20 replies to this topic

[dan250yds]

I currently am a junior in high school in the metro detroit area. Right now, i hold a 1.9 index for my handicap. All of last year i began to rebuild my golf swing to make it more mechanically and technically sound. I can go low, have shot a majority of my rounds of 76 or better. I have signed up to play AJGA this yr and to play in all multiple day events too. I am currently unsigned with anybody for collegiate golf and am looking at playing in college. Is there anybody out there who would know where my level of skill is at for the collegiate game? Thanks.

[cmherrbach]

Division II  school would be your best bet. And, how low is low? To play for a good division I school, you need to average below 72. Good luck

[muxi87]

This is where kids make mistakes and go to the wrong place...

I don't see why it matters what "division" you go play at.  There are great golf programs in all divisions...and great schools in all divisions also.

The exact opposite is also true:  there are $hitty programs at all divisions as well.

I've known several kids get bitten by the "D1 bug" and end up dropping out during the first year...only hoping they had went to the D2 or D3 school they had considered.

Let's face it, there are only so many spots on the elite D1 rosters...if that's the level you're on, you'll know it.  After that, go some place that you're comfortable with both the school and program.

As for stroke average of good D1 programs, the thought that you must be averaging under par to make the roster just isn't true.  Yeah, you probably need to be able to break par...but a tournament stroke average of 74ish or better against good competition is most likely an indicator that you're good enough to make the team.

To touch on the "go to your dream school and walk on scenario"...I support that as well.  If you have a school that you just insist on going to, go.  Work on your game and try to walk on.

You only live once...and college is only a short portion of that life.  You need to enjoy it and be happy.

[Petethreeput]

Any division you want.  
You could play Div I at  Brown... a pretty good school IMO and their scoring avg is 78+.  Or you could apply to Guilford, a Div III school and their avg. is lower.  
Simply google schools you are interested in, look at the playing stats, and decide.
If you can market yourself, you can get a scholarship.  If you can't, then you walk on.

[Birdies4Days]

Find a school that fits you, not just your golf game.

[Golf Pro To Be]

Don't base your decision on the division level of the school. Remember, you still have to go to class outside of golf so pick a place where you'll be happy in all aspects of the college.

[knickerbocker]

Golf Pro To Be, on 02 April 2012 - 12:46 AM, said:

Don't base your decision on the division level of the school. Remember, you still have to go to class outside of golf so pick a place where you'll be happy in all aspects of the college.

This.

[TGutHHSGolfer]

Arizonalefty59, on 01 April 2012 - 02:26 AM, said:

Go to your dream school and walk on..... thats what i did

Curious how the walk on process goes, I plan on going to Michigan State University next year because my dad is a professor which gets me half off tuition but if I had the opportunity to even get the last walk on spot that would be pretty cool!

This question goes along to all WRX's if you have experience I'd love to hear!

[generaljhc]

TGutHHSGolfer, on 02 April 2012 - 10:35 PM, said:

Arizonalefty59, on 01 April 2012 - 02:26 AM, said:

Go to your dream school and walk on..... thats what i did

Curious how the walk on process goes, I plan on going to Michigan State University next year because my dad is a professor which gets me half off tuition but if I had the opportunity to even get the last walk on spot that would be pretty cool!

This question goes along to all WRX's if you have experience I'd love to hear!

Email the coach, send resume ask how process works at MSU.

[JLTD63]

TGutHHSGolfer, on 02 April 2012 - 10:35 PM, said:

Arizonalefty59, on 01 April 2012 - 02:26 AM, said:

Go to your dream school and walk on..... thats what i did

Curious how the walk on process goes, I plan on going to Michigan State University next year because my dad is a professor which gets me half off tuition but if I had the opportunity to even get the last walk on spot that would be pretty cool!

This question goes along to all WRX's if you have experience I'd love to hear!

The process likely varies quite a bit from school to school.  I'm just old dude now, but back in 2001 I walked on at Southern Utah University (DI program).  I went on to play for the T-birds from 2001 until I graduated in 2005.  Seems like forever ago!  I was lucky enough to earn scholarship money after that first year as well.

For me the walk-on process was pretty simple...I'd been in touch with the coach throughout my senior year of HS...as the summer after HS came to and end I was told that although there was no money available to me there was a "walk-on" spot if I'd be willing to accept it.  So I accepted.  I had the opportunity to attend a JC on scholarship that first year, but my future coach at SUU convinced me to take a walk-on spot at that school instead...it was definitely a better program.

There was an actual "tryout" that as a walk-on I was required to play in...there were four or five guys besides myself playing if I remember right.  I can't remember how many rounds we played...three I think...and I did come out on top even though I had already been told I had a spot on the team.  Once that tryout was over I was the "walk-on" for the year, and like I said I played well enough to keep my spot until I graduated...four years.

College golf was a blast...in 2004 we beat some teams that were really out of our league to win the Air Force Academy tournament in Colorado Spring in the fall of my senior year.  I've lucked into winning a few other golf tournaments over my lifetime, but that one with the college team is without a doubt my most memorable.  It's been forever ago now but I can still remember a lot of specifics about that tournament and especially how I felt out there during that final round and how cool it was when we finally found out we'd held on to win!  I was more nervous that day with that lead than I'd ever been on a golf course and I somehow shot 71. Our coach framed our team's numbers from the leaderboard for us all and I still have it.  Cool memory to look back on. Really fun.

Best of luck to you my friend...hope everything works out for you.  No matter what, ENJOY it all!

[TGutHHSGolfer]

JLTD63, on 04 April 2012 - 02:08 PM, said:

TGutHHSGolfer, on 02 April 2012 - 10:35 PM, said:

Arizonalefty59, on 01 April 2012 - 02:26 AM, said:

Go to your dream school and walk on..... thats what i did

Curious how the walk on process goes, I plan on going to Michigan State University next year because my dad is a professor which gets me half off tuition but if I had the opportunity to even get the last walk on spot that would be pretty cool!

This question goes along to all WRX's if you have experience I'd love to hear!

The process likely varies quite a bit from school to school.  I'm just old dude now, but back in 2001 I walked on at Southern Utah University (DI program).  I went on to play for the T-birds from 2001 until I graduated in 2005.  Seems like forever ago!  I was lucky enough to earn scholarship money after that first year as well.

For me the walk-on process was pretty simple...I'd been in touch with the coach throughout my senior year of HS...as the summer after HS came to and end I was told that although there was no money available to me there was a "walk-on" spot if I'd be willing to accept it.  So I accepted.  I had the opportunity to attend a JC on scholarship that first year, but my future coach at SUU convinced me to take a walk-on spot at that school instead...it was definitely a better program.

There was an actual "tryout" that as a walk-on I was required to play in...there were four or five guys besides myself playing if I remember right.  I can't remember how many rounds we played...three I think...and I did come out on top even though I had already been told I had a spot on the team.  Once that tryout was over I was the "walk-on" for the year, and like I said I played well enough to keep my spot until I graduated...four years.

College golf was a blast...in 2004 we beat some teams that were really out of our league to win the Air Force Academy tournament in Colorado Spring in the fall of my senior year.  I've lucked into winning a few other golf tournaments over my lifetime, but that one with the college team is without a doubt my most memorable.  It's been forever ago now but I can still remember a lot of specifics about that tournament and especially how I felt out there during that final round and how cool it was when we finally found out we'd held on to win!  I was more nervous that day with that lead than I'd ever been on a golf course and I somehow shot 71. Our coach framed our team's numbers from the leaderboard for us all and I still have it.  Cool memory to look back on. Really fun.

Best of luck to you my friend...hope everything works out for you.  No matter what, ENJOY it all!

Thanks for such a detailed response! The major issue I see for myself is that I have simply started to late and really I'm only going to start showing I can shoot good scores in my senior year of High School and summer going into college, and I have also not talked to the coach at all.

[JLTD63]

Quote

Thanks for such a detailed response! The major issue I see for myself is that I have simply started to late and really I'm only going to start showing I can shoot good scores in my senior year of High School and summer going into college, and I have also not talked to the coach at all.

No problem.  Happy to help, if it even is any help!

Starting late could be a little bit of an issue, but golf is really a "what have you done for me lately" sport, probably more than any other.  If you're putting up decent numbers your senior year of HS and throughout the summer afterwards that will mean a lot more that any numbers you may have put up when you were 14 or 15.  Sure, more tournament experience in your younger years is a bonus...but if you can play you can play.  Getting a coach to see that might take a little doing, but that's ok.

Throughout my years in school we had guys come in as "walk-ons" similar to how I did...offered a spot on the team, no scholarship.  We also had that tryout that I played in every year, and we did have one or two (can't remember for sure...at least one no question) kids "make" the team through that tryout.  They showed up, impressed, and made the team.  If that is an option at the school you're planning to attend, Michigan State I think you said, then there is another door possibly creaking open for you...

[elay95]

muxi87, on 01 April 2012 - 07:10 AM, said:

This is where kids make mistakes and go to the wrong place...

I don't see why it matters what "division" you go play at.  There are great golf programs in all divisions...and great schools in all divisions also.

The exact opposite is also true:  there are $hitty programs at all divisions as well.

I've known several kids get bitten by the "D1 bug" and end up dropping out during the first year...only hoping they had went to the D2 or D3 school they had considered.

Let's face it, there are only so many spots on the elite D1 rosters...if that's the level you're on, you'll know it.  After that, go some place that you're comfortable with both the school and program.

As for stroke average of good D1 programs, the thought that you must be averaging under par to make the roster just isn't true.  Yeah, you probably need to be able to break par...but a tournament stroke average of 74ish or better against good competition is most likely an indicator that you're good enough to make the team.

To touch on the "go to your dream school and walk on scenario"...I support that as well.  If you have a school that you just insist on going to, go.  Work on your game and try to walk on.

You only live once...and college is only a short portion of that life.  You need to enjoy it and be happy.

YOLO

[MRadix]

D1-D2

[sosinsurr]

ThirtyOverPar, on 01 April 2012 - 12:05 PM, said:

Find a school that fits you, not just your golf game.

100% agreed. I made the mistake of choosing for golf, and ended up transferring after a year and a half.

[nmccarthy94]

My GHIN is +1.7 and I'm playing D3 next year. It's all about finding the school that you love, golf aside. Odds are you're going pro in something other than golf, so find yourself a good school and if you can play golf, go for it.

[Thrillhouse]

To the OP.

D2, D3, or Juco no problem at all. And like the other poster said about Brown (although you would need to be academically proficient enough to get in to a school like that) there are D1 schools out there that you could play for as well.

[dan250yds]

Okay thank you all for the help and support. It is appreciated

[onafriday]

Best school you can get into, program be damned.

Life sneaks up on you - as does 30, wife/kids/house.

Get the best education you can - make a couple bucks - and play great courses in your 30's / 40's / 80's, etc.

[chiva]

onafriday, on 08 May 2012 - 11:30 AM, said:

Best school you can get into, program be damned.

Life sneaks up on you - as does 30, wife/kids/house.

Get the best education you can - make a couple bucks - and play great courses in your 30's / 40's / 80's, etc.

Great advice. I went to a good school, became a doctor. Now I make a good living and can afford to take vacations and play nice courses. An education is priceless!

[MBianchi]

TGutHHSGolfer, on 02 April 2012 - 10:35 PM, said:

Arizonalefty59, on 01 April 2012 - 02:26 AM, said:

Go to your dream school and walk on..... thats what i did

Curious how the walk on process goes, I plan on going to Michigan State University next year because my dad is a professor which gets me half off tuition but if I had the opportunity to even get the last walk on spot that would be pretty cool!

This question goes along to all WRX's if you have experience I'd love to hear!

I walked on at Arizona State, you have to get your name out there with the coaches. I emailed both the head and asst coach every recent tournament results, my entire collection of rounds from summer, all my current stats. I got an email back with tryout dates. They had 80 kids and 1 spot open, it was a 3 day tryout. Play well, talk to the coaches when you get there. Take your shot when you get it, goodluck