The women’s golf team got its first look at the course hosting the 2010 NCAA Championships this weekend when the Lady Dogs played at the Country Club of Landfall-Dye Course, in Wilmington, N.C., for the NCAA Fall Preview, finishing in a tie for 11th in a field of 18 of college golf’s best teams.

The Bulldogs’ team total of 48-over-par 912 left them 31 shots back of the winner – Duke.

“Well, we struggled for the most part,” women’s golf coach Kelley Hester said. “For the most part our struggles came on the greens. As poorly as we played, we still finished 11th in a strong field, so I feel like everybody struggled. It was just a really difficult golf course, and I think it was good for us to be there, to play it and to try to get a feel for it. It gives us a good idea of what we need to work on for it until we go back for Nationals.”

Sophomore Marta Silva Zamora once again led the Lady Dogs, posting a tie for 12th at 4-over-par 220. Freshman Emilie Burger continued her steady play, finishing in a tie for 30th at 9-over-par 225.

“I felt like Marta had a solid tournament and Burger played some pretty solid golf,” Hester said.

Although they struggled on the greens, Hester believes the opportunity to get three extra rounds on the difficult Pete Dye layout should pay dividends in their return visit in May.

“It’s a wonderful golf course right on the water, and there are a lot of variables in play there,” Hester said of the course she played on in the 1995 NCAA Championships for Georgia. “The greens were quick and undulating and large and we’re definitely going to spend a lot of time on our putting between now and then. But I think with a few adjustments, it is a golf course that suits us very well.”

The NCAA Fall Preview was the Bulldogs’ last tournament of their fall schedule, and despite the disappointing finish in their final event, Hester was extremely pleased with the way her team played in its five fall tournaments.

“I’m really pleased with how well our young players have come in and done. I thought Milena came in and adjusted well after transferring in, and Marta had two wins,” Hester said. “You know, I felt like we were ahead of where I thought we would be. Even though we didn’t play as well as we would have liked this last tournament, we’re still ahead of where we thought we would be.”

Added Burger: “We had a great fall season. We won two tournaments and we played well in most of them. We played pretty well this time, but it was just our putting that killed us. I think we’re a very strong team, and hopefully we will win some more in the spring.”

For Burger, the fall season was her chance to adjust to the difference level in competition and eliminate the freshman jitters, which should prove invaluable when the Lady Dogs open up their spring season at the Lady Puerto Rico Classic taking place Feb. 7 through Feb. 9.

“It kind of set reality in and showed me what college golf is all about,” Burger said. “It was very confidence-building because when you go in as a freshman you are wondering how you are going to compare and I realized I can compete with the best of them like a senior can.”