Golf Course 101

Thank you for returning to Golf Course 101! A new way to learn about golf and life.

I’m sorry it has been so long since I’ve written.  I’ve been caught up with work and graduate school etc. etc.  And not to mention it’s been SO hot down here that I haven’t been playing as much golf as I’ve wanted. 

 

So, I want to start addressing the idea of preparing for the life of a college golfer.  What does it take to become a college golfer?  How do you get there?  What steps do you take?  I have recently become aware through a good friend of mine and local head teaching professional of a growing number of high school (and younger) girl beginning golfers.  As you can imagine, I have a lot in common with this group of individuals and I would like to offer some advice and some of my experiences.

 

I started playing golf the summer before my freshman year of high school.  My Dad asked me if I wanted to go out to the driving range with him one day and I gladly obliged - I was always looking for opportunities to spend one-on-one time with either of my parents.  I remember my first goals in golf were to hit it past the 100 yard marker.  And then to actually hit the 100 yard market itself.  Seems meaningless now - but that’s how I started.  You set miniature goals for yourself throughout your golf career.  Once you achieve those, you make another.  Eventually if your goals become harder and you are always pushing yourself, you become a better golfer. 

One thing I realized in college that I think everyone can apply to their game is to practice harder and longer than everyone else.  If you’re on a team with four other players and each one of those players has already left practice for the day and  you’re the last one standing - still hitting balls, still making putts, still hitting sand shots - then you’re already that much better than your four teammates who already left for the day. 

 

It’s something to think about – if you stay later, practice harder then you’re going to be better than everyone else. 

 

Another thing I wish I would have started to practice earlier in my golf career was the mental game.  I have really enjoyed working on that aspect of my game.  Think of it as another club in your bag.  It’s something else to work on and perfect just like a pitch shot or lag putts.  I highly recommend the book Zen Golf: Mastering the Mental Game by Joseph Parent.  I have it on my Amazon carousel on the right side of this page if you would like to reference it there.

 

Take a look at it – let me know what you think!

 

Until next time…

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Sorry it’s been so long since I’ve written. I got caught up with graduate school work! Research papers stink!  Anywho, I wanted to write about some NCAA rules when it comes to recruiting. 

There are many rules when it comes to recruiting in college golf.  The rules also differ from division to division.  There are 4 divisons in college golf:  Div. I, Div. II, Div. III, and NAIA.  Here is a link to NCAA’s site to help you navigate some of the rules of college golf recruiting:  http://www.ncaa.org/wps/ncaa?ContentID=271.  As you can see, you can click on the different divisions to help you understand the rules in the each division. 

I took the liberty of asking the St. Mary’s University compliance officer some questions about college recruiting so I could help clarify for all you bloggers out there.  J

Q:  Are coaches allowed to talk to players before July 1^st after their junior year of high school?

A:  Yes

Q:  What type of communication is allowed?

A:  At that point they are allowed to contact them once a week via all normal forms of contact except texting.

Q:  And does this differ across the other divisions (i.e. Div. I, II, III, NAIA)?

A:  These rules only apply to NCAA Div. II schools. Refer to the manual on NCAA’s website for more information on the other divisions’ rules. 

Q:  And does it differ between men and women?

A:  There is no difference based on sex.

Q:  What do you need to do first to get started with the recruiting process?

A:  Everyone needs to now register with the NCAA Eligibility Center (formerly known as the Clearing House) & there is a direct link:  https://web1.ncaa.org/eligibilitycenter/common/

Q:  After July 1^st of their junior year of high school, can players make initial contact with coaches as much as they want to?

A:  Yes,  but they are also allowed to contact anytime before that – the content of the calls just have to be careful. After July 1^st of their junior year of high school, the content of the calls can be more candid (i.e. about scholarship money). 

Q:  How often are players allowed to take official visits?

A:  You are allowed up to 5 official visits to any Div. 1 or Div. 2 schools. Div. 3 visits do not count towards your limit anymore. And you are entitled to unlimited unofficial visits. Lots of times with golfers (since it’s tough to do a tryout) its smarter to just do unofficial’s if the player is uncertain. And you aren’t allowed any tryout except at the Div. 2 level.  Coaches can go and watch all they want but in Div. I, and III you can’t come on campus or the school’s course to workout/tryout.

Q:  And does this have to happen after a certain date during their high school years?

A:  Same thing applies – after July 1^st  of their junior year they are allowed to be on official visits.

Q:  Is there anything you would like to tell potential college golfers and their parents?

A:  Honestly – the most important things every athlete needs to know is registering with the Eligibility Center, taking their entrance exams, and making sure they have the core curriculum from their high school courses in order to be eligible. It’s amazing how many school counselors don’t have a clue about all that!

Hope this helps with some of your college recruiting questions.  If you have any other questions for our compliance officer, don’t hesitate to ask! 

 

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So, I want to switch gears a little bit and talk about college golf scholarships.  I was extremely fortunate to have parents who pushed me throughout high school to become the best golfer that I could be.  They knew the importance of a college education and also how expensive that could be!  They put two and two together and realized that I was talented at this game and that I had a good chance of getting a college golf scholarship.  I can’t even tell you how many hours my Mom probably spent researching the process of applying to colleges, making golf resumes, creating swing videos and cooperating with compliance.  So, I want to put down what I have learned throughout the process.  I’ll also incorporate some professionals into the mix during this series of blogs to offer some insight. 

The first step:  start playing in tournaments!

                Just because you play high school golf doesn’t mean that recruiters are going to know about you.  You need to get out there and start playing regional or national tournaments at a higher level.  Here are a few examples:  AJGA (American Junior Golf Association), TJGT (Texas Junior Golf Tour), TO (Texas Oklahoma Golf Tournament), Starburst Junior Golf Classic.  These are just a few examples of national and regional tournaments that you will want to get signed up for.  Obviously my experience in Texas has led me to some of the Texas regional tournaments but there are events like these in your region too.  I would start with your PGA section office to find out where the junior tournaments are near you.  Ask specifically for tournaments that are on a highly competitive level.  You don’t want to spend all your time and money playing in club tournaments that recruiters don’t even know about. 

Once you get signed up for these events, the next step is to know the rules of college recruiting.  Find out more in my next blog!

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