Hole after hole, Napa’s Taylor Bickell was hammering drives, hitting fairways in regulation and finding the greens on her approach shots.

She was making birdie putts right and left, and avoiding all of the trouble — in particular, water hazards.

Along the way to shooting a 2-under-par 70 in the final round and winning the girls 13-18 division of the Classic Club Challenge, a Future Collegians World Tour event at Classic Club last month in Palm Desert, Calif., Bickell had the look of a golfer who was both confident and relaxed despite windy conditions.

It’s a look that Greg Bickell, Taylor’s father who played baseball at Merced College and the University of Hawaii, had seen before.

The first time was at the Top of the Bay, a Junior Golf Association of Northern California premier event at Santa Rosa Country Club and Windsor Golf Club. Taylor won the title, shooting 79-70 — 149.

The second time was during the Sam Baskins Memorial, another JGANC premier event that was held at Wilcox Oaks Golf Club in Red Bluff and Gold Hills Country Club in Redding. She won the girls overall championship, shooting 75-70 — 145 and finishing 1-over-par for the two-day, 36-hole tournament.

“Taylor was just stepping up, letting it go and trusting it,” said Greg. “It was exciting to watch. Tee to green was incredible.

“That round was special.”

Bickell, ranked 217th nationally by Junior Golf Scorecard, had six birdies in that final round. The clincher was a 30 footer on the last hole that gave her a one stroke win over Brenna Nelson of Monte Sereno, Calif. Bickell was two in front of Ashleigh Albrecht of Murrieta, Calif.

She was eight shots off the lead and in fourth place after opening with an 83 that included three penalty strokes. On top of that, she was fighting a head cold.

“I almost thought I was out of it,” she recalled. “The next day I just really thought to myself, I just really want to improve on what I did — and I did that for sure. It was awesome. I just came back and I took it one shot at a time. I guess I was just playing ‘happy golf’ — being very positive, smiling, not getting worked up about each shot. I think my iron play was pretty good, particularly my wedges.

“I always go to play.”

Golf is a big part of Bickell’s life. The sophomore is home-schooled through the Sonoma District of the California Virtual Academy, allowing her to have more flexibility in her schedule. She spends 3 to 4 hours a day working on her game and plays a competitive tournament schedule that includes not only JGANC and FCWT tournaments, but Northern California Junior Golf Association Junior Tour and American Junior Golf Association events that require travel.

“As far as her playability, she’s got all the skills and she’s got all the shots,” said Mark Johnson, an assistant golf professional at Silverado Resort, who works with Bickell, 15. “Whether she chooses the right ones at the right times, that comes with experience.

“She has a drive and a passion for the game that’s really rare to see in kids these days. You don’t see kids that want to spend every waking moment of the day practicing or playing with a goal in mind like she does. The more experience she has in these big events, the better it’s going to be. She’s going to be even more relaxed.”

Bickell, who left Justin-Siena High School after her freshman year, tied for 10th Sunday in the NCGA Junior Tour’s East Bay stop at Poppy Ridge in Livermore. In a 28-player field, Bickell had rounds of 80 and 82 for a 162 total on the Chardonnay/Zinfandel course.

By winning at Classic Club, Bickell is qualified to play for the national championship in Florida next May. The FCWT is a non-profit organization committed to helping young men and women in their pursuit of earning a college scholarship through the challenge of competitive golf. The purpose is to provide a venue of nationally-ranked junior tournaments for the junior golfer. The FCWT offers over 50 tournaments throughout the country.

“I’m so proud of what she’s done,” said Johnson. “She’s come a really long way. Her swing has really changed dramatically. It’s probably polar opposites from where it was a year and a half ago.”

Bickell, with a +0.4 U.S. Golf Association handicap index, has the power and strength to drive the ball in the neighborhood of 250 yards. She also has the touch and feel with short irons to get up and down around greens.

“She does an outstanding job of reading greens, which is pretty difficult to do, especially at age 15,” said Johnson. “She can really see lines and read the slopes very well. She’s just a tremendous putter.

“In terms of pitching and chipping, she practices that as much as she does any other aspect of her game. She’s really, really good at it.”

Last year, Bickell was the Marin County Athletic League Player of the Year and First-Team All-MCAL for Justin-Siena. She shot a 77 and finished seventh at Tilden Park during the CIF North Coast Section Tournament in Berkeley, but missed advancing the CIF Northern California Championships by one shot.

She won the girls 15-17 division of the Sacramento County Junior at Ancil Hoffman Golf Club in Carmichael. Bickell shot 79-79 — 158 in the JGANC premier event.

She also won the girls 15-17 division, shooting a 73 at the JGANC’s Sonoma County Junior. The minor tournament was played at Oakmont East in Santa Rosa.

“I’m very proud of Taylor,” said Greg Bickell. “She has much more dedication than I ever had. I have so much pride and admiration for Taylor. Not only is she a good athlete, but she’s really a much better person.

“She’s growing into this game really well. It is a game of integrity, of character, of etiquette. I think it does mirror her personality very well.”

Taylor started golf at age 9 and played until she was 12. She stopped playing for a couple of years and got back into it at 14.

“I think it really just fits who I am,” she said. “In so many ways people talk about how you can compare golf to life a little bit — ups and downs, you’re not always perfect. It’s just something I can really relate to.”

She misses playing on a team, but with her new schedule — it consists of algebra II, biology, literature and composition, French II, career planning and P.E. — she can turn on her lap-top around 6 a.m., start her on-line courses early and be done with school around 11 a.m. or noon. The program is publicly funded and WASC (Western Association of Schools and Colleges) accredited. California Virtual Academy is a fully accredited college prep high school.

“The curriculum itself is challenging,” said Greg Bickell, Taylor’s life coach/mentor. “From my observations, it’s preparing Taylor for college.”

There’s no commute to school, no campus or classroom or school bells.

“It’s been a pretty easy transition,” Taylor said. “I feel really grateful that I’m even able to be in a program like this.

“It’s not easy, because there’s a lot of responsibility that is required to be successful in this program. There’s a lot of initiative that you have to take. It’s challenging. It’s more about communication. You’re in charge of talking to your teachers if you need help. They’re not right there in front of you, so you don’t just get to raise your hand. But you need to take the time to e-mail them, tell them your questions and then they’ll be able to get back to you.”

Bickell is raising funds to support the American Heart Association through her “Birdies for the Heart, From the Heart” program. She is looking for pledges for  every birdie that she makes during tournament play in 2008. Fixed pledge amounts can also be made. For more information, call the American Heart Association, ask for Shannon or mention Bickell’s fundraiser, at (707) 542-1992.