Some 2,200 miles separate Asheville, N.C., from Whitefish, which is a lot, but at the end of that journey Scott Minton found two familiar sights: Mountains and impressive golf courses.

Minton is the first-year head golf coach for Whitefish High and it’s not his first rodeo. He’d been a PGA Professional in North Carolina and spent several years coaching golf at Asheville Christian Academy. 

After a year assisting Shaun Forrest — who left after one season as coach to take an assistant principal’s job at Columbia Falls — Minton took over a Bulldog program that finished second (girls) and fourth (boys) at last year’s State A meet. 

Under their third coach in three seasons, the Green and Gold are still hitting fairways and greens. 

“The boys are the most competitive team, 1 through 10, that I’ve ever coached,” Minton said Tuesday. “It’s about as tight as I’ve ever seen.” 

With the one-day Western A Divisional looming Friday in Hamilton, three boys have found a little separation in the lineup: Ayden Rickels, Mason O’Neil and Colby Minton, Scott’s junior son. Rickels and O’Neil were All-State last year. 

Now Rickels is the lone senior on another strong squad. Likewise the girls team has one senior back from 2024 — Ava Zignego. The 2025 squad has won more tournaments than it’s lost. 

“We are a very stacked team,” Scott Minton said. “It’s a heavy junior class. I think we’ve been more successful this year as a team and with individual play.” 

Karlee Brown has been medalist several times this season and Ryhlee Scott gives the girls a very solid No. 2 golfer. Spots 3-5 generally go to Zignego, Caroline Owens, Baylee Hyland or Archer Jameson. 

Whether the shots are there to catch champion Billings Central is the question.  

“If we play our best we have a shot,” said Minton, whose girls won the Kalispell Invitational by 24 strokes over a field that included seven Class AA schools. “We definitely have the potential; we have to collectively get better.” 

Minton and his family — his wife, Amy, is in health care administration — first moved to Missoula from North Carolina and then, two summers ago, to Whitefish.  

He bleeds bluegrass green. “Golf is in the DNA,” Minton said. “Every time I get to coach a kid, much less one with a club in his hand, it’s rewarding. You can tell a lot about where a kid stands when you watch him play golf.” 

Divisionals are one hurdle. Then there’s another one of those cross-country trips — to the State A tournament in Sidney, 550 miles east.  

“Tough schedule,” he said. “It’s about ready to take the shoes off me.” 

Yet at the end should be a familiar sight: The Bulldogs at or near the top. 

Fritz Neighbor can be reached at 758-4463 or at [email protected].