How A-C Valley/Union golfer Joe Rapp has found balance on the course in midst of breakout season
Joe Rapp’s progression on the golf course is due to a number of factors, not the least of which is his mental approach to the game.
A sophomore on the A-C Valley/Union boys team, Rapp recently finished the regular season with the KSAC’s second-best average per nine holes at 37.4 strokes. Clarion’s Kam Kerle was first at 34.3.
Rapp averaged 40 strokes as a freshman last year. His stay in the postseason was shorter than he had hoped.
“The District 9 championship (a two-day event) was at Pinecrest Country Club last year,” he said. “I didn’t golf my best and didn’t make it out of the first day.
“I let the game get the best of me a number of times. I remember a match at Wanango Country Club when I had a couple of bad holes and it affected my round the rest of the day.”
Now a year older and with more experience under his belt after a busy offseason, Rapp, who attends A-C Valley, is armed with a mindset that should serve him well moving forward. The 2024 District 9 Class 2A Championship begins Sept. 30 at Clarion Oaks Golf Course.
He carded a pair of 33s to win KSAC Mega Matches this year at Hi-Level and Hunter’s Station golf courses.
“This season has helped my confidence, but I know how this sport works,” Rapp said. “Each round can be so different, and I don’t take to heart a bad shot or a bad hole.”
Falcon Knights coach Leo Marron has been impressed with Rapp’s demeanor on the course.
“He knows he can’t worry about what anyone else is doing. He has to play the course, not the other golfers,” he said. “He played in a lot of tournaments over the summer and that has helped him.”
Rapp has been around golf his whole life. His family lives next to Foxburg Country Club. It was four years ago while golfing with his father, Andrew Rapp, when he started taking the sport seriously.
“I can’t say that my drives are longer now than last year, but I’m more accurate and hitting more fairways,” he said. “I’ve spent a lot of time working on my short game, and I’d like to get to the point where it becomes my strength. I’m not there yet, but have improved.”
Clarion Oaks was the site of two KSAC Mega Matches this season. In the first, Rapp carded a 40 before coming in with a 38 the second time.
“I think it’s more difficult on the front nine,” he said. “It’s a short game-heavy course and you have to keep it in play. I’m excited to play it again and will be getting in some practice rounds there before districts.
“Last year the cut to advance was at 84, but I obviously want to go well below that, somewhere in the mid-70s.”
District 9’s top six finishers will advance to the PIAA state championship, scheduled Oct. 21-22 at Penn State University’s Blue Course.
