Florida State University Athletics
Seminoles' Heath And Hodge -- In A Class By Themselves
5/14/2024 3:53:00 PM | Women's Golf
CARLSBAD, Calif. – Florida State golfers Charlotte Heath and Alice Hodge are in a class by themselves.
The two seniors, who have already graduated from Florida State University, form the first Seminole women's golf class in school history to play in four consecutive NCAA Championship Finals. The Seminoles begin play in the 2024 NCAA Championship on Friday at 9:40 a.m. ET at the Omni La Costa Resort.
As they prepare to step onto the first tee box for the first of four rounds of stroke play, Heath and Hodge have been the driving forces of three of the most successful teams in the history of the program. With those two in the lineup, the Seminoles have earned the top three NCAA Championship Finals finishes in school history (ninth in 2021, and fifth in both 2022 and 2023), which have helped the Seminoles advance to match play at the finals site for the first two times in school history (2022 and 2023), won the first two NCAA Regional championships in school history (2021 at Louisville and 2022 at Tallahassee), and helped the Seminoles win nine in-season tournament championships.
"Charlotte and Alice have played a major role in the success of our program," said Head Coach Amy Bond, the winningest women's golf coach in school history. "They have been a part of four straight National Championship appearances and helped us to the top three finishes in the program's history. They have helped us get better and better each year, and this year is still to come."
Heath and Hodge arrived on campus in the fall of 2020, and no class in the history of the program has been asked to do more during their careers.
The pair lost their first fall of collegiate competition to Covid and spent their first spring traveling to events in different team vans all while wearing masks. They will end their careers without power in their Tallahassee apartments and limited practice time at the Seminole Legacy Golf Club after multiple tornadoes blew through their campus on May 10, 2024.
Despite a worldwide pandemic and three tornadoes not often seen in the panhandle of Florida, Heath and Hodge have represented the Garnet and Gold with incredible class and grace.
"It's pretty cool being only the two members in Florida State history to ever get to four national championships," said Heath. "But honestly, with the teams I've been on at Florida State over the years, it's been an expectation that we get there (to the NCAA Finals) with the depth in our team."
Heath has enjoyed a fabulous career and begins the NCAA Finals ranked fifth in school history with a career stroke average of 72.20. Her stoke average during her junior season (70.56) is the best in school history for a full season. Her career-best score of 65 in the first round of the 2021 Valspar Invitational is tied for the best single-round score in school history. Heath's score of 72 in the final round of the Las Vegas Regional championship gave her 60 career scores at par or better – the all-time record by a Seminole. More than half of her 113 career rounds have been scored at par or better.
"Of course, it's something we've achieved, but ultimately the goal isn't just to make it to nationals," said Heath. "The goal is to perform at nationals, so we can't be totally happy until after nationals."
Hodge, who graduated from FSU with a grade point average of 3.923 and a degree in finance, is equally impressive off the course and as one the top scholars on a team that earned a 3.829 cumulative grade point average during the spring 2024 competitive season.
Hodge earned President's List honors (for a perfect 4.0 grade point average) three times and has been named to the Dean's List four times. She hasn't earned any grade less than a B+ in any of her business or liberal studies classes. She's been named to the WGCA All-American Scholar Team and the ACC Academic Honor Roll in each of her first three years as a Seminole. She will certainly be named to both of those prestigious teams again this season.
In addition to the incredible academic standings she has achieved, Hodge finds herself in the Seminole record book in no less than eight different categories. She's ranked 14th in school history with a career stroke average of 74.24, tied the school record with a 65 in the third round of the 2022 NCAA Tallahassee Regional championship, and holds the 11th-best NCAA Championship stroke play score in school history.
"Playing golf at Florida State is definitely super special," said Hodge who is an Elite 90 Award nominee at the NCAA Golf Championships. The award recognizes the student-athlete with the highest cumulative GPA in this year's championship field. "Being able to say that I helped the team qualify for four National Championships in four years is a major accomplishment. It's definitely surreal to look back upon the success the team has achieved. I'm so happy to have played a role."
The memories the pair have built certainly span the many hours they have spent with their teammates practicing, playing, and traveling to the many tournaments they have played in.
Heath, a three-time All-American, has become the player she is today through a bit of adversity.
"Oddly one of the best memories I have is linked to a not-so-nice one," said Heath. "My freshman year when we missed out on the top eight by a shot (at the NCAA Finals) was super hard for us as a team. We were a very young team, but we learned so much from that experience. The cool thing about that experience was the fact that the men's team came out to cheer us on and were there to commiserate with us. I think that's such a great example of our combined programs coming together to really be a 'family' to support each other when it's good or bad."
Hodge has also found success through tough times.
"My best memory from my career is definitely shooting 65 at the Tallahassee Regional," said Hodge. "My toughest memory is missing a six-foot putt to get into match play my freshman year. I think back to that putt because that was my biggest learning experience as a player. I have been able to use that as somewhat of a motivator in preparation for future championships."
While their legacies are still being formed, both golfers would have very sage advice if they could go back and speak to their freshmen selves.
"My advice to my freshman self would be not to do anything differently," said Heath. "All year you learn and get better so when it comes to post-season nothing needs to be reinvented or discovered; just keep making small steps forward. Post-season does not require a different kind of golf."
Hodge's advice to her younger self would be similar.
"I'd go back and tell myself to always enjoy every moment and act with poise," said Hodge. "You never know when people are watching."
For Bond, who will coach in the school record eighth-consecutive NCAA Championship, it has always been more about the journey than the destination.
This week in California, she'll look back upon the journey of her two decorated seniors and hope they reach the destination they have played for throughout their illustrious Seminole careers.
"Charlotte and Alice have helped us make history both on and off the course and have been great ambassadors for our program," said Bond. "I am thankful they get to finish their careers at the National Championship and hope we can put an exclamation point on their collegiate experience."
The two seniors, who have already graduated from Florida State University, form the first Seminole women's golf class in school history to play in four consecutive NCAA Championship Finals. The Seminoles begin play in the 2024 NCAA Championship on Friday at 9:40 a.m. ET at the Omni La Costa Resort.
As they prepare to step onto the first tee box for the first of four rounds of stroke play, Heath and Hodge have been the driving forces of three of the most successful teams in the history of the program. With those two in the lineup, the Seminoles have earned the top three NCAA Championship Finals finishes in school history (ninth in 2021, and fifth in both 2022 and 2023), which have helped the Seminoles advance to match play at the finals site for the first two times in school history (2022 and 2023), won the first two NCAA Regional championships in school history (2021 at Louisville and 2022 at Tallahassee), and helped the Seminoles win nine in-season tournament championships.
"Charlotte and Alice have played a major role in the success of our program," said Head Coach Amy Bond, the winningest women's golf coach in school history. "They have been a part of four straight National Championship appearances and helped us to the top three finishes in the program's history. They have helped us get better and better each year, and this year is still to come."
Heath and Hodge arrived on campus in the fall of 2020, and no class in the history of the program has been asked to do more during their careers.
The pair lost their first fall of collegiate competition to Covid and spent their first spring traveling to events in different team vans all while wearing masks. They will end their careers without power in their Tallahassee apartments and limited practice time at the Seminole Legacy Golf Club after multiple tornadoes blew through their campus on May 10, 2024.
Despite a worldwide pandemic and three tornadoes not often seen in the panhandle of Florida, Heath and Hodge have represented the Garnet and Gold with incredible class and grace.
"It's pretty cool being only the two members in Florida State history to ever get to four national championships," said Heath. "But honestly, with the teams I've been on at Florida State over the years, it's been an expectation that we get there (to the NCAA Finals) with the depth in our team."
Heath has enjoyed a fabulous career and begins the NCAA Finals ranked fifth in school history with a career stroke average of 72.20. Her stoke average during her junior season (70.56) is the best in school history for a full season. Her career-best score of 65 in the first round of the 2021 Valspar Invitational is tied for the best single-round score in school history. Heath's score of 72 in the final round of the Las Vegas Regional championship gave her 60 career scores at par or better – the all-time record by a Seminole. More than half of her 113 career rounds have been scored at par or better.
"Of course, it's something we've achieved, but ultimately the goal isn't just to make it to nationals," said Heath. "The goal is to perform at nationals, so we can't be totally happy until after nationals."
Hodge, who graduated from FSU with a grade point average of 3.923 and a degree in finance, is equally impressive off the course and as one the top scholars on a team that earned a 3.829 cumulative grade point average during the spring 2024 competitive season.
Hodge earned President's List honors (for a perfect 4.0 grade point average) three times and has been named to the Dean's List four times. She hasn't earned any grade less than a B+ in any of her business or liberal studies classes. She's been named to the WGCA All-American Scholar Team and the ACC Academic Honor Roll in each of her first three years as a Seminole. She will certainly be named to both of those prestigious teams again this season.
In addition to the incredible academic standings she has achieved, Hodge finds herself in the Seminole record book in no less than eight different categories. She's ranked 14th in school history with a career stroke average of 74.24, tied the school record with a 65 in the third round of the 2022 NCAA Tallahassee Regional championship, and holds the 11th-best NCAA Championship stroke play score in school history.
"Playing golf at Florida State is definitely super special," said Hodge who is an Elite 90 Award nominee at the NCAA Golf Championships. The award recognizes the student-athlete with the highest cumulative GPA in this year's championship field. "Being able to say that I helped the team qualify for four National Championships in four years is a major accomplishment. It's definitely surreal to look back upon the success the team has achieved. I'm so happy to have played a role."
The memories the pair have built certainly span the many hours they have spent with their teammates practicing, playing, and traveling to the many tournaments they have played in.
Heath, a three-time All-American, has become the player she is today through a bit of adversity.
"Oddly one of the best memories I have is linked to a not-so-nice one," said Heath. "My freshman year when we missed out on the top eight by a shot (at the NCAA Finals) was super hard for us as a team. We were a very young team, but we learned so much from that experience. The cool thing about that experience was the fact that the men's team came out to cheer us on and were there to commiserate with us. I think that's such a great example of our combined programs coming together to really be a 'family' to support each other when it's good or bad."
Hodge has also found success through tough times.
"My best memory from my career is definitely shooting 65 at the Tallahassee Regional," said Hodge. "My toughest memory is missing a six-foot putt to get into match play my freshman year. I think back to that putt because that was my biggest learning experience as a player. I have been able to use that as somewhat of a motivator in preparation for future championships."
While their legacies are still being formed, both golfers would have very sage advice if they could go back and speak to their freshmen selves.
"My advice to my freshman self would be not to do anything differently," said Heath. "All year you learn and get better so when it comes to post-season nothing needs to be reinvented or discovered; just keep making small steps forward. Post-season does not require a different kind of golf."
Hodge's advice to her younger self would be similar.
"I'd go back and tell myself to always enjoy every moment and act with poise," said Hodge. "You never know when people are watching."
For Bond, who will coach in the school record eighth-consecutive NCAA Championship, it has always been more about the journey than the destination.
This week in California, she'll look back upon the journey of her two decorated seniors and hope they reach the destination they have played for throughout their illustrious Seminole careers.
"Charlotte and Alice have helped us make history both on and off the course and have been great ambassadors for our program," said Bond. "I am thankful they get to finish their careers at the National Championship and hope we can put an exclamation point on their collegiate experience."
Players Mentioned
/ Women's Golf
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