The sun was still slowly creeping just partly above the horizon, and all was quiet at the Finkbine Golf Course pro shop around 6:30 a.m.

Then, the sharp, metallic crack of eight tee shots broke the early morning silence, signifying a fresh season.

Practice had officially begun.

On this first morning of practice, the members of the Iowa women’s golf team did what they do best: played.

A typical week of practice for the Hawkeyes includes playing 18 holes on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. On Tuesday and Thursday, short-game drills are the norm.

Players said the days they only play 18 is the best part of practice.

Sophomore Chelsea Harris said the round allows her to work on all the things she has been practicing, helping her reap the benefits of the drills she does between rounds.

Junior Lauren Forbes also said playing is her favorite part of practice because it is the best way to learn shots one doesn’t hit on the range.

Fellow junior Laura Cilek agreed.

“We get to be out in the morning when no one is out here,” the Iowa City native said. “It’s nice to be able to do what we all love doing, which is playing.”

Iowa head coach Kelly Crawford said some of her favorite days involve putting drills. One of her favorites is lag-putting drills, which is designed to develop feel on longer putts.

Players, starting anywhere from 30 to 50 feet away, have to knock the ball within 3 feet of the pin. Not only do they have to get it to the hole, they must keep it around the cup.

Competitions are also big on the team. Coaches and players alike love days they compete against each other.

Crawford allows the women to pick the consequence for losing. Things like push-ups, not stacks of cash, are put on the table. The head coach believes letting the team choose motivates the golfers.

“The competitive games we play are great because it keeps you focused and in the competitive mode, which then transfers to tournaments,” Cilek said. “So you’ve been in those competitive situations before and have the confidence to know you can carry those out in tournaments.”

As with their favorite part of practice, there was a large agreement among the players on their least favorite: playing an 18-hole round but only being allowed two putts or better each hole.

The catch is they have to start outside of 30 feet on every green except two. If you three-putt, you start at hole No. 1 again. Crawford’s favorite lag-putting drill comes into play heavily during this drill.

She always tries to keep things entertaining. There are no “punishment drills,” and players aren’t forced to climb hills with their bags on their back after a bad round.

The goal of practice is not only to improve, but to continue to love the game when the day is over.

“I don’t want them to dislike the game or feel like the game they love is a punishment,” Crawford said. “If any part of this is something they don’t want to be here for, they won’t get better. We want them to keep loving the game.”