Many junior golfers dream of playing golf in college. There are three hundred Division I colleges that have a few open spots on the golf team. Around four thousand players compete for about six hundred open spots every year. Here are a few tips to help you on your journey to make the team.
First and foremost, keep practicing as much as you can and always improve on your game. Participate and excel in tournaments; succeed at each level and keep progressing to the next level and the next. Join the American Junior Golf Association tour and compete in invitational tournaments. Your finishes in these tournaments will result in a ranking and coaches pay close attention to these rankings while scouting for new players. Research the schools and programs you want to attend and also research their golf teams. Also make sure that you will still be content studying at the schools if golf ends up not working out for you. Put golf as your second consideration when researching schools.
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One of the best resources for information on all colleges that have golf programs is the American College Golf Guide by Ping. Using this guide will help junior golfers in narrowing down their college search, and to see if they have realistic expectations. This guide provides information on the cost of a school, the size, what division and conference their team plays in, the coaches and their contact information, etc. It also assists with financial aid, tips for parents, and NCAA regulations. It is imperative that you are very well informed on the NCAA regulations and how the recruiting process works.
The recruiting process for college golf is quite different than that of other sports. Because of NCAA regulations, Division I coaches are not allowed to email prospective players before September 1st of their junior year of high school, and they are not allowed to call until July 1st leading into the players’ senior year. By this time, many players have already committed to schools. Most college golf coaches also do not have the budget to travel and recruit players the way that other sports’ coaches do. Therefore, it is up to each player to attract the coaches’ attention and they should begin to do so as soon as possible. Most coaches rely on resumes and videos alone. The first step in marketing yourself would be to create a resume of impressive scores, tournament finishes, and rankings. Also create a video of your best highlights and of your swing. Send these to the schools you are interested in. Set up campus visits, and use them to gauge the coaches’ interests as well as your own. If the coach is geared to make an offer, make sure you are ready to negotiate a decent package. If they do not make an offer yet but are still interested in you, keep improving in order to convince them, or move your focus to a different school.
It is difficult to trek through this journey of playing college golf without a support system—specifically your parents. Your parents should be prepared to take you to tournaments almost every weekend. These tournaments can be far away and at the highest levels, they can cost more than $1,500. The stress that comes with trying to be recruited can be a lot for a child or teenager to be burdened with. You will need your parents to be with you through every step of the way, and to guide you and support you no matter what happens.
With initiative, dedication, and perseverance, you can pursue your dream of playing college golf. Take matters into your hands; know where you want to go and where you want to play. Despite this, do not be discouraged if a certain school’s program is not interested in you. You will find a program where you will fit in the best, and everything will fall into place. Make sure you know what you are in for before you begin this journey. Know that it can be a reach, but it is not impossible.
