While most college students got to take a break from worrying about tests and classwork during winter break, the Iowa State women’s golf team had one last homework assignment.

“They all read a book over the break,” said ISU coach Christie Martens. “We have a day where it’s kind of like book report day where they go over everything with their teammates and how it’s going to help them be a better player and how it could help improve the team.”

Players read a different book tailored to improving their mental approach to the game.

“I think what we did over break, having a mental change really helped a lot with our whole game and how to stay tough on the course and be able to grind everything out,” said senior Prima Thammaraks.

Having a strong mental approach and confidence on the course will be essential, as the team kicks off the season with a three-week East Coast swing, starting with the Alumni Match in West Palm Beach, Fla. on Feb. 2.

The Alumni Match is an exhibition and will not include opposing teams, though the team does not plan to treat it as a vacation.

“We’re going to compete against each other, it should be a lot of fun,” Thammaraks said. “It’ll bring the team a lot closer. We actually go pretty hard on ourselves.”

The team has taken advantage of the new indoor practice facility and Trackman technology in preparation for the season, but the chance to play outside before true competition is a welcomed opportunity.

“It’s nice to go out on grass, practicing a little bit and get the feel,” said sophomore Cajsa Persson. “It’s a good start to the season, a good kick off.”

The Cyclones will have to get accustomed to playing outdoors quickly, as their first two tournaments are in consecutive weeks starting Feb. 9 in Orlando, Fla. and Puerto Rico.

Martens believes the team’s opening stretch, particularly in Puerto Rico, will help to build continuity after having four months off and will prove beneficial for the rest of the spring slate.

“Puerto Rico has a pretty good field, they generally have some of the top teams in the country. A lot of them are from warm weather climates, so it’s nice to go out and be prepared and have some competition under our belts,” Martens said.

The Cyclones are hoping to make their fifth consecutive appearance at the NCAA Regionals, though the focus resides in working toward improving on a day-to-day basis as opposed to placing added emphasis on big tournaments.

“Instead of putting this big emphasis on playing well one day, we’re going to get better every day,” Martens said. “If we put that emphasis and we know that if we improve every day, at the end of the season we’re going to be where we want to be.”