Colette Murray had no notions of building the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga women's golf program on a four- or five-year plan.
She had the Lady Mocs playing for a national championship in her second season. That was this past spring.
Murray would like to get them back there at the end of this school year, perhaps as serious contenders.
They start the 2010-11 season a week from today in the Labor Day Shootout at the TPC Sawgrass Stadium Course in Ponte Vedra, Fla., home of the PGA Tour's Tournament Players Championship. The Shootout is a one-day, 36-hole event. Murray's team then will play Sept. 26-28 in the Golfweek Conference Championship at Vail, Colo.
"We started with pretty much no expectations and knew that we wanted to play," senior Christine Wolf said. "We had no idea about conference, regionals or nationals, but we wanted to go. It's huge what we did, and we want to go back to nationals."
Australia native Emma de Groot and Wolf, from Austria, have played the role of Lewis and Clark - leading the way for future Lady Mocs. The sad news is that Wolf and de Groot are entering their final season.
"I don't need to be thinking about that," Murray said. "There's no need to beat myself up for another eight months."
Former GPS and Signal Mountain star Jordan Britt and Yushira Budhram of South Africa had opportunities to play golf at other colleges. The two freshmen chose to play at UTC and follow the pace set by Wolf, de Groot and junior Maria Juliana Loza - as well as former Lady Mocs Katie Taylor and Kayla Stewart, who were on the inaugural team.
"Definitely, one through five, this is the strongest we've ever been," Murray said. "I've never had five players who want to be as good as they can and willing and wanting to do that. I'd actually like seven, but we have five.
"So we are still actually building."
Britt and Budhram are part of that continuous building that included a 2010 Southern Conference championship.
"If we stop building, then we're not getting any better," Murray said. "The house is built. But there are always improvements to be made - upgrades, like new windows or new floors."
At times in previous years, the Lady Mocs have competed in tournaments with only four players. This year, there are five who are capable of shooting par or better almost every time out. Yet Wolf and de Groot will need to continue paving the way in their year of their college careers.
"It's exciting but it's kind of sad at the same time, knowing that every time you do something, it's going to be the last time," de Groot said. "When I came here, I promised Coach I'd stay here until I graduated. I guess it's cool that I'll be part of the first graduating class.
"That's pretty cool."