Sean Arbaut/MSU athletics MSU men's golfer Carson Harcourt putts the ball earlier this season.

When Carson Harcourt was a toddler, he quickly learned how serious his parents were about golf. The young boy rode around with his family in golf carts while staying secure in his car seat.

Shortly thereafter, Harcourt developed a passion for the sport. He went on to play sports such as volleyball, soccer and badminton, but those early days on the links built the foundation for his future as a Minot State golfer.

“Whenever I was able to pick up a club and swing it around, I played golf,” Harcourt said. “I’ve been golfing ever since I can remember.”

While growing up in the small Canadian town of Kipling, Saskatchewan, Harcourt also came to love hockey. He provided stability to the front lines from the forward and center positions.

At the beginning of high school, Harcourt focused primarily on golf. After sending his golf materials to a host of Division I and Division II schools, Harcourt made another important decision.

Because he wanted to stay relatively close to home, Minot State and the University of North Dakota took center stage. When UND dropped its men’s golf program due to budget cuts, the choice became clear.

“It was kind of a no-brainer to go to Minot State,” Harcourt said.

He committed to MSU in the spring of 2016. Harcourt’s freshman year proved fruitful, as he shot a season-best score of 73 while averaging 78.5 strokes per round in nine tournaments.

Harcourt keeps fond memories of his first collegiate season.

“That was the best team to start a college career on,” he said. “Everybody was so tight-knit and welcoming.”

In those days, Harcourt developed strong relationships with classmates Cody Reynolds and Matt Bean. The challenge of competing with his teammates appealed to Harcourt.

“It was a competitive atmosphere with the team,” he said. “We had more than five guys. You never knew who was going to be playing. You wanted to play well in each tournament.”

In order to truly understand Harcourt’s competitive nature, a trip back in time is necessary. During the spring of 2011, his family reached out to a man who changed the way Harcourt saw the game.

Todd Zado became Harcourt’s secret weapon.

The long and

short games

Zado is the head professional of the Wascana Country Club in Regina, Saskatchewan. He specializes in helping young golfers improve all aspects of their game.

Because Zado was impressed with Harcourt’s natural swing, he emphasized the importance of the short game.

“If you can master that, you can really get your scores down,” Zado said.

While working with Zado, Harcourt developed a “knockdown” wedge shot. That particular shot travels on a lower trajectory than a typical shot and is useful for dealing with strong crosswinds or tall tree branches.

Harcourt proved to be a quick study, and Zado praised his consistency with the clubs.

“He doesn’t miss the center of the golf club very often,” Zado said. “When he does, his misses aren’t huge. His misses aren’t getting him into a lot of trouble. With the length that he’s got, it’s a huge plus if you can keep the ball in play and not have a huge miss.”

Over the years, Zado and Harcourt built a strong bond. Those sweltering summer days united the student and teacher.

“He is one of the nicest guys you will ever meet in your life,” Harcourt said. “He is one of the busiest guys (I) know.”

Although Zado keeps his schedule full with summer camps and other duties, he is always willing to assist Harcourt.

“He always finds time for me,” Harcourt said. “I’m glad that I can be a successful student of his.”

Those lessons with Zado helped Harcourt gain an understanding for his playing style. That insight served him well during his four years as a Beaver.

No-nonsense approach

Harcourt is a left-handed golfer, so comparisons to Phil Mickelson were natural. When he was growing up, he heard some nicknames.

“Little Phil” and “Lefty” were a few that got tossed around. Despite the monikers, Harcourt did not try to take after Mickelson or any other professional golfer.

He wanted to stay true to himself.

“I wouldn’t say I looked up to any pro golfers growing up,” Harcourt said. “I just did my own thing. I was from a small town, so I didn’t want to make a big deal out of it. I just kind of went about my way. I never really played the game to emulate anybody or become somebody on tour. I just did it because I liked doing it and had fun.”

After watching other golfers go about their business, Harcourt discovered the tactics that suited his style.

“A lot of golfers focus on shaping the golf ball,” he said. “Honestly, I’ve never really done that. When people spend two or three hours on the driving range hitting golf balls, I just can’t do that. I don’t really practice different shots. I just like to hit the ball. If I could hit every shot dead straight, I’d be happy with it. That’s kind of my goal, and I try not to get away from that.”

MSU head coach Kyle Knutson noticed Harcourt’s upper body strength. Harcourt’s time on the ice helped him develop his hands and forearms, and Knutson praised his control.

“You can just tell he’s a really good athlete because of the way he’s able to get the club where it needs to go,” Knutson said. “It’s definitely not the swing you would probably mimic, but there’s no one way in golf. There are guys that have a lot of different ways of doing things. He’s able to do it because he’s got such good hand-eye coordination.”

Although Harcourt tends to keep to himself, his mental aptitude benefited the Beavers.

“He’s the quiet one of the group,” Knutson said. “When he says something, it’s usually pretty important. He’s pretty spot-on when he says things. As a group, we really look at what he has to say and value what he says.”

Four years at MSU have helped Harcourt gain valuable perspective.

“If you hit your golf ball in the bush, you’ve got another one in the bag,” he said. “It is what it is. You can’t change anything after the fact. The only thing you can do is try and get better in the future.”

After the COVID-19 pandemic canceled the remainder of his senior season, Harcourt made another important decision. Before he joins the workforce, he wants to lay low and enjoy himself.

Next steps

Over the last four years, Harcourt has returned to Kingswood Golf Course in his hometown of Kipling. He has diligently worked as a member of the course’s maintenance crew.

Harcourt’s duties are wide-ranging. He cuts the tees, greens and fairways and also fertilizes the greens.

“Everybody on the team always jokes that I’m the superintendent of the golf course,” he said.

A business management and marketing double major, Harcourt will graduate later this month. He is currently searching for a job, but also seeks balance in his life.

“I’ll play some golf and enjoy my last couple months of life before I have to enter into reality,” Harcourt said.

He received a ringing endorsement from an old friend.

“I would hire him in a heartbeat,” Zado said. “He does a very good job with whatever he puts his mind to.”

Harcourt plans to return to the maintenance crew and continue his work this summer. As he discussed his future plans, he made a concerted effort to thank influential people in his life. He acknowledged his parents, Dean and Desi, for their roles in getting him into the game of golf. He also recognized former MSU head coach Randy Westby for recruiting him and Knutson for keeping the program on the right track.

During his career, Harcourt met several players who wanted to move south for the opportunity to play year-round golf. While reflecting on his past experiences, Harcourt offered praise for Minot State.

“If I would have known I would have the experience that I did, there’s no way I would have made a different decision,” he said.

Jimmy Lafakis covers Minot High School sports and Class B high school sports. Follow him on Twitter @JJLII30.