After Josh Robinson made the trip across the big pond to Milwaukee, he realized golfing in Northern Ireland did not entirely prepare him for golfing in the states.
Robinson transitioned from tighter, shorter courses back home to lush and large tracks offered by the states.
“The hardest adjustment I had to make between the different styles of golf was on the putting greens,” Robinson said. “Different grasses with different levels of green affect the roll of the ball, and we do not have that much green grass back home.”
Now in his senior year at Marquette, he said those stipulations on the greens are no longer an issue.
“I have learned more putting drills than I can count over the last two years,” Robinson said. “I have been able to focus on putting and turn it into a strong point of my game. Being able to putt well makes your game more consistent.”
Teammate Scott Schlader said he noticed Robinson’s perseverance in improving his short game during practices and competition.
“He has gotten terrific around the greens. He has become such a consistent player,” Schlader said. “His hard work on the greens has paid off.”
His average score dropped almost three strokes, from an average of 76.17 to 73.95, between his sophomore and junior season. He has also seen an increase in his rounds played in that same stretch, from 18 to 20.
Head coach Steve Bailey said he has also seen growth from Robinson daily.
“We have emphasized creating habits and being the best we can be. Josh has led the charge in embracing that, and his success has been a by-product of his discipline,” Bailey said. “We try to plan out the 168 hours of the week as best as we can, and we use a program, Habit Share, to track our guys. Josh didn’t miss a day in sharing his habits last season.”
Robinson’s discipline and habits have helped him receive numerous accolades, such as being recognized as an Academic All-American last year. He shared his secret to balancing school and sports.
“I’ve always been structured and disciplined with my daily plans, which has helped me balance school work with golf,” Robinson said. “Time management is key when you are a student-athlete, so you must learn those skills quickly when you come in as a freshman.”
Bailey also said he has high marks for his golfer’s balance and discipline, saying that an ability to do both is “incredible.” He noted how he appreciates Robinson’s focus on the little things.
“He does a good job focusing on the microscope goals,” Bailey said. “He does a little, a lot and not a lot, little.”
Robinson is a jack of all trades on the course; he doesn’t consider putting as the only strength of his game.
“The biggest part of my game is being able to find the fairways,” Robinson said. “I don’t hit it very far, but my ball flies straight.”
Though Robinson has one extra year of eligibility due to COVID-19, he said he hopes to stay in the game of golf after his time at Marquette.
“I plan to turn professional, hoping to go to Q school for the Challenger or DP World Tour in Europe, while also starting to look for professional coaching jobs within golf,” Robinson said. “I love coaching and helping others in my sport, so I hope to pursue that and get my PGA certification, too.”
This story was written by Trevor Hilson. He can be reached at [email protected].
