Christine Chang ’28

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COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS / STOCKTON PHOTO

But for all that golf prizes individual play, Chang’s ambition is largely for the team. “My big end goal is to help the team to become more known, like Columbia fencing is really well known,” she says. “I want to change that narrative for women’s golf and for Columbia specifically. And in trying to reach that goal, I’m just trying to play as best I can, trying to push the team to do their best. Which they all do — everyone puts in so much effort, it’s inspiring to see.”

How did you get into golf?

I grew up in Auburn, Ala., and my dad wanted a family sport that we could all play. It’s me, my mom, my dad and my little brother — my dad said, “Oh, it’d be fun if in the future we could all play golf on the weekends.” I think I was 5 or 6. I got put into a couple of lessons and it stuck. I did my first tournament at around 10 and from there, I just kept going. I wasn’t the strongest junior player; I just chugged along and did the best I could.

Did you play on your high school team?

I went to Lee-Scott Academy in Alabama. There was no girls’ golf team, but in 7th grade I wanted to join a team, and so I became the only girl on the school’s golf team. That was a unique experience. There were some hard times; at the first tournaments, the other players were like, “Why is a girl here? Why do I have to compete against this girl? This is too easy.”

I had to have the mental setting of, this is where I am. I know I’m good at golf and I think I can do something with it. So I stuck with it and let my skills prove that I was able to be there and able to compete. It ended up being a great time. And as I got older and as I got better, I was leading the team for most of my high school years. My 11th-grade year we got pretty close to winning the high school state championship and the following year we won it. That whole experience was a big part of me learning how to advocate for myself and trust myself.

Wow! And then how did you come to choose Columbia?

When I was around 14, I decided that I wanted to do college golf. I actually met [Columbia head women’s golf] Coach [Amy] Weeks in 7th grade. I was at a golf camp, and I knew from then on that I wanted to be coached by her. I loved her leadership, the way she carried herself. I felt this energy coming off of her, and I knew I could grow as a person if I just could work with her. From then on, Columbia was my number one. I also loved New York City as I got older and had chances to visit.

I love being on this team; I’ve made great friendships. The transition [from high school] felt easy because I was surrounded by good people. The upper-class teammates helped with classes, how to get around, just extra information. We did all these hangouts; the team has great chemistry. I really think that’s what helped us this past year. We relied on each other, we trusted each other, we trusted our games and we trusted that, in the end, it would come together.

What’s been your most meaningful experience so far as a golfer?

I was a part of an after-school golf camp in Auburn; it was led by my coach at that time. I really liked doing that — teaching kids how to play, how to get involved in the game. They were 4–8 years old. I learned how to get to their level and make it understandable for them, but also fun. It was stressful at times [laughs]. They don’t know how it can hurt when you get hit by a club or by a ball; that’s part of the learning aspect. But I liked being that leader, and hopefully I inspired one of them to stick with the game. I’d love to volunteer with something like that again.