September 18, 2019

Best tips for a new high school golfer

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Beginning to play high school golf is an exciting time for any young golfer. For those who are just starting out, it can be difficult to decide what parts of the game are most important to work on. Even before a high school golfer plays their first match, taking some time at the range or even at home to focus on fundamentals and techniques can make all the difference. 

Learn how to “feel” putts

For a beginner golfer, putting can be one of the more daunting parts of the game. One of the hardest concepts to put into words is, “how hard do I have to hit this putt?” Think about any other sport like baseball, football or basketball – no one knows just how hard to throw or shoot the ball, but you generate the touch and feel from practice and muscle memory. Golf is the exact same way. When starting out – throw down some balls 10 feet from the hole, and with one hand (your bottom hand when gripping the club) start rolling putts. Don’t focus on making the putts, rather, getting a feel of how hard you need to hit the ball for the correct speed. Once you feel comfortable from that length, move farther away and start again.

Focus on your alignment

For this drill, you will need to lay down either a couple of golf clubs on the ground or swing by your local hardware store and pick up some inexpensive alignment sticks. By using alignment sticks, you will ensure that you are properly aligned to your target which will help you hit more consistent golf shots to your intended target. 

Learn to hit a bunker shot 

Hitting a bunker shot can seem like an intimidating task for a new golfer. Don’t let it be. A couple of important tips to remember are to choose the right club, take the right set-up, and try your best to hit approximately 2 inches behind the ball. Here are some awesome tips on how to hit any kind of bunker shot. 

Have a plan of action for your practice routines 

When going out to the driving range or your area to practice, don’t just go out to hit golf balls but have an actual plan. If you are looking to improve your chipping and putting, focus on doing short game drills that day. Similarly, if you are looking to go out to the course, don’t play for score, make some fun games that you can do by yourself or with other members of your team.

The most important thing to remember when starting out as a new golfer is to have fun and practice with a purpose. Lean on other senior members of your team and upperclassman to help you with your game.

September 9, 2019

3 ways to play your best golf in bad…

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High school golf takes place either in the fall or spring season. With that in mind, high school golf matches can be met with less than ideal weather playing conditions. When met with challenging conditions, these tips below will help you brave the elements and play your best golf. 

Mind over matter

“It’s too cold to play golf today”. Many times golfer psyche themselves out even before the round starts. Rather than complaining about how cold, or wet or windy the conditions are for a given round – embrace it! Everyone has to play the same golf course with the same conditions. The players that can look past the tough conditions will be most likely to be on the top of the leaderboard at the end of the day. 

Dressing for the conditions

Being able to prepare for the round and challenging weather is key. Having proper jackets and outerwear can help repel the rain and wind. Having an extra set of rain gloves, extra dry towels in your bag and an umbrella will be additional ways for you to stay as dry and comfortable as possible. Be sure to not forget to pick up some hot hands which can keep your hands and feet toasty warm throughout the round. 

Playing in all types of conditions

Practice makes perfect, and the same can be said when needing to play in all types of weather. One of the keys to remember when playing in poor conditions is that the golf ball will not travel as far as it will during perfect conditions. Your range of motion will be restricted by your clothing and in turn, you won’t swing as hard. Setting your expectations on how far the ball will travel and “clubbing up” will be a key to hitting more greens and solid shots. 

Hope some of these above tips will help you shave some strokes off for this upcoming high school golf season. Have any tips or practices that you use to play your best golf in bad conditions? Shoot me an email Chris@highschoolgolf.org

August 20, 2019

How to make a career in the golf industry

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As a Junior in High School, I had no clue what I wanted to go to college for.  I loved sports and was a 3-season athlete in upstate NY. I thought I would go to school and become a Physical Education (Gym) teacher.  One day my father was reading an article in the Wall Street Journal. He said, “Chris did you know that you could go to college and become a PGA Golf Professional?”  I was intrigued, very intrigued.  

I investigated the PGM Universities and applied to Coastal Carolina University.  I was accepted into the PGM Program but decided to stay home and attend the University at Buffalo!  I stayed home and worked at a local private country club, Transit Valley. Under PGA Head Golf Professional Timothy Fries, I had many roles at the club, first as an outside services employee, then as an Assistant Golf Professional and eventually as a Director of Instruction.  Tim stressed to me the importance of PGA Membership in our industry and mentored me from the bag room all the way to my 1st Head Professional job. 

My Marketing and Human Resources Degree from the University at Buffalo was instrumental in helping me own the golf shop at the facilities I was the Head Professional.  After 8 years as a Head Golf Professional, I was presented with an opportunity to work for the PGA of America as a Career Consultant and Recruitment Specialist. I love what I do now and hope to work for the PGA of America for a long time.  

That was a long story about my career in the golf industry, but an important one to show there are many paths to PGA Membership.  The PGA of America Associates Program is one path the other is attending one of the 18 PGM Universities. There are also opportunities for minorities and diverse candidates through the PGA WORKS platform.  

Path to Membership through PGA Associate Program:

To apply for membership with the PGA, you must first complete the PGM Associate Program by meeting the milestones listed below:

Background Check
Qualifying Test
Player Ability Test (PAT) within 8 years of registration

Once these milestones are met, you can work for an eligible employer and register for the PGA PGM 3.0 Associate Program.  

For more detailed information visit the PGA’s PGM Associate Program

Path through PGM Schools:

The PGA Golf Management University Program provides extensive classroom courses, internship experience and opportunities for player development in a four-and-one-half to five-year program for aspiring PGA Professionals. Offered at 18 universities nationwide, the University Program allows students to earn a degree in areas such as Marketing, Business Administration, Hospitality Administration, Recreation and Park Management, providing them with the knowledge and skills to succeed in the golf industry.

• Program is accredited by the PGA of America
• Students earn a bachelor’s degree in a golf industry compatible major
• Upon program completion, students can apply for PGA Membership
• Graduates currently have a 100% employment placement rate

Each participating university has specific entrance requirements. Contact the university’s dedicated PGA Golf Management University Program Director with questions about specific university curriculum, entrance requirements and financial information.

 

Opportunities through PGA WORKS 

PGA WORKS is designed to diversify the golf industry’s workforce. Funded by PGA REACH, the 501(c)(3) charitable foundation of the PGA of America, PGA WORKS leverages fellowships, scholarships, career exploration events, and the PGA WORKS Collegiate Championship to inspire and engage talent from diverse backgrounds to pursue key employment positions across the golf industry.

For more detailed information follow @PGAWORKS 

If you have questions about the 2 million jobs in golf or would just like to discuss the 84 billion dollar golf industry feel free to reach out to Chris Kulinski, Career Consultant & Recruitment Specialist ckulinski@pgahq.com

July 31, 2019

Why you should consider a junior college golf team

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Many high school golfers believe their only choice when competing on a college golf team is going to a four-year college or university. Not true. The NJCAA or National Junior College Athletic Association is made up of two-year colleges that allow a golfer to work toward earning their degree while playing high-level competitive golf. 

How many junior colleges are there?

Currently, throughout the U.S., there are 171 men’s and 66 women’s junior colleges that offer varsity golf teams. Since the average team sizes of junior colleges are seven players on the men’s side and five players on the women’s side – there is a great chance of competing immediately on a team rather than having to ride the bench your first semester or year.

How competitive are the schools? 

Just because you are attending a two year school does not mean that the programs will be any less competitive than a four-year school. The top 10 men’s junior college programs have a stroke average of 73.03 and the top women’s junior college programs have a stroke average of 80.70 – some solid playing to say the least.

Can I transfer into a four-year school? 

Yes, many players look at competing at a junior college as a stepping stone to get competitive college golf under their belt, general classes out of the way and springboard into a four-year program for their last two years. Typically, coaches at Ju Co’s will help you transfer by writing letters of recommendation or speaking with coaches on your play on their team as well. 

Are scholarships available in junior colleges?

Athletic and academic scholarships are available for those who attend a junior college. A total of eight scholarships are available to be awarded to a junior college golf team for both a boys or girls team. An average athletic (golf) scholarship for a junior college is approximately $2,000 per year. However, each scholarship offer is different and when visiting with a coach on a campus visit, you can understand all the details of the offer. 

If you are looking for an opportunity to play competitive college golf, compete right away and complete classes toward your eventual degree, a junior college could be a great option. For additional information, be sure to visit the NJCAA site to learn more. 

July 29, 2019

Top Women’s College Golf Programs by Division

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Playing college golf is a goal for any young junior girl golfer, and opportunities are plentiful! There are currently 961 women’s varsity golf teams throughout the U.S. and of those, 267 are NCAA Division I, 194 NCAA DII, 228 NCAA DIII, 164 NAIA & 66 NJCAA. Let’s take a look at some of the top programs in each division level.

NCAA Division I: University of Texas, University of Southern California, and Duke University are currently ranked as the best collegiate women’s NCAA Division 1 golf programs in the entire country. Other top programs rounding out the top 10 include the University of Arizona, Stanford University and University of Florida. Do keep in mind these are the strongest golf programs in the entire country, so knowing how to contact coaches is crucial.

NCAA Division II: Warm climate schools are readily present near the top of the rankings for NCAA DII. Barry University, Dallas Baptist University, Nova Southeastern, Cal State San Marcos and Florida Tech round out the top five ranked programs. Smaller class sizes and better opportunities to compete on the team right away make the Division II level attractive to many. A student-athlete is still able to receive an academic and athletic scholarship at the DII level.

NCAA Division III: NCAA DIII programs are very academic-focused schools with higher admission standards than many Division I or II programs. Top-ranked teams at the DIII level include Williams College, New York University, Claremont Mudd Scripps, Methodist University and Carleton College. NCAA DIII programs cannot offer an athletic or golf scholarship, but they are still able to offer academic or merit-based scholarships. All of these programs do a fantastic job recruiting great student-athletes, and attending will give you a first-class education and a chance at a championship every year.

NAIA: The NAIA stands for the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics. Programs at the NAIA level are typically on the smaller side (less than 5,000 students) and are of religious background. Top programs at the NAIA level:  British Columbia, Keiser University, SCAD-Savanah, Dalton State and the University of the Cumberlands. Competing at the NAIA level gives you the ability to receive both an athletic and academic scholarship while not sacrificing a lesser competitive competition level that you’d find in the NCAA.

NJCAA: The National Junior College Athletic Association are colleges which are two-year programs and can act as great stepping stones for those looking to transfer into a four-year school. Florida, Texas, California, and Arizona are plentiful with NJCAA colleges and have some of the top programs throughout the country.

NCCGA: The National Collegiate Club Golf Association has teams at over 350 schools nationwide with varying levels of skill. Club golfers shoot anywhere from 65-105, but there are a few teams that could easily play as a DII or even DI team if they chose to do so. Grand Canyon University and the University of Georgia have consistently been the best club golf teams over the past handful of years. They have each won at least one National Championship and have a handful of players that regularly shoot under par.

Keep in mind that there are over 1,300 varsity college golf programs throughout the country, not to mention the additional 400 NCCGA club golf programs as well. Be sure to do your homework on a school and program before reaching out to a college coach. Have additional questions on college golf? Contact NHSGA manager Chris Noble: chris@highschoolgolf.org

July 25, 2019

Division III Golf Programs – What You Need to…

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There are over 1,300 varsity college golf programs throughout the United States. Within all those schools, there are 448 colleges at the NCAA Division III level. The NCAA DIII level is the largest within all of the NCAA. For those golfers who are looking to receive a quality education while maintaining a high level of competitive golf, an NCAA Division III school could be a great option.

Academic & merit-based scholarships 

Where an NCAA Division III program cannot offer athletic or golf scholarships, they are able to offer academic or merit-based scholarships. In fact, 75% of Division III student-athletes receive some form of merit or need-based financial aid. The higher your GPA and test scores, the more academic scholarship money you will typically receive. 

Not only will Division III programs offer scholarship money for what you do in the classroom, but involvement in extra-curricular or within your community can also result in scholarship dollars as well. Leadership roles, volunteering and being active with various clubs and activities could help boost a scholarship package at a DIII program. 

Competitive Golf 

A common misconception about the NCAA Division III is that the level of competition is not as high as NCAA Division I or II. According to Golfstat, the scoring average of the top 25 teams in Division III varies from 72.2-76.5 – comparable to the top 25 teams in Division II varying from 71.12-73.83. 

Any golfer at the NCAA DIII level is still able to compete for a national championship and represent their school at the highest level. 

Specialized majors and programs 

If you are a student that is looking to specialize in an uncommon or very narrowed field of study, DIII schools could be a great option for you. Unlike Division I or II programs where coaches will typically shy their golfers away from looking at specialized majors which ultimately take time away from practice and the team, DIII coaches encourage students to focus on their specialized path and intended major. 

Springboard opportunity

Similar to college golfers involved with collegiate club golf, DIII programs can offer an aspiring golfer the opportunity to get competitive play under their belt and potentially transfer to a higher division level. Playing on a DIII team or program for a year or two can give you an opportunity to showcase your game at the college level and accrue college credit.

Hopefully, this article gives you a better idea about what NCAA DIII golf programs are all about. Have further questions on NCAA Division III golf? Feel free to email NHSGA Manager Chris Noble Chris@highschoolgolf.org 

July 15, 2019

3 reasons to attend a PGM college

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When looking to pursue a career in golf, attending a Professional Golf Management school at one of the 18 accredited universities is a great option. This 4.5-year program will cover all aspects of the industry through classes, hands-on seminars, and internships while also allowing you to pursue a college degree. Let’s take a look at a few reasons why it’s beneficial to attend a PGM University.

Passion for Golf – This program provides the opportunity to turn playing the game you love into a successful career. Throughout the 4.5 year program, you will attend classes that breakdown every aspect of the industry from the history of the game to club repair while also providing the opportunity for seminars from industry leaders. Internships are required each summer which allow the knowledge and skills learned from the year to be put to work. These programs offer multiple opportunities to play competitively within the University as well as nationwide with tournaments such as the Jones Cup and organizations like the NCCGA (National Collegiate Club Golf Association). Combining the opportunity to play competitive and fun tournaments while pursuing a career in golf is big reason PGM schools are a great avenue for those that love the game.

Flexible Major Options – Not only will a PGM University provide the opportunity to pursue PGA membership, but it also allows you to choose between majors. The options vary for each school but primarily within the business field you can select anything from business management to marketing. Having this alongside the PGM specialization is very important and even acts as a backup plan if in the future you decide to pursue a different career path. Combining a Bachelors in Business with a PGA membership will set you up for a successful career in the game. 

Job Placement – After completing the PGM classwork as well as internships and courses towards your degree, you will be set to explore the many opportunities the industry has to offer. This program boasts a 100% job placement rate upon completion which is tough to compete against. With the experience and connections made through internships, you will be set up to come right out of school into a job you will love. 

Here is a list of all the schools that offer a PGM program:

• Arizona State University
• Campbell University
• Clemson University
• Coastal Carolina University
• Eastern Kentucky University
• Ferris State University
• Florida Gulf Coast University
• Florida State University
• Methodist University
• Mississippi State University
• New Mexico State University
• North Carolina State University
• Penn State University
• Sam Houston State University
• University Of Central Oklahoma
• University of Colorado, Colorado Springs
• University of Idaho
• University of Maryland Eastern Shore
• University of Nebraska, Lincoln
• University of Nevada – Las Vegas

If you have questions about PGM programs or want to learn more, please email Ben Tyler (NCCGA Associate) at ben@nextgengolf.org.

July 11, 2019

Top Men’s College Golf Programs by Division

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As with any college sport, golf has many different levels of competition ranging from top talent at the NCAA Division 1 to beginners at collegiate club golf (NCCGA). If you want to win a National Championship at any level, here are the top golf programs for each that you should consider joining.

NCAA Division I: Oklahoma State University, Vanderbilt University, and Wake Forest University are currently ranked as the best collegiate NCAA Division 1 golf programs in the entire country. There are many other top tier programs such as the University of Texas, University of Oklahoma, and Stanford University where top-ranked junior golfers are recruited to. These are some of the most competitive college golf programs in the country – be sure to create your college golf resume before reaching out to a caliber of a program such as these.

NCAA Division II: Florida colleges tend to dominate at the DII level, with Lynn University, Barry University, University of West Florida, Florida Southern College & Florida Tech as the top five ranked programs in the country. An NCAA DII program can provide you a better opportunity to compete on the team right away rather than “riding the bench” at an NCAA DI program.  A golfer is still able to receive an academic and athletic (golf) scholarship at the DII level and schools are typically within 5,000-15,000 students in size.

NCAA Division III: There are always new teams rising up as powers in DIII golf, but the teams that are most consistently at the top of the rankings are Huntington College, Emory University, Wittenberg University, and Methodist University. Where NCAA DIII programs cannot offer an athletic or golf scholarship, they are still able to offer academic or merit-based scholarships. All of these programs do a fantastic job recruiting great students as well as top athletes, and attending will give you a first-class education and a chance at a championship every year.

NAIA: The NAIA stands for the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics. Programs at the NAIA level are typically on the smaller side (less than 5,000 students) and are of religious background. Top programs at the NAIA level: Coastal Georgia University, Oklahoma City University, Texas Wesleyan University, Keiser University, and Northwestern Ohio University. The great thing with NAIA programs is that you are able to receive both an athletic and academic scholarship and don’t sacrifice much from a competitive standpoint from the NCAA.

NJCAA: The National Junior College Athletic Association are colleges which are two-year programs and can act as great stepping stones for those looking to transfer into a four-year school. Florida, Texas, California, and Arizona are plentiful with NJCAA colleges and have some of the top programs throughout the country.

NCCGA: The National Collegiate Club Golf Association has teams at over 350 schools nationwide with varying levels of skill. Club golfers shoot anywhere from 65-105, but there are a few teams that could easily play as a DII or even DI team if they chose to do so. Grand Canyon University and the University of Georgia have consistently been the best club golf teams over the past handful of years. They have each won at least one National Championship and have a handful of players that regularly shoot under par.

Keep in mind that there are over 1,300 varsity college golf programs throughout the country, not to mention the additional 350 NCCGA club golf programs as well. Be sure to do your homework on a school and program before reaching out to a college coach. Have additional questions on college golf? Contact NHSGA manager Chris Noble: chris@highschoolgolf.org