When it came to making a decision, golf wasn’t the first choice; but it was the only choice. For the first twelve years of his life Joey Herrera played baseball, basketball, and even flag football. But as soon as he decided to focus on golf like so many in his family, there was no turning back.

“I always loved basketball, but unfortunately due to my height that was never a realistic choice.

My Dad took me out to the golf course more often and I realized I could succeed without having to worry about physical limitations. I fell in love with the game in such a short amount of time and was motivated to get better each and every day.”

Herrera has the pedigree to play at the highest level. His father, Bill, played golf at the University of Southern California. His sister, Megan, won a state championship at Santa Barbara City College after picking up the game in her freshman year of high school. His cousin Troy played golf at St. Bonaventure before him as well.

“My first aspiration was to play golf at USC. I’ve grown up a Trojan fan all my life and knowing my Dad got to that level has just motivated me even more to work on my game. This was something I wasn’t sure was possible a couple years ago, but I know now that I can get there if I keep working. It’s been great having my sister develop along with me, and wanting to beat my cousin, who is basically a brother, has definitely helped me get better. My grandpa, Dr. William Herrera, has been taking my cousin and me out to Saticoy Country Club for as long as I can remember. It is a top-notch and difficult course that has definitely taught me how to play the tricky courses. The staff there has been incredibly welcoming and my cousin and I plan on following in my Grandpa’s footsteps and play there when we are old and gray.”

When asked if he could beat anybody in his family at the current moment he laughed, “Yeah, I think got them right now.”

The game, which doesn’t come naturally to some, has always come natural to the Herrera family. But the natural talent doesn’t come without hard work. Herrera developed his game at his local golf course Elkins Ranch. It is very rare for a golfer to come out of Fillmore and make waves, and it wouldn’t be possible without Elkins Ranch, Herrera says.

“Elkins has played a huge role in my development. I started playing there when I was younger and they have treated me like a part of the staff for a long time. I spend all my time there in the summer when I’m not playing tournaments. It’s like a home away from home.”

Along with Elkins, Herrera cites Tierra Rejada’s TRAP program and VCJGA’s Mark Wipf for getting him into competitive shape through training and tournaments.

“VCJGA gave me a start in competitive play. I love playing those events. The AJGA and the Toyota Tour Cup have also helped me get exposed to competition from all over the country.” Although Herrera likes to keep the lessons to once and awhile, he does cite one teacher as the one who keeps him at the level he needs to be at when the time comes.

“Lee Martin out at River Ridge has been a huge help. He’s a great teacher who is known for his mechanical approach to the golf swing. But I would say he has helped me even more with the mental approach to the game. Sometimes that’s even more important when it comes to golf.” It’s been awhile since St. Bonaventure has been a team to beat in their respective league.

Normally a football school, Herrera’s tenure at St. Bonaventure has brought a resurgent focus on golf.

St. Bonaventure is currently in first place in the Tri-Valley League and has only lost two matches all season. Herrera has progressively improved throughout his career. He finished just shy of first team freshman year, achieved first team sophomore year, won league his junior year, and going into the last couple matches in league has the school record for scoring average his senior year with 69.84.

Herrera has constantly gone low with several under par rounds. But if you ask him, he can do even better.

“I really feel like I am playing a lot better than I’m scoring. That’s almost better in a way because I know my game is getting to that level where if I make a couple more putts in the round, I can go really low. We’ve played some tough courses like Lost Canyons and Rancho San Marcos in really tough conditions. I feel like I’ve played some of my best golf in those matches, so I’m really looking forward to the last couple matches of the season.”

St. Bonaventure Coach Jon Gomez noted how crazy Herrera’s performance has been this season. “I always knew he had the talent, but he’s going lower and lower every match. He is hitting shots that are hard to hit and doing it consistently. He’s not only a great player, but he has been a terrific mentor for a team that has surpassed everybody’s expectations this year. We will be going to CIF for the first time in about six years. It’s been a season to remember.”

Herrera echoed his coach’s sentiments about the team. “We get along great. My team has really been working hard and they want to come out to the course every day. Seeing how hard they are working and how bad they want to succeed has only pushed me to do better myself.” The one hurdle Herrera has faced has been getting past the first round of CIF Individual. He narrowly missed advancing the past two years and knows his game has to come together if he wants to make one last push.

“My game is night and day from last year. I’m a lot more confident in what I can do on the course, more so than in the past. It would be really exciting to make a run in the post-season. It’s always been a dream to make it to State. I can only hope for the best,” Herrera said.

When talking about future aspirations Herrera says it will hopefully be all golf, all the time.

“I really want to play college golf and get my degree. I would like to stay in the golf industry whether it is playing or teaching. It is a great game and I love watching people get better. Seeing other people enjoy the game as much as I do is awesome to witness. It’s one of the only games you can play until you’re old as dirt.”

It’s safe to say that golfing is in Herrera’s blood. The passion he has developed for golf won’t let him go, and he won’t let go of the game either.