It was Logan Weissinger’s first trip to the state golf tournament. And he definitely made the most of his opportunity.
Weissinger overcame some early jitters before delivering a superb performance to become the best Division 3 boys golfer in Wisconsin last spring.
“I played some of the best golf I have ever played,” he said. “Winning state was amazing.”
Now the Durand-Arkansaw senior is looking to repeat his impressive feat.
Weissinger made a steady progression for the Panthers last season. That was evident when he arrived at the biggest meet of the year.
He shot an even-par round of 36 to take the lead on the first day of the state tournament last spring at Blackwolf Run in Sheboygan. He then followed by shooting a 5-over-par 77 on Day 2 to earn the championship.
“Logan made some big jumps and improvements in his game last year. And he peaked at the right time,” Durand-Arkansaw coach Karl Kurth said. “The last three meets of the regular season and then into the playoffs, he played really well. He got hot at the right time.”
Weissinger is part of a strong Durand-Arkansaw boys team that is looking to make the school’s first state appearance in golf since 2021.
His cousin and teammate, Dane Schauls, qualified for state last year as a freshman.
“It helped a lot, having Dane at state with me,” Weissinger said. “It was awesome seeing him make it to state as a freshman. He’s a great golfer who is going to do well this year.”
There has been snow on the ground in northwest Wisconsin this week, but that didn’t stop Weissinger from continuing to work on his game. His family has a golf simulator in their garage.
“You can pretty much work on everything in there,” Weissinger said. “I spent a lot of time working on my game indoors this winter.”
He also has spent time practicing at Midwest Golf Dome near the Twin Cities.
“You can hit balls in there and see the flight of your shots,” he said. “Going there has definitely helped my game.”
When he isn’t working on his golf game, Weissinger excels in the classroom. He was named Durand-Arkansaw’s top male student-athlete from the school’s senior class.
Weissinger carries an impressive 3.74 grade-point average. He has committed to compete collegiately for UW-Stout and plans to study supply chain management.
“UW-Stout is close to home and they have one of the best facilities for golf,” he said. “It’s a great place to practice indoors.”
Weissinger was in eighth grade when the Panthers qualified for state in golf in 2021.
“I went to the state tournament to watch that year and it was a great experience,” he said. “Seeing the level of competition and what it takes, that was something that definitely helped me.”
Durand-Arkansaw nearly made it to state as a team last year, but lost in a playoff in the qualifying meet.
“Our kids have been practicing and playing all winter long,” Kurth said. “We have full expectations that we are going to go to state as a team this year. We have everybody back and this group has been working hard.”
The state golf tournament will move to a different location, University Ridge in Madison, this year.
“I have played there and it is a really good course,” Weissinger said. “It will be a good challenge for us.”
For now, Weissinger’s focus is on the upcoming regular season. Once the weather cooperates and the team is able to compete outdoors.
“I am excited about the season,” Weissinger said. “The biggest part of it for me is just trying to get better every single day. I need to improve throughout the season and hopefully play well at the end again.
“I need to stay focused on each shot and not look too far ahead.”
Weissinger said he tries not to put too much pressure on himself when he steps on the golf course.
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