Preparation is the key to solid tournament play. As a follow up to Recruiting Reminders for Parents, here are some helpful reminders for parents of juniors at all levels: DO 1. Help your junior golfer learn (for themselves) how to pack their golf bag before playing in a tournament. They can carry...
Three Things to Know
First, juniors and their parents should know that there are many opportunities to play at the college level. There are over 2000 college golf programs—many options beyond the traditional brand names that are worth consideration.
Second, there are a wide variety of tournaments being played in the USA. Over 500 tours and associations sponsor more than 11,000 tournaments. Juniors and their families need to think when planning their schedules and select events that are a blend: 1. At the appropriate competitive level. 2. Where a college coach is recruiting and/or close to a college campus (if playing college golf is one of your goals).
3. Geographically close to home so that you don’t break the bank traveling to various junior events.
Third, and most important, being a student-athlete at the collegiate level requires a lot of responsibility. Learning and living this life begins in the junior golf world. Players, of course, want to play well, make friends, and enjoy themselves, but they should also recognize that competing in junior golf tournaments is an excellent opportunity to learn many valuable life skills.
Who will qualify for the Division I NCAA Championships? This is what everyone plays for in college golf! I visited the Wolfpack Classic this past week and spoke with some coaches and players about their expectations and preparations for post season. They all agreed on one thing: This is a very exciting and anxious time of year for student-athletes and coaches. However, they have to qualify first!
Over the next couple of weeks, there are many automatic college golf team NCAA berths up for grabs by winning a conference championship. There is one caveat on the men’s side regarding the .500 rule. Effectively, men’s golf requires that a team be above .500 on wins and losses as well as either win their conference championship or receive an “at large” bid.