Rollins family now has two state golf champs

For Todd and Evan Rollins of Laconia, golf is a family thing. The father-and-son duo have played together for about 12 years, and they compete often — and eagerly. Now, they can both say they are champions.

Evan, a 17-year-old senior at Laconia High School, won the New Hampshire Interscholastic Athletic Association golf championship on Oct. 16, just as his father did 30 years ago, in 1991.

Both golfers spent a few years as second-place tournament runners-up when they were advancing in high school, and both were pumped to finally take the trophy home, though they agree the title—“High School State Champ”—is the better prize.

“I was a little bit nervous. It was pretty close most of the way. We were tied toward the end,” the younger Rollins said, noting it was a tight match with opponent Russell Hamel from Pelham.

Remembering his day in the spotlight, the elder Rollins said, “It was fun to become the high school champion. It was something I had worked at for a long time, since I was ten years old. I was pretty serious about golf, so it was exciting. All my family was there.”

Evan scored a 71 his first day of the two-day tournament, and 73 the second. His father shot a 74 and then a 76.

“I’ve always wanted to beat my dad, so that’s good,” said Evan, noting that when they play for fun, they are pretty evenly matched and take turns winning.

“It’s getting harder as I get older,” his father, 48, said. “He’s getting better.”

Todd Rollins is the golf professional at Laconia Country Club. He was about 10 years old when his older brother Scott got him interested in the game. Rollins took lessons at the country club, where Scott was a member. After Scott graduated from high school, he moved to Arizona; Todd Rollins eagerly awaited his brother’s trips home — to see if he could beat him on the course.

“He signed me up for my first tournament at Laconia Country Club when I was 10,” Todd Rollins recalled, noting he whiffed on his first tee shot that day, but shot a 75 in the nine-hole tournament.

Evan said it was his father who inspired him to golf. He was out on the course with his dad as a young boy, hitting balls off the first tee. And like his father, he took lessons at the country club, starting junior league play at about 10 as well. His father was his pro, though.

Evan doesn’t have as clear a memory of his first tournament; he thinks he first competed at 13.

In the fall, Evan will head off to college at Southern New Hampshire University. He plans to golf through his collegiate years and sees golf in his future as a pastime but not a career.

His father enjoys his work as a golf professional and still occasionally competes in local tournaments in the local chapter and in New England Professional Golfers Association events. Over the years, he has held course records at clubs such as Bethlehem Country Club and at Crotched Mountain.

He had his first hole in one this year, playing with Evan in a Pro-Am tournament in June. “That was fun,” Rollins said.

Both Evan and his father say the best part of golfing is golfing together.

“There’s so much to learn in golf, and not just about the game but life in general,” Rollins said. “He’s learning to interact and respect others. He’s learning about honesty and the integrity of the game. It’s a great life experience you can teach on the golf course, which is obviously special.”