New Ephrata golf coach excited to connect with players, teach skills
R. HANS MILLER | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 9 months, 1 week AGO
A Tigers golfer allows his follow-through to pull his vision around to where the ball is headed after a solid swing. This year’s Ephrata boys golf team is working hard on keeping a clear head and focus on a clean swing before they step up to the tee.
R. HANS MILLER/COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD
An Ephrata golfer takes down a bucket of balls as he works to repeat a quality swing Friday. Several of the more experienced players have potential to have strong seasons this year, their coach said.
Managing Editor Rob Miller is a 4-year U.S. Army veteran who grew up in Western Montana in a community about the size of Soap Lake. An honors graduate of Texas State University, he enjoys spending time with his wife, Brandee, and their three dogs, Draco, Pepper and Cinnamon. He has one son, William. During his free time, he enjoys photography, video games, reading and working on the house he and his wife bought in Ephrata. He is passionate about the First Amendment and educating communities. | March 12, 2025 1:45 AM
SOAP LAKE — Ephrata Tigers started making the short commute to the Lakeview Golf & Country Club last week to begin practicing their swings for the 2025 spring golf season. Head coach Dan Molitor said the boys golf team is looking solid for his first year leading the program.
“I’ve got four pretty solid, good players. I got a bunch of really good athletes on the team that are just learning, so it should be fun and exciting to see them advance through the season,” Molitor said.
The team is working on developing both their short and long games, the coach said, with practices commonly starting on the greens and then moving to the range to develop a solid swing. The mental game is also important, and he said he’s working hard to ensure the students in his charge develop resilience they can use both on the course and in life.
On the mental side of the game, Molitor said he’s been reading and sharing passages with the players as needed to help them develop the way they approach the game. The passages are specific to the players and at least one student has really engaged with that learning model. He’s also working to help the golfers focus on just being calm and preparing for a solid shot when they step up to the tee.
“I have a pre-shot routine that I have them visualize before they do the shot. That’s calm, confident and committed. ... That’s what I’m focusing on right now. Clean golf is calm, confident and committed to each shot,” Molitor said.
No team captain will be established this year, Molitor said. Instead, the team leadership is set by who is showing dedication and improvement by having the best performance on the course. This gives everyone a chance to push for excellence and see their leadership potential, he said, while inserting a bit of friendly competition into the team at the same time.
The experience of coaching athletes besides his son is exciting for Molitor, he said. Seeing how each of the golfers reacts to different coaching methods and who really engages with which strategies has been rewarding as he gets to know the players.
“It’s pretty neat. Most of these kids are new, but they’re starting five basketball players, and so then they come out and (try golf out). I was really excited to work with them,” Molitor said.
Ephrata Boys Golf Schedule
Mon March 17 vs. East Valley High School (Yakima) with seven others, Lakeview Golf & Country Club 11 a.m.
Thu March 20 @ Cheney High School with 13 others, Black Rock Creek – Sunnyside 9 a.m.
Tue March 25 @ East Valley High School (Yakima) with seven others, Mt. Adams Golf Course 11 a.m.
Fri March 28 @ AC Davis High School with nine others, Apple Tree Golf Course 11 a.m.
Tue April 1 @ East Valley High School (Yakima) with seven others, Ellensburg High School 10 a.m.
Tue April 8 @ East Valley High School (Yakima) with seven others, Quincy High School noon
Mon April 14 @ East Valley High School (Yakima) with seven others, Yakima Country Club 10 a.m.
Tue April 22 @ East Valley High School (Yakima) with seven others, Othello Golf Club 10 a.m.
Thu May 1 @ East Valley High School (Yakima) with seven others, Black Rock Creek – Sunnyside 11 a.m.
Tue May 6 @ East Valley High School (Yakima) with seven others, Yakima Elks Golf & Country Club 10 a.m.
Tue May 13 @ East Valley High School (Yakima) with seven others, Yakima Elks Golf & Country Club 10 a.m.
Tue May 20 @ East Valley High School (Yakima) with seven others, Riverside Golf Course TBA
Wed May 21 @ East Valley High School (Yakima) with seven others, Riverside Golf Course TBA
An Ephrata golfer takes down a bucket of balls as he works to repeat a quality swing Friday. Several of the more experienced players have potential to have strong seasons this year, their coach said.ARTICLES BY R. HANS MILLER
Awareness helps prevent porch pirates’ success
EPHRATA — At least 58 million packages were stolen in the U.S. last year, with about 25% of Americans being the victims of theft, according to the United States Parcel Service. At the local level, there are thefts occurring regularly as well, but that doesn’t mean that you’re stuck being the victim, authorities say. “The experience of the Grant County Sheriff’s Office is that package theft happens regularly,” said GCSO Public Information Officer Kyle Foreman. “It is a crime of opportunity. When someone’s out looking to try and make a quick buck, they may drive through a neighborhood looking for unattended packages on the front porch.”
Gorge shooting trial rescheduled to 2026
EPHRATA — The trial in the case of James Kelly, the man charged in the June 2023 shooting that led to the deaths of two women at the Beyond Wonderland music festival held at The Gorge Amphitheatre, has been bumped to early next year, according to court documents.
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR: In appreciation of educators ...
An experience I recently had with a school district, quite honestly, has left me gob-smacked a bit. I am in awe of the teachers and administrators at school districts throughout the region and what they have to deal with. Let me get back to the beginning, though. Journalists often cover a wide variety of topics and are constantly looking for ideas for stories that will matter to readers. As such, when we hear of events of interest, we sometimes ask to attend so we can either cover it, or, as in this case, learn how to cover a topic better.