College Golf Process

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By Jeff R

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  • 9 Replies
  1. Jeff R

    Jeff R
    Hingham, MA

    Hello everyone my son is currently a freshman in high school and an avid golfer. He averages just around 80 and can break 80 fairly often, but he is improving by the minute. His dream is to receive a scholarship to play division one golf at a middle of the pack school. I was jus wondering if anyone has any advice for him on the recruiting process, what tournaments he should play in, etc. Anything would be great. Thanks

  2. tdogg21

    tdogg21
    Chambersburg, PA

    First off, good luck to him.  If he keeps practicing and working on his game, he has a shot at achieving his dreams.  I'm not an expert, but I've done a little research and talked to some people about it.  From what I've been told, AJGA tourneys are the best way to get his name out.  Also create a golf resume that lists his accomplishments.  You can then use that to send to coaches.  It never hurts to email a few coaches to tell them he's interested.  He might not get a scholarship, but he'll at least be on their radar and he might have walk-on opportunities.  Again, good luck to him and tell him to keep working hard!

  3. Wade W

    Wade W
    Roanoke, VA

    D-I coaches most often recruit players who compete in AJGA and USGA events, who are competitive in state-level events, and who win convincingly in local events.

    WW

  4. Cole W

    Cole W
    Winter Garden, FL

    Get him playing in as much competitve golf as possible, AJGA events are great as well as USGA events and state events, are where a lot of college coaches go to recruit.  Also try to get them in with a well respected teacher as a lot of coaches will reach out to Pros for opionions and leads.  The key is for him to keep working on his game, if he is good enough and is out playing in tournaments coaches will find him.

  5. James E

    James E
    Wauwatosa, WI

    Jeff,

    Everyone has given great suggestions so far.

    I suggest and highly recommend AJGA as well. It is truly fantastic, very professionally run. There are a lot of tournaments and opportunities. 

    The US Junior would be great as well.

    I would recommend any state tournaments as well, junior to begin with and then the State Am, State Open, etc. as his abilities warrant.

    I would suggest to him to play in local events. It is good to get to know how it feels to win. It instills confidence and confidence is extremely important in golf. Playing under pressure anytime will be helpful.

    Have him get into practicing, maybe have a professional helping him with his game if you can afford it. Try to develop a solid practice routine. Long game, short game, etc. Learn about course management. Have him look at his game honestly, strengths and weaknesses. But try to keep him optimistic about any weaknesses. A weakness is just a strength waiting to appear with a positive attitude and hard work.

    I would also recommend that he gets good grades. Every coach loves a great player but a great player with great grades is also highly in demand. It will also help him in post golf life.

    Finally, a great attitude is VERY important. A positive attitude, never give up. Always play your best, never give up. Try to instill in him how important it is to try on every shot regardless of what your score is. Attitude can go a long way in the recruiting process and in life in general. 

    I would also say that make sure he has fun so he doesn't burn out. It is very easy to burn out, if you love what you are doing it will be easier. Try to instill the confidence in him that no matter how he plays you support him. Try not to be too tough on him as he gets closer to the goal he has set. Family support goes a long way.

    I hope this helps a little, I wish your son all the best in all his endeavours.

  6. Matthew P

    Matthew P
    Spring, TX

    ajga events and usga events 

  7. Chris Hatem

    Chris Hatem
    Boston

    I would have him send emails to Coaches; as they are allowed to set up on campus meetings for prospective recruits. This will allow you to see the campus, meet the coach, get some face time, and a handshake. I had a lot of questions when I was being recruited, like how often is practice? how often do we lift as a team? when we travel, when do we leave and get back? is this schedule manageable with a college workload? are professors okay with us making up missed classes/work? Good recommendation James about the good grades part. A student-athlete with good grades just makes the Coach look even better in the school's eyes.
  8. Sam E

    Sam E
    San Diego, CA

    Good grades help with the non revenue sports. There usually aren't enough scholarships for the team so the coaches like to divide them among the players. Kids with grades are in demand because they can receive non athletic scholarships as well, so then the coach has more flexibility with the scholarship distribution

  9. Edward K

    Edward K
    Wesley Chapel, FL

    Military
    There are ALOT of schools that offer scholarships, even partials. It's all about getting noticed, and tournament scores. I've been to the NCAA Championships, and a majority of those kids are shooting mid 70's at best. Granted, tournament pressure adds 3-4 shots a round. Make sure he has fun with it, and try not to allow him to make golf his only priority. He'll need balance. And get him playing with better players. That is the true test. I was scratch in 10th grade, and could have gotten at least a good scholarship. This young punk was the area hockey star, and chose to walk on a contending Division 1 hockey school....LOL. I played, but not as a scholarship player. That was an expensive degree.....
  10. Jake R

    Jake R
    East Aurora, NY

    Work on building a strong, but honest resume. Start logging EVERY tournament he plays in. I am 14 and shoot about 75 in all my tournaments and this is what I have been doing to get ready for college golf. Look into the book The College Golf Plan, and that book will help with the technical parts of applying for college golf opportunities. Also, have him start playing with other potential college golfers and talk to your PGA Professional. Include in the tournament log, score, field size, course yardage, slope and rating, winning score and finishing position.

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