By Rich Palzewic
Sports Editor
DE PERE – Jolie Guyette, a senior golfer at De Pere High School, got a late start in the sport but has risen to the top of the Redbirds’ lineup.
“I didn’t start golfing until I was a freshman at De Pere,” said Jolie, the daughter of Rob and Kerry Guyette. “My dad used to golf but gave it up. I asked him why, and he said, ‘Because I don’t have anyone to go with.’ I told him, ‘If you teach me how to play, I’ll go with you.’ I’ve since fallen in love with the game.”
Guyette, who has been homeschooled since her sophomore year, has been De Pere’s No. 1 golfer the last two seasons.
“I rose quickly in the ranks because I’ve been committed to the game,” she said. “On average, I can drive it about 230 yards off the tee, but my maximum is 270. My strengths are my short game and putting, but I need to work on my driving consistency.”
Guyette, whose favorite club is her 5-wood, said her favorite local course is Brown County.
“I’ve also played the courses at Whistling Straits (in Kohler) and Lawsonia in Green Lake,” said Guyette, who describes herself as funny, ambitious and kind.
She said her most memorable moment occurred this summer when she holed out a 100-yard shot on a par-4 for an eagle.
“I’ve also come close to a hole in one – within a few inches,” she said. “I’ve had a few close calls this year.”
Because Guyette would like to become a comedian someday, she said her most embarrassing moment fits in well with her career choice.
“One time on the driving range, I hit a driver hard, and at the same time, I passed gas,” she laughed. “Everyone looked at me, and I pretended to scuff my shoe on the ground.”
Guyette’s coach at De Pere is Kevin Dessar.
“I appreciate how much coach believes in us and how we can win and do great things,” she said. “He’s competitive, and that’s my personality, too. I don’t do things just to do them – I do things to be great. He pushes us to do our best.”
She has an older brother, Noah, who graduated in 2018 and attends the University of Minnesota.
Her dad grew up in the area and played basketball, golf and baseball.
“My mom grew up on a farm and didn’t have time for sports,” said Guyette, who played soccer and rode horses when she was younger.
She plans to attend Mesa Community College in Arizona.
“It will help me play golf year-round and get away from the cold,” Guyette said. “Because I want to become a comedian, I’ll study something like creative writing or theatre.”
She said her parents like watching Saturday Night Live, and that got her watching the show and videos of stand-up comedy.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, De Pere is one of many local schools to push all its fall sports to the alternate season next year.
The girls’ golf season will begin March 29.
“It’s disappointing our season got postponed because the weather is so much nicer in the fall,” Guyette said. “There’s more opportunity to play now. When the boys play in the spring, they get meets canceled because of bad weather. I’m disappointed it’s not a state decision. More than half the teams are playing now. We have to deal with it – that’s what the school has planned.”
In a recent report from the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association, it stated 74 percent of the state’s high school girls’ golf teams are playing this fall.
West De Pere (2.5 miles away from De Pere High School), Notre Dame Academy and Seymour are three local schools playing now.
“I played in two or three Wisconsin PGA Junior events every week during the summer,” said Guyette. “The organization did a great job making sure everything was safe for us. We had tee times, and they didn’t let us congregate in the clubhouse. I never felt unsafe, and it was very well run. I thought we had a good chance to play this fall based on that.”
Her hobbies include playing cards and board games.
Guyette also likes banana bread, July 4, mint chocolate chip ice cream, golfer Angel Yin and the month of July.