When the Iroquois golf team hosts dual matches at Elma Meadows Golf Course, sometimes the visitors have a little trouble.

"A lot of players come from country clubs and come here and can't putt," said senior Steve

Wrzochul.

Iroquois has won three straight ECIC South Small School titles, and the Chiefs certainly

have a home-course advantage at the Erie County-owned public facility. However, knowing that

the ground is a little harder, and the greens a little slower at Elma Meadows is the final

stroke of a tee-to-green connection between the school and the course.

Iroquois has benefits from a deep roster of talented golfers, most of whom honed their game

at the golf breeding ground located literally right down the road.

"It's a relationship that's meant to be," said Iroquois Athletic Director Andy Jacobs. "It

definitely has produced results."

Iroquois High is at 2111 Girdle Road, Elma Meadows at 1711. As the crow — or Titleist

— flies, the Latimer Field where the Chiefs play football is located about two par 5s

from Elma Meadows' No. 15 green.

The convenience of a five-minute bus ride down Girdle certainly makes the most out of

practice time, but Elma Meadows has made sure that bus is packed with golfers.

Iroquois golf coach John Kaeselau tells the story of how a few years back, there was a

young boy who played golf at Elma Meadows so much that everyone on the course knew him and he

would tag along at Iroquois practices from time to time. He went on to become a four-year

varsity starter for the Chiefs.

"It's the advantage that kids are able to play on almost a daily basis," said Kaeselau, who

is in his 30th year as Iroquois coach. "It's the availability that is there, and anyone who

wants to play can play. People at Elma Meadows really take to the kids."

There have been quite a few of those players. Kaeselau said he starts with 30-35 kids

coming out for golf, and he keeps 22 on his team.

Kaeselau said most of his golfers have been junior members at Elma Meadows at some point.

"I can come out here five or six times a week during the summer," said Alexio Medina, in

his third year as a member at Elma Meadows. "It's wonderful. You get to know it like the back

of your hand."

The junior season rates for 2009 were $320 and $360 (including tee times).

"When young kids come up, they all play this course and it's an advantage to us," said

Wrzochul. "One year I probably played $1,000 worth of golf here and you only play about $350.

Every day before I started working, I'd come out here and play 36. Kyle [Kapturowski, a fellow

senior] and I would play all the time — sometimes from 10 to close — until

basically you can't see the ball."

Brennan Fanfara made the state championships last year. The junior was one of three Chiefs

to make the Section VI championships and one of six to qualify for the ECICs. Sophomores Ryan

Kaufmann and Eric Grzywna as well as Kapturowski, Wrzochul and Medina were the other returning

players from last year's 10-0 team to advance to ECICs. Other key golfers for the Chiefs are

seniors Brett Ziegler and Trevor Pettit.

The Chiefs were without two starters Monday and fell to 8-1 on the year after a 303-310

loss to East Aurora. Iroquois can clinch this year's division title by beating Pioneer today.

The four ECIC division winners participate in the team championships — which Iroquois

has never won — at Diamond Hawk Golf Course in Cheektowaga on Oct. 19. The ECIC

individual tournament, which determines the field for the Section VI tournament next spring,

will be Oct. 13 at Diamond Hawk.

"I would hope that a good portion of us, if not all of us, will make sectionals," Medina

said. "And winning the team championship would be a great accomplishment."