Betancourt said. “I’m not very aggressive. I kind of go for the green, and I wait for a good opportunity to birdie. I think that’s about not letting your emotions get to you because if you get a little angry or you’re frustrated and you think, ‘Oh, I need to birdie the next three holes to be in contention,’ that often leads to the blow up holes.

“I think if you just wait for the right opportunity, then you’ll have a better score.”

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Vanessa Betancourt

Born: July 3, 2002

Hometown: Huntington Beach

Height: 5 feet 3

Weight: 111 pounds

Sport: Golf

Year: Senior

Coach: Melanie McCaffery

Favorite food: Pasta

Favorite movie: “Nacho Libre”

Favorite athletic moment: Betancourt fondly remembers a tournament that she played in at CrossCreek Golf Club in Temecula. It was one of her first 36-hole tournaments, and it ranks among her top golf memories because of the way that she handled the endurance challenge.

Week in review: Betancourt led the Oilers to a sweep of Long Beach Wilson in the team’s home-and-home series to begin the season. The UC Riverside commit was the medalist in Huntington Beach’s 206-210 victory at Big Rec Golf Course in Long Beach.

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