Eshan Jain and Vanguard golf coach Greg Custer share a love of art. 

The golfer vows to win a bet over a Courser assistant coach by wearing different, colorful socks every course while the veteran teaches an art class at the school and leads an award-winning department alongside his coaching.

Together, they share a love of the art of golf. Custer learned from a book long ago, while Jain used YouTube over the COVID-19 pandemic to grow his game. 

They'll both be at the Pinehurst Country Club on Monday for the 3A CHSAA State Golf Championships in the program's inaugural season, once again sharing a love of golf's link to creativity; inspiring the growth of the young golf team. 

"I played for Pine Creek last year because we didn't have a team and (Joseph) Simboli, the athletic director here brought it to me after the year," Jain said. "I was so thrilled and it made me work even harder." 

Jain's version of Custer's original lessons from a golf book come from his phone, iPad and laptop. Sometimes, he'll even stream it to a bigger screen than all three to look at minuscule details.

If a golf event is televised, he won't miss it.

The sophomore takes a scientific approach to make art on a golf course. When they were all that stayed open during the pandemic, he picked up his old bag of clubs and headed to the backyard with a wiffleball to get ready. 

Jain's father, Rupesh and he went to the driving range a couple of times a year, but it wasn't a passion worthy of overruling his love for tennis. 

YouTube creators Rick Shiels, Peter Finch and GoodGood flipped the balance and even altered the Jain family activities.

"I was really into tennis for years and played it hard, but COVID really made golf explode," Jain said. "Now, it's just a recreational thing I do, but golf is something I really want to pursue.

"My dad has embraced it and we would go out every weekend, he even got new clubs and got us a membership at Flying Horse. It's a way for us to bond even more now."

In many ways, Custer was waiting for Jain. 

He's played in amateur tournaments for years as a scratch golfer, and at one time eyed a future as a golf pro and coach for higher-ups. 

Simboli said a golf team's inception for Vanguard athletics was a 'best of both worlds' situation where all of the coach's loves came together.

Most of the Courser squad entered the year with little-to-no experience — relying on Jain and Custer to get them up to speed. 

Now, Custer has trouble getting his team off of the course. Their latest practice saw two foursomes and drives right down the fairway — a far cry from teaching the high schoolers how to grip a club and shift weight during a stroke. 

The reward of seeing the art result in a state berth wasn't wholly unexpected for Custer and Jain, but worthwhile nonetheless as the duo looks to stamp the Courser name at Pinehurst — a creative mark, to be sure. 

"This whole situation is just so unique," Custer said. "Eshan is a very special kid. His journey in golf just makes sense.

"I had an artist when I started teaching who spring boarded my career as a teacher — Eshan is doing the same thing for my coaching."  

State Golf Information

Class 3A Tee Times, Day One: 

Colorado Springs Christian — Owen Albrecht, so. (11 a.m.)

Manitou Springs — Jack Clifford, jr. (11:05 a.m.)

Eshan Jain, Vanguard — Eshan Jain, so. (11:15 a.m.)

Location: Pinehurst Country Club, Denver, CO. 

Class 4A Tee Times, Day One: 

Air Academy – Sam Brennan, so. (10:50 a.m.)

Cheyenne Mountain — Thomas Herholtz, sr. (9 a.m.); Charlie Doyle, so. (9:10 a.m.); Kale Parthen, sr. (9:20 a.m.); Carter Surofchek, sr. (9:30 a.m.)

Coronado — Parker Shirola, jr. (10:20 a.m.); Carson Greene, fr. (10:30 a.m.)

Falcon — Reese Knox, sr. (9:40 a.m.); Brayden La Rosa, sr. (9:50 a.m.); Trevor Wolken, sr. (10 a.m.); Patrick Glaser, so. (10:10 a.m.)

Lewis-Palmer — William Simpfendorfer, jr. (11 a.m.)

Palmer Ridge — Caleb Peterson, sr. (11:10 a.m.)

The Classical Academy — Nathan Valentine, jr. (10:10 a.m.); Zachary Valentine, fr. (10:20 a.m.); Ryan Heiser, sr. (10:30 a.m.)

Vista Ridge — Bryce Raduziner, sr. (11:10 a.m.)

Location: Pelican Lakes, Windsor, CO. 

Class 5A Tee Times, Day One: 

Pine Creek — Wesley Erling, sr. (8:30 a.m.); Rylen Caldwell, sr. (8:40 a.m.); Luke Wright, so. (8:50 a.m.); Barnett Bentley, sr. (9 a.m.)

Location: City Park, Denver, CO.