Andrew Marler Jake Katz - Binghamton University Athletics

(Acclaimed local golf professional Bernie Herceg
begins his third year as BU’s head coach. He
has been the PGA Director of Golf at BU's home
course - The Links at Hiawatha Landing - for 12
years. The Links, located in nearby Apalachin,
N.Y., has been most recently ranked the fourth
best public access course in New York State by
Golfweek Magazine, and Herceg has served as
its head pro since 1996. As he enters his third
year at Binghamton in 2010-11, Herceg shared
insight into his background, teaching philosophy
and goals for the Bearcats golf program.)
What are your initial goals for the
golf program?
To strengthen our golf program and be
more competitive. Good academics. Have
a structured practice program. Win our
conference championship annually.
What excites you most about coaching
at Binghamton?
Being able to coach at a great school and the
Division I level.Also, to be able to be part of
helping the golfers mature and reach their goals.
What kind of student-athlete are you
looking to bring to Binghamton?
I'm looking for players with good personalities
and who fit with the University's mission.
Also, golfers with sound golf fundamentals
who are dedicated, hard working, have pride,
mental toughness, heart and drive.
What are your fondest memories of your
own college playing career?
Besides the friendships and camaraderie,
being an Academic All-American. Attaining
my goals academically and athletically.
Q&a with bu head golf coach bernie herceg
What do you enjoy most about the
sport of golf?
The challenge of the sport. Every golf course
is different. The pursuit of playing great golf
(ball striking, short game and scoring). I love
to practice. Pulling off the shot when needed
and the pressure is on.
With your PGA teaching background,
you are well aware of the recent
technological aids and trends in the
game. How has instruction and the game
itself changed recently?
The technology has allowed the instructor
to analyze and identify more precisely what
is going wrong with the swing, and it helps
to communicate this and show the student,
so they can see for themselves what is
wrong. Most of the time what you think and
feel you're doing with the swing is not what
you're actually doing, and video helps prove
that, and you can show the student which
helps the learning process.
Now that there is also 3-D analysis and
bringing in the biomechanics part of the swing,
we now understand more of how the body
operates in the golf swing. From this, physical
fitness plays a major role with golfers. We
now have golf specific exercises and training
methods so golfers can train their body
correctly and the body can perform at a more
efficient and consistent level. But even with all
the technology and bells and whistles, it still
comes down to the fundamentals, if you're not
set up correctly, you're already setting yourself
up for failure. Fundamentals are still the most
important part of the swing, so you can allow
your body to have the chance for a great swing
with plenty of energy. Technology has also
helped with viewing great players' swings and
learning from them. Technology has helped
with instruction, but there's so much more to
golf than having a perfect swing. Technology
can't help with aspects such as course
management, scoring, handling pressure, etc.
Technology, can at times, be a disadvantage. It
has hurt some great players because they start
to focus too much on the mechanics and they
lose site of just playing the game.
What are the hardest aspects of golf for
anyone to learn?
Coordination, if it doesn't come naturally
for that individual. Also, understanding
the importance of the fundamentals.
It seems that people forget about the
fundamentals and this is the primary cause
for missed shots. Another aspect is not fully
understanding the importance of the short
game. It seems everyone wants to hit the ball
far and straight, but you also need to learn
how to get it in the hole.
You were an honors student in business
while you played college golf. How did
you balance both requirements and how
do you currently advise your studentathletes
on the challenges of juggling so
many things in college?
First off you need to set goals for yourself.
For me, it was to be the best I can with
my academics and to be an honors
student. I wasn't going to throw away any
opportunities. Next it was to perform well
for our team and school. You need to be
dedicated, focused, hard working, disciplined
and get along well with your teammates.
Also, don't be afraid to use the resources of
the institution to help you attain your goals.
Who were/are your inspirations or role
models, both athletically and personally?
Athletically, I've always loved baseball.
Growing up I'd say it was Bobby Murcer
and Thurman Munson for the NY Yankees.
For golf, I was inspired by the guys who
worked hard on their games ... Ben Hogan,
Nick Faldo. Personally, I'd have to say my
parents. They never pushed me or made me
do things when it came to sports. They were
always fair to me and very supportive of the
decisions I made.
What points of pride do you emphasize
with recruits about the kind of education
and athletic experience they will receive
at Binghamton?
First off, to have Division I athletics at our
University is phenomenal. Our athletics
department is very dedicated to our
programs being successful. When it comes to
the academics, our school speaks for itself.
The education that one will receive here is
second-to-none and to be awarded a degree
from our institution gives any individual the
opportunities in life they are seeking.
What other sports did you play as a
teenager and how did you get into the
sport of golf?
Basketball and baseball were the two main
sports I liked to play. I basically became more
involved with golf once I figured that baseball
wasn't the sport I was going to excel at. I
really didn't start taking golf seriously until I
was a sophomore in high school.
With many of the top notch young golfers
entering college with personal instructors
and vast individual playing experience,
what do you try to focus on to improve their
games and create a team environment?
First off I will evaluate players to understand
their learning methods and their philosophy
on the golf swing. From there, I will focus
on maintaining their goals and our team
goals, in addition to maintaining sound
fundamentals and instruction. When It comes
to the team environment, even though golf
is very individual when it comes to scoring,
it's still a team sport. One person is not going
to win tournaments; it will be all the players'
combined scores. I feel the team environment
will be good because of our team practices,
inter-squad challenges, team travel, winning
events as a team, and encouraging each other
will build good team unity and camaraderie.
Talk about BU's home course, The Links
at Hiawatha Landing, and what makes it
an outstanding test for any golfer and a
perfect home course for your team.
I feel The Links is a perfect home course for
our team because of the challenge of the
course and the outstanding practice facilities,
that give our players the opportunity to focus
and train on all aspects of their game. The
Links at Hiawatha Landing is a great course
and great test. It will challenge all levels of
golfers. The course can be stretched out to
be over 7,100 yards from the championship
tees. Being a Links-style course, there are
many options in front of you to play each hole.
Course management really comes into play
as you need to think your way around as well
as strike the ball well. Players will use every
club in their bag throughout the round. All the
bunkers were very well placed and come into
play on every hole. The course can be very
challenging, especially if the wind picks up,
but also very fair. Players will be rewarded
when they hit good shots. This course
definitely will separate the very good players
from the average ones.
GOLF 5