It takes one swing, one moment of inattention, one odd bounce and things can go downhill quickly.

Such is the game of golf played by thousands on hundreds of courses.

But over the next four days, the best boys golf players from Region 4 and Region 7 can't afford such lapses.

They'll be competing at the state tournament at Soldier Hollow with the 5A teams starting out today and finishing on Tuesday, while the 4A squads compete on Wednesday and Thursday.

"It's always up in the air," said Orem golf coach Greg Sheide. "You can shoot a 312 or a 325 and either make the cut or miss it. It's a tough course and if the wind blows, the scores will be higher. It's kind of unpredictable."

This has been a special year for the boys from Lone Peak, who finally managed to put together the season they needed to get past league juggernaut Spanish Fork and win the region title.

"We've had a tough couple of years but this season we've stayed pretty focused and our scores have stayed consistent," said Knight head coach Troy Nordick. "We knew if we did that, we'd be right there."

But now the Knights have their eyes on a bigger prize. They hope they can put together the rounds they need to end up on top of the state.

"If we play as well as we could, we have a shot," Nordick said. "The northern schools don't make many mistakes.

"If you make one or two mistakes and move on, you're okay; it can be a problem if you dwell on them. Our guys have been pretty headsy and do a good job forgetting about the last hole."

But Lone Peak will have their work cut out for them against Fremont, Syracuse, Bingham and the Dons.

"We're shooting for the top five on the first day," Nordick said. "If we can be within a couple of strokes, who knows?"

Individually, Knights Joe Parkinson and Garrett Fotu will be hoping to garner some personal accolades, as does Spanish Fork's Garrett Moss.

Even if those scores don't result in individual titles, the Lone Peak team needs them to be on their game. Sheide said the key to success at state is having the top players score well.

"The key is having your good, good players be good on that day," he said. "They have to shoot their numbers. If they're in the middle of the pack, you have no chance."

Orem hopes Dalton Stanger will be that player for them while Springville -- who finished on top of Region 7 -- also has some top players it will rely on.

Both of the top Utah Valley 4A teams know that they need to be playing their best to get that state championship but are looking forward to the opportunity.

"We were pretty consistent this year but Springville is also very good," Sheide explained. "I think we have a chance if our fourth players do well."

They'll be going up against good opponents from the St. George area as well as some of the Salt Lake and northern Utah schools.

5A action begins this morning at 9 a.m. on the Silver Course at Soldier Hollow in Heber Valley, with the title being decided on Tuesday.

The 4A teams will start on the same course at 9 a.m. on Wednesday.

• Jared Lloyd can be reached at jlloyd@heraldextra.com.