Decided to try out for my college golf team

#1 CCUgolfer23

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Posted 18 October 2012 - 12:42 AM

I used to play high school golf and was typically the #3 player but since I graduated I have got substantually better average around an 78-82 and after careful thought have decided I miss team golf and am going to try out for my college team. I looked at the stats and I need to drop about 4 strokes to have a shot. Off the tee with driver and full wedge shots are what I typically struggle with the most, and I am a solid ball striker and a good putter. I know you see/read these threads all the time about someone "thinking" they are the next superstar, thats not me just miss team golf and have about 5-6 months before I have to tryout. Besides mental game (my weakness) any advice from people who have tried out or played college golf?

#2 cmrl1986

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Posted 18 October 2012 - 01:55 AM

First off, its not just 4 shots. You have to beat the last guy on the team, not tie him. Usually 70-75 is where you need to be depending on what level of golf the team is on (d1, d2, ect). You also have to be able to do that on any course, not just your home track. Its also not high school golf. College golf is a lot more of a commitment. Usually you have to have all your classes scheduled to be done by a curtian time, for us it was 11:00. Practice everyday and meetings and such after. Its not an easy thing to do in college. Especially if you want a social life (frats, parties, ect). I would say that if you really want to do it, get some kind of a coach for the next 5-6 months and work on it daily for hours on end, because its the same routine you'll have if you do make the team. Its full om commitment and it takes a lot of work to walk on and hold a spot. Good luck to you.

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#3 bk4

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Posted 18 October 2012 - 08:40 AM

Their tournament average may be 76 or something, but their qualifying average is probably a lot lower. For instance, guys on my team who had 74 or 75 tournament average averaged 71 or 72 in qualifying. For our team, who was by no means good - we were probably ranked somewhere around 100 in D1 - you basically had to shoot par over four rounds to walk on. If somebody didn't break 80 on Day 1 they were cut then and there. Most of the time, not always, depends on the school, the coach isn't going to take somebody who can't contribute to the team. They usually already have several guys who never play, and those were guys recruited. There's no incentive for him to keep somebody who might make a tournament every once in a while.

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#4 twixster888

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Posted 18 October 2012 - 10:36 AM

cmrl1986, on 18 October 2012 - 01:55 AM, said:

The driver is a scoring club. The wedge is also a scoring club. If you have trouble with these two clubs, you will be on the defensive all day trying to save par. You need to be a good driver if you want to score well.

#5 Petethreeput

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Posted 24 November 2012 - 09:51 AM

My tryout tip: get a haircut and wear shoes.

As a college kid I played money games with kids on the golf team.  I was not a golfer, but the kids on the team told me, "We need someone who shoots mid-70s, and you get free golf."

I get a hand-written note from the coach to try out for the team.  Its a northern school, the initial cuts were in a hitting net.  So, I show up at the gym, kick off my Birkenstocks and pull my hair back into a ponytail.  The coach asks, "Where are your golf shoes?"  I explain I don't own any and I play barefoot, but if I get past this first cut, I will definitely get some.

He tells me, "Don't bother."

I never hit a golf ball for him.  My buddies asked why I never showed up, the coach sent me another note saying he was disappointed I chose not to try out, and if I was still interested we could set up an appointment to hit balls.  The coach didn't find out what happened until my friends told him.

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