Instruction
Understanding the differences between NCAA Division I , Division II and Division III golf is a key part of the vetting process .
What Does it Take to Play College Golf ?
Key considerations for reaching your college golf goals
by DANIEL NEBEN , Head Men ’ s Golf Coach at Marymount University ( Arlington , VA ) and Director of Instruction at TPC Potomac at Avenel Farm ( Potomac , MD )
THE DEEPER INTO THE GOLF SEASON WE GET , THE MORE I AM ASKED ABOUT COLLEGE GOLF . As the head men ’ s golf coach at Marymount University and the director of instruction at TPC Potomac , I feel qualified to help junior golfers and their parents navigate the often murky waters of college golf recruiting . Here are my thoughts :
1
Know where you want to go to school Your grades matter . College coaches want to know that you can pass classes and that they don ’ t need to worry about you from an academic standpoint . If you are B-student in high school , you might be able to get into college , but that doesn ’ t mean you will maintain a high enough GPA in college to participate athletically .
Understand the differences between NCAA Division I , II and III . One of the questions I get most from interested recruits is about athletic scholarship opportunities . As a Division III golf program , we are not allowed to offer any athletic scholarships . All scholarships offered at our level are academic or merit based . Division I and II schools can offer athletic scholarships , but the golf program ( and athletic department ) needs to be well-funded to dole out any money . Some of the smaller Division I and II golf programs don ’ t have the funding to hand out much athletic scholarship money .
You ’ re making a five-year commitment . Yes , you can transfer or graduate early , but likely you are going to be on campus for four or more years . If you dislike the area , practice facilities , team or coaching staff , then think twice about dedicating half of a decade to that program .
Reach out to coaches , don ’ t let them come to you . Coaches don ’ t always have time to look past their first couple choices of recruits . If you aren ’ t on their list , then they probably don ’ t know who you are . Solution : send them an email , give them a call , or message them on social media . Become visible by playing well and then contacting coaches at schools you ’ re interested in . If they don ’ t reply at first , try again . Keep contacting them until they either respond or say they ’ re not interested .
Your scores are important
2 Play in the correct tournaments . Play in tournaments that you have a chance of winning . Even if that means you need to play more local events . Save the large , national , ultra-competitive events for when you are competent and comfortable . If your scores are in the mid-80s , don ’ t play in tournaments where the average score is even par .
Understand what scores you need in order to play at certain schools . Utilize platforms like golfstat . com or school athletic websites to compare your scores other players already on the college squad . Keep in mind that college competitions are typically played during the golf “ off-season ” ( late fall and early spring ). The golf ball doesn ’ t fly as far , players deal with difficult weather , and they are also playing on courses that are longer . Realistically , your high school golf scores probably don ’ t mean much to a college golf coach . Your non-high school tournament scores are a more accurate depiction of your game .
DANIEL NEBEN
34 V IRGINIA G OLFER | J ULY / A UGUST 2023 vsga . org