When Oden ’27 won Trailways South Conference Player of the Year last spring as a sophomore — one of only three in conference history to do so — he posted the best individual score of any golfer in the league. Now he is back, and the Madison Country Day School golf program has its sights set on another strong season.
The MCDS co-op, hosted by Abundant Life Christian School and made up of athletes from MCDS and St. Ambrose Academy, is currently second in the Trailways South Conference standings through six matches. The team opened its season in early April with six MCDS golfers on the roster, including a group of 3 first-year players and 3 returning.
Head coach Steve Bohlman from Abundant Life said last year’s team gave the program plenty to build on.
“The season went very well,” Bohlman said. “We finished first in our conference, the Trailways South. We won our conference tournament, finished second at regionals, and played in the sectionals but just missed making it to state.”
“Right now, it’s a very strong program, and all three schools are well represented,” MCDS Athletics Director Annie Gravel said.
Oden’s 2025 postseason run underscored his emergence as one of the conference’s top players. He shot an 81 to win the Trailways South Conference Championship and earn medalist honors, then followed with an 81 at the WIAA Regional to finish third before wrapping up at the WIAA Sectional.
This spring, the team has played nine-hole matches, posting scores of 40, 47, 40, 39, 41 and 39 across six Trailways meets, with finishes ranging from second to 16th place.
The golf tournament format differs from most other sports. Five players compete on a course, and their stroke totals are combined into a team score; the team with the lowest combined total wins. Teams are limited to 15 regular-season matches, not including postseason play.
Eddie ’27, who has been on the team since his freshman year, said the program means something beyond wins and losses.
“I think it’s special that we even have a team, because it’s pretty rare for a small school like ours,” Eddie said.
The team practices at Vitense Golfland and competes in one to three matches per week.
