Golf has been and will continue to be a big part of Jake Feldner’s life.
New Cambridge High School Golf Coach Jacob Feldner when he played for the Bobcats.
“I love golf,” Feldner said. “I eat, sleep, and breathe it. Even with work, I play as often as I can.“
Now Feldner will get to coach golf too. The 2017 Cambridge High School graduate was recently hired to lead the program he previously played in.
Feldner was a three-time district qualifier, an OVAC 5A individual champion, and earned All-Eastern District, 2nd Team ECOL and ECOL Honorable Mention while playing for the Bobcats.
Feldner continued his golf career and education at the University of Mount Union where he was a member and three-year captain of the Purple Raiders’ golf team. Feldner earned his degree in Marketing and Finance and is now working full-time at W.B. Green Insurance in downtown Cambridge.
“Being from Cambridge, a graduate of the program and the school, this is a big deal for me,” Feldner said. “Golf was a big part of my life growing up in Cambridge. I want to give back to the community and help our student-athletes succeed.
“I always kind of joked about coming back and being a coach if the opportunity presented itself,” Feldner continued. “Well, the opportunity presented itself and here we are."
Feldner started playing competitively when he was in fifth grade, but actually grew up playing golf.
“My dad coached me competitively in Middle School and he kind of pushed me there,” Feldner said about his father JP Feldner, “But I played a lot of golf with my grandpa, Jim Feldner, growing up. If it was warm enough that it wasn’t snowing out, we would play golf at the Cambridge Country Club all times of the year. Sometimes I would shake my head that we were going, but it was all worth it in the end and those are memories I will have forever.”
During the past few seasons, like many sports, the number of golfers participating has dwindled.
“When I was in high school, we had eight to 10 kids on the team each year,” Feldner pointed out. “I’d like to build the program back to the size it was then.”
Feldner is already working to grow those numbers and also wants to build back a competitive golf program.
“Cambridge won a state championship in 1994 and went to the state tournament in 2003 and 2004 when Brad Wright played,” Feldner said. “We were competitive. I want to get back to that level. I want people to think of Cambridge as a competitive golf program.”
One of the strategies Feldner is implementing to bring back a competitive program is developing players starting in fourth grade.
While Cambridge has supported a Middle School club team in the past, the numbers have decreased in recent years. Feldner is hoping to attract more Middle School students with three “open course” days this spring and summer.
“I am going to put out a calendar of three days – one in May, one in June and one in July – where for a couple of hours, I’ll be at the Cambridge Country Club for anyone who wants to show up,” Feldner said. “It is not mandatory and will not sway my opinion in any way toward any athlete. I just want to get them out there and get them acclimated to the environment.
“I know golf is a costly sport and it is hard to get one membership or time to play,” Feldner continued. “I am a member of the Country Club, and I am offering this as a time to get in front of the coach. I’ll do some instructional stuff, but I just want the kids to have fun.”
During the season, (when accompanied or arranged by a coach) players have access to the course free of charge. Players do not have to become a member. Golf is covered during the season.
Feldner is also looking at expanding the middle school program down to the fourth grade.
“The cool thing with the middle school program and other middle school programs around the area, is that they are a club sport and not sanctioned by the Ohio High School Athletic Association,” Felder said. “We can start middle schoolers before they are actually in middle school, so I am going to take the program and extend it down to fourth and fifth graders to build that interest early. “
According to Feldner, John Glenn and Meadowbrook both have players as young as fourth grade, so there are opportunities to play against kids at their own grade level.
“I spoke with the pro at the Country Club, Shawn Thompson, and he is willing to set up two different courses so the fourth, fifth, and sixth graders can play a little shorter tee box,” Feldner said.
“Completing the questionnaire is not a commitment,” Feldner stressed. “I’m just trying to get an idea on how many golfers we might have.”
Feldner is also visiting both the High School and Middle School to talk with students who may be interested in golf.
“I’m super excited and hopefully the kids will see the energy and want to come out and play,” Feldner said. “I am encouraging beginners. I do ask a question in the survey about experience, but that is not a deterrent. I just want to put our golfers in a good position and match our talent and skill level with our competition. We welcome new golfers.”
High School golf practice will begin at the end of July with August already packed with matches.
Feldner and his fiancée Gianna Flasco met on the golf course at the University of Mount Union. Feldner will also be busy this summer. In addition to golf, Feldner is getting married in June to his fiancée Gianna Flasco, a teacher at Cambridge Preschool.
“My summer will be a little busy on top of golf,” Feldner joked. “Gianna is my biggest supporter. She knows how important golf is to me. She played golf at Mount Union as well, which is kind of how we met. She is big into golf, and we are going to be a golf family for sure.
“She pushed me to take this job,” Feldner continued. “She knew I always dreamed of doing this and when the opportunity presented itself, she was all in. She will be great supporter of me and the team.”
In addition to his fiancée, Feldner has a supportive family – including parents JP and Carmen Feldner, siblings Sydney and Owen Feldner, a large community of Bobcat golf alumni who want to support the program, and former coach Kevin Smith.
“I am going to lean on coach Smith,” Feldner said. “He will be a great mentor and he is very well thought of in Ohio golf circles. He has the knowledge, so I’m going to lean on him a good bit this first year.”
For more information about the Cambridge golf program, you can contact coach Feldner via email:
[email protected] or phone: (740) 584-3138.