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51 W ith the spring golf season just around the corner, the University of Iowa women's team kicked off its January practice schedule in Sea Island, Georgia, with a preseason training trip. e training trip was not simply intended for the team to work on physical golf skills — it was about gaining the full experience as a golfer. "We had a special opportunity to work with a strength coach who works with a lot of players on the tour," Iowa head coach Megan Menzel said. "e girls came back with corrections to work on. We attended a great talk by a sports psychologist, Joe Pickens, while we were there. He also works with tour players. en, we got to get out and play. It was a little bit of everything, which is great." Before the team headed south, unexpected winter weather led to a change in travel plans. Instead of catching a connecting flight to Georgia, the team road-tripped down, creating extra time for team- bonding. "It was fun having the girls back together and to be a team again," freshman Lea Zeitler said. "e break was long — almost a month — and before that was finals, so we didn't see each other that much. It was fun having the atmosphere back to normal." e training trip allowed the Hawkeyes an opportunity to get out and practice their golf game in nice weather conditions, and for some, finally getting a chance to hit the green for the first time. Junior Brett Permann was not able to compete in the fall because of a hand injury. However, she was able to get back out on the course during the training trip. "She was out of our lineup in the fall and is coming back and really came out and put together a great weekend," said Menzel. "at was exciting to see. She worked hard to come out and get a good spot in qualifying." Permann mirrored Menzel's excitement to be back on the green. "I had a lot of determination going into the training trip," Permann said. "I battled a lot mentally during the trip but was able to find a little bit of confidence. I took a different approach mentally and was able to keep the whole weekend in perspective. I am grateful that I'm healthy enough to compete again and have a lot of fun out there." e Hawkeyes will travel back to Sea Island, Georgia, for another training camp Feb. 7- 8 before their 2020 season starts. Being only a few weeks away from their first meet, Menzel and the team are more than ready to set foot on the golf course and start competition again. "We feel good," Menzel said. "e team has great energy right now. I think it was helpful to get to go out and train at the beginning of the season so everyone knows what they need to work on and be more effective and focused. From what I can see, they're all very motivated and excited for season." FEBRUARY SCHEDULE Feb. 16-18 at All State Sugar Bowl New Orleans, Louisiana Feb. 23-24 at Westbrook Invitational Peoria, Arizona