This year, Michael Robinson -- who also coaches the girls basketball team -- takes over after David Allen retired last year.

The Falcons do lose former 4-A state champ Michael Cromie, but return enough golfers from last year's title team to challenge again this season.

Green Hope finished fifth Friday at the Keith Hills Invitational, a tournament that kick-starts the boys golf season.

Green Hope's Owen Murphy is the team's top returning performer from the 2010 title team, where he finished sixth overall in the individual championships.

However, Murphy wasn't even one of the conference's top 12 golfers at the end of the regular season.

The Falcons' depth is a large part of why the program has been so successful.

With Andrew Fowler (38.3 strokes per conference match), Will Thomas (39.3) and Minchung Kim (39.5) all back, Green Hope is loaded again.

The top challenger to Green Hope will be Holly Springs, which finished second in the Tri-Nine Conference last year and returns Campbell recruit Grant Houser (36.6) as well as Jake Stone (37.3).

Both Golden Hawks golfers were among the Tri-Nine's top five last year.

Holly Springs was the only team in 2010 to win a conference match, other than Green Hope.

Athens Drive's Alex Ehlert (35.4) is the top returning golfer in the conference.