Temple, left, smiles as he discusses strategy on Ekwanok Country Club’s sixth tee with caddie Luke Salerno during the first round of the Vermont Amateur. Temple and Salerno are men’s golf teammates at Castleton University, where Temple will be a senior this fall with plans on possibly coaching college golf soon.
Temple, left, smiles as he discusses strategy on Ekwanok Country Club’s sixth tee with caddie Luke Salerno during the first round of the Vermont Amateur. Temple and Salerno are men’s golf teammates at Castleton University, where Temple will be a senior this fall with plans on possibly coaching college golf soon. Credit: Temple, left, smiles as he discusses strategy on Ekwanok Country Club’s sixth tee with caddie Luke Salerno during the first round of the Vermont Amateur. Temple and Salerno are men’s golf teammates at Castleton University, where Temple will be a senior this fall with plans on possibly coaching college golf soon.

Manchester, Vt. — There once was a time when Zach Temple saw himself playing NCAA Division I golf and possibly becoming a country club teaching professional. The golf remains, and the teaching may come about soon, too, just in a different form than he first envisioned.

The former Hartford High golfer will return to the Castleton University men’s golf team this fall as a senior. Where he once thought he’d spend a year or two at the western Vermont school before finding a professional golf management program at a higher level, he’s instead happy that he’s stayed where he is.

He has good reason. Speaking after the first round of the Vermont Amateur at Ekwanok Country Club on Tuesday, Temple said he’s talked with school officials about possibly becoming an assistant coach with the Spartans after he gets his degree next year. If it comes about, it would be while Temple begins graduate studies with a goal of become a college golf coach someday.

“It’s just the fit,” Temple said. “For me, school’s first, golf’s second. Golf is an activity I chose to pursue besides my sports administration degree at Castleton, so I figure if I do well in class, golf will kind of go along with that.

“It’s the right size; it’s a good fit for me. It’s kind of paid off for me in the long run.”

When not playing, Temple has enjoyed a diverse experience in the sport.

As a Hartford senior, Temple arranged an internship at West Lebanon’s Fore-U Golf Center, where teaching pro Peter Harris both helped him with his swing and showed him aspects of the golf instruction industry. Now that he’s in his final collegiate summer, Temple is busy working at Hanover Country Club when he’s not on the course.

His Castleton experience has certainly been varied, too. He’s had different coaches in each of his three seasons with the Spartans, going from Bill Bowes to Reggie Colomb to Brian Hill, whom Temple said would be staying on for a second season this fall.

It’s leading to what could eventually be Temple’s first crack at coaching. The Hartland native said he’s discussed with Castleton athletic director Deanna Tyson — and plans to meet soon with school president David Wolk — about assisting Hill in two years should Temple follow through with plans to enter the school’s graduate program on the science of athletic leadership.

“I think it’s just a good opportunity for me to get into the field of coaching,” Temple said. “I really want to kind of give back to the game of golf, for what it’s given me growing up.”

Temple’s been a steady competitor with the Spartans through his first three seasons, twice winning the team’s most valuable player award. He was the North Atlantic Conference’s rookie of the year in 2013 and made the all-NAC first team this past season.

He’s kept his 18-hole stroke average to around 76 shots per round. Similar results should be good enough to keep his run of Vermont Amateur exemptions going — this week’s visit to Ekwanok marked Temple’s third straight year of avoiding the crucible of qualifying.

But he doesn’t plan on being a busy amateur golfer this summer. Aside from the Vermont Am, most of his other competitions will revolve around Hanover, the Tommy Keane Invitational at the end of the month and the club championship in August. He and former Hartford teammate Mak Lyford are also planning on playing in a qualifier for next year’s U.S. Amateur Four-Ball later this summer.

Temple has gained the perspective that comes with getting older, too. Where a round of 78 — what he shot Tuesday and Wednesday at Ekwanok — might have set him off in high school, he realizes it isn’t that bad in a college or state amateur setting.

In time, he’d like to be the guy coaching those amateurs.

“You’ve got to start somewhere; I’m not going to be the coach at Duke out of college, and you’ve got to accept that,” Temple said. “Castleton is a good fit for me, maybe to pursue my coaching degree and kind of see where it goes from there. …

“I think using the connections I’ve gained through high school and college, I know a lot of people throughout the sports administration department that do have their foot in the door. If I can change the program around to a well-known D-III New England program, that can just show that I have what it takes to develop a program.”

Greg Fennell can be reached at gfennell@vnews.com or 603-727-3226.