Chargers Golf Heads to Region C: A Conversation with Coach Brett Kampf

Chargers Golf Heads to Region C: A Conversation with Coach Bret Kampf

By Danny Cardwell · Allegheny Mountain Radio

Bath County High School’s golf team will tee off at 8 a.m. on Monday, October 5, in the Region C Tournament at Great Oaks Country Club. The Chargers earned the trip by going 12–0 in Pioneer District regular-season play and finishing runner-up to Eastern Montgomery at the Pioneer District tournament. The team leaves Bath County at noon on Sunday to get down there, walk the course, and get in a practice round.

Coach Bret Kampf came back into the WCHG studio ahead of the trip. Listeners may remember Bret from a conversation we had back in August of 2025, which we called “Fairways and Foundations.” That day we talked about the clubs his father put in his hands as a kid, his family’s tradition of service, and how his background in education shapes the way he coaches.

A year later, the record is doing a lot of the talking.

“Certainly, their performances far exceeded anyone’s expectations,” Bret said. “They put the work in.”

When I asked him what has surprised him most about this year’s group, his answer wasn’t about scores. It was about what the kids are doing on their own.

“What stands out most is every day I practice,” Bret said. “As a coach, you have to plan. And as soon as the season ended last year, the very next day I started writing the plan for this year. And these players, they come every day and they’re asking, can we do this? Can we do that? We need this. We need range time. We need more putts. The plan I had didn’t matter because these kids were so motivated to get to the course without even knowing they were designing the practice plan.”

Golf, famously, is a game of ups and downs. One hole you’re hitting it pure; two holes later you’re staring at a two-foot putt you can’t make. I asked Bret how he coaches teenagers through that.

“It’s really not that hard,” he said, “because these golfers, my message is very clear — that coaching staff that we have, it’s very clear. We’re here to have fun. And when these golfers from here in Bath County, when they’re having a good time and having fun, the scores drop naturally. It’s not as much about technique and strategy. It’s them just wanting to play golf and have fun. And through that, that’s where their true performance shines — is being relaxed and having a good time.”

A big part of this program’s story is the course they practice on. The Chargers practice at The Homestead.

“I certainly can’t thank the Homestead enough for the access that they’ve provided to use the facilities, because they are truly state of the art,” Bret said. He also credited the VHYG that worked to bring high school golf back to the Homestead and support the program.

That setting, he said, comes with a standard.

“It’s the Homestead,” Bret said. “It’s natural when they step onto the course, they want to reflect positively and represent the school. And also, it just being there, these golfers fully understand the etiquette. It just comes naturally. There may be a few reminders here and there, but for the most part, that part of golf that other sports may not have — you have to have your shirt tucked in, and it comes with the territory. Those are lessons that carry on to the classroom when they’re walking through the hallways.”

That carryover is something other people are noticing too.

“I’ve had emails and conversations with coaches throughout the district who have come back to me after matches saying, beyond the level of play that they’ve gotten to, the manner at which they conduct themselves is truly admirable,” Bret said. “And that it really shows how much this team has grown.”

Bath County and Eastern Montgomery will be the two Pioneer District teams representing at Region C. The field also includes individual qualifiers from the district. Bret pointed to Aubrey Frazier, a freshman at Narrows who came out of volleyball season and shot the low score at the district tournament, qualifying as an individual. Craig County, new to Golf in the Pioneer District this year under a coach who’s a former Roanoke College golfer, may also send two of his sons as individual qualifiers — Bret said he was still waiting for the final verdict on that.

If you’ve ever been around high school golf, you’ll recognize what Bret described next. Golf competition at this level isn’t the chest-thumping you might see in other sports. In the Pioneer District, he said, it’s something else entirely.

“After the matches, you’ll find all the teams sitting at each other’s tables at cookout at the district tournament,” Bret said. “We have a great photo where every player is shoulder to shoulder. We had to use a wide-angle lens to capture not only the Virginia Tech backdrop, but also all the golfers, because when they show up, they’re excited to see their competitors. Now, when the buzzer goes off to start the round, they’re competing. Right. But immediately before and afterwards, they’re shaking hands, high-fiving each other, and I hear it all the time. ‘Good to see you. I’ve been waiting all day to catch up with you.’ And that’s against our number-one competition.”

Looking ahead to Monday, Great Oaks will be new territory for the Chargers.

“We had to Google where it was,” Bret said. “So playing the course for the first time is always a disadvantage. And I believe the course that they picked was to have that neutralizing factor for all the teams. They are offering practice rounds for all the golfers, which is why we’re heading down Sunday. So we can get a look. But the Bath County Chargers, they’re not afraid of going into unknown territory. These guys march through forests on their weekends. It’s not a fear disadvantage. It’s just literally not knowing where the sand traps are. But I’m pretty sure after a quick drive-through on the course, or walking their practice rounds, they’ll know where all the tricks are. They always got to play it safe. We’ve got to avoid them trying to cut the corners unnecessarily.”

Bath County will tee off at 8 a.m. on Monday, October 5, at the Region C Tournament at Great Oaks Country Club.

Listen to our full interview below: