The college golf recruiting myths series continues. Thanks to the coaches who have sent emails and texts with their favorite myths. Buckle up with this week’s list.
Myth #10: Hundreds of women’s golf scholarships go unused each year.
Reality: This one continues to circulate due to outdated information and misconceptions about the recruiting landscape. A 2017 LA Times article stated that the NCAA estimated that 200 women’s golf scholarships go unclaimed. This article contains data from 2009 and doesn’t discuss the dollar amounts of these scholarships,. Also, according to his Golfweek article, the NCAA does not keep track of unused scholarship money. The Golfweek article sets the record straight and interviews women’s coaches about this common myth. Since golf is an equivalency sport, a partial scholarship counts as a scholarship. Are there 200 full rides out there waiting for you to grab them? No. Are there some scholarship dollars that go unused? We are likely talking about schools in regions of the country that aren’t ideal and those with lesser academic reputations.
In other cases, extra scholarship money may be the result of an unintended issue with the admissions process or a player transferring or deciding to turn pro. Most of the time, this happens at the last minute and coaches can’t fill that spot before the school year starts. While a few programs each year might not use their entire allotment (which is 6 for a fully funded Division I women’s golf program and 5.4 at the Division II level), highly competitive programs use all of their scholarships and plan for how they will divide their scholarships 2-4 years out.
Another thing we must consider is that all schools are not fully funded. There isn’t a magical website that tells you that information. It’s up to you to learn what types of scholarship opportunities are available at different programs by communicating with coaches. Research in the recruiting process is key and selecting a school based on the type of scholarship you receive may lead to heartache in the long term.
At the time of this writing, there are 2929 girls listed on Junior Golf Scoreboard. In order to have a ranking on their website, you need to have played in four multi-day stroke play events during the last 365 days. According to the LPGA*USGA Girls Golf Program, there were 72,000 girls golfers in 2017 participating in the program. As girls golf participation continues to rise and these players matriculate into more competitive settings, there will be more players with official rankings. In turn, coaches will have more opportunities to award these “unused scholarships” to the upcoming stable of players.
Myth #11: I should inflate my abilities and tell coaches what I think they want to hear.
Reality: Be honest. As a Division I men’s coach said in an email to me last week, “Don’t tell me that you built Mt. Rushmore and then later tell me that your lowest tournament score is 74.” Self-promotion is necessary in your communication with coaches; however, there’s no need to go overboard. If you are a great player who is shooting low numbers in tournaments, there’s a good chance that coaches will already know who you are. Send coaches a brief email with some academic information, golf scores, your resume, and contact information. Do not write a novel. Make it brief because coaches are likely going to take your name and plug it straight into various ranking websites to get an unbiased opinion of how good you are.
Myth #12: I will never have to sacrifice anything to play at an elite level.
Reality: In a world where FOMO is plentiful and social media makes everything look so much fun, it’s tough to say NO sometimes. What do your habits off the golf course say about you? Are you easily swayed? Are you hanging out with people who are bad influences? Do your friends prioritize partying and other activities that will negatively impact your golf performance?
To play golf at the elite level and attain a spot on a college team will require you to work harder and think about college earlier than most of your high school friends. Your process starts as early as your freshman year (okay, 7th and 8th grade for some of you) and hopefully will end with a verbal commitment followed by an early admittance in the fall of your senior year. At no point do you get to take your foot off the gas and coast because you already have a scholarship.
If you truly want to be an elite player, you must treat your body accordingly. Get rest. Hydrate. Read books to enhance your mental game. Fuel yourself properly. Stay on top of your academics. Visualize. Hire professionals to help you with different aspects of the process.
College coaches will expect you to be prepared once you get to the next level, and they will be the first to tell you that you can’t do it all. Sacrificing sleep to study? That will likely happen. Sacrificing sleep to stay up all night drinking? That’s not a productive use of your time. It’s up to you to decide what kind of college experience you want to have. Do you go in ready to qualify for the first tournament? Are you dialed into various aspects of your game? Or will you treat college like one big party? The small decisions you make now will pay dividends in your future so remember that it’s okay to say NO to the activities that don’t make you better. While you’re at it, feel free to eliminate the people who are bad influences in your life as well.
What is “Golf Globally”?
Golf Globally assists junior golfers and their families with the college golf recruiting process. Founded by Dr. Katie Brophy Miles, the company offers families custom packages to guide them through their college search. As a former Division I player and coach, Katie takes a holistic approach in helping your sons and daughters achieve success at the junior level and beyond.
Sign up for our next video chat on September 9th! This video chat will address what the class of 2023 and 2024 should be doing to maximize their recruitment.
