April 11, 2019

Verbal Commitments – What are they & what do…

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High school golfers from across the country have goals of competing at the college level. There are over 222,000 high school golfers in the U.S. and approximately 7% go onto play at the varsity level in college. The term, “verbally committed” is tossed around a lot, but what exactly does it mean?

Timing

Technically speaking, you can verbally commit to a college or university at any time providing the coach has made you an offer. Verbal commitments are in place to allow an athlete to commit to a school before they are able to sign a National Letter of Intent or (NLI). A National Letter of Intent is a legally binding contract binding you to an academic institution for at least 1 year.

It’s best to look at all of your options and discuss the choice with your family before verbally committing to a school. When a coach extends an offer, it’s best to thank them and ask for a timeline that you need to follow to provide them a decision.

Non-Binding

Verbal agreements are non-binding verbal contracts. What this means is that you the athlete or the coach can cancel the verbal agreement at any time. Is this common? No. However, situations such as coaching changes can present a unique situation where the new coach is under no obligation to carry out the previous coach’s verbal commits.

Keep in mind that you should only verbally commit to a school if you are 100% certain that is the school for you. Ensure you understand the offer and have any outstanding questions answered before the verbal commitment.

National Letter of Intenet

The National Letter of Intenet program or (NLI) is a binding agreement between a student-athlete and academic institution (college) for one academic year. A student-athlete cannot sign a NLI until their senior year, thus the reasoning of having verbal commitments prior to this time.

The only time where you can “officially” commit to a college or university is after you sign your NLI and scholarship offer.

How to Verbally Commit

There are basically three ways that you can verbally commit to a college:

• On a phone call with a college coach
• During a campus visit
• Through written form in a note or letter

You do not need to use special words or anything specific to accept a coach’s verbal offer – simply saying “yes” is acceptable. Many times during phone calls or a campus visit, coaches will extend the verbal offer to you. Don’t feel pressured to make a decision right then, but following up in a note or email with writing that you accept is a good idea.

Hopefully, some of these tips will help you navigate the world of college commitments and making the best decision for your college years!

April 3, 2019

Top 10 Ranked Girls High School Golf Teams –…

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The girls spring high school golf season is upon us! As we get ready to kick off the spring regional and state championship season, let’s take a look at the top 10 ranked high school girl’s golf teams from last year’s spring season.

Girls:

Austin Westlake High School – Texas – 6A

Austin Westlake High School won the 6A state championship with rounds of 290 and 299 for a 13-over-par two day total.

Lake Travis High School – Texas – 6A

Lake Travis High School finished tied for second at the 6A state championship with rounds of 309 and 295.

The Woodlands High School – Texas – 6A

The Woodlands High School finished tied for second at the 6A state championship with rounds of 303 and 301.

Houston Memorial High School – Texas – 6A

Houston Memorial High School finished fourth at the 6A state championship with rounds of 294 and 314.

Southlake Carroll High School – Texas – 6A

Southlake Carroll High School finished fifth at the 6A state championship with rounds of 303-307.

Lacassine High School – Louisiana – Division 2

Lacassine High School captured the Division 2 state championship with a 20-over-par two day total at Les Vieux Chenes Golf Course.

Auburn High School – Alabama – 7A

Auburn High School captured the 7A state championship with a 13-over-par two day total at Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail at The Shoals.

Hoover High School – Alabama – 7A

Hoover High school finished second at the 7A state championship with a 14-over-par two day total at Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail At The Shoals.

Montgomery High School – Texas – 6A

Montgomery High school places sixth at the 6A state championship with rounds of 312-310 at Legacy Hills Golf Club.

Northside High School – Alabama – 5A

Northside High School captured the 5A state championship with an 18-over par two day total at Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail At The Shoals – Schoolmaster Course.

Stay up-to-date on all the regional and state high school golf tournaments this spring with the NHSGA.

April 1, 2019

Top 10 Ranked Boys High School Golf Team –…

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The spring high school golf season is upon us! As we get ready to showcase over 200 state tournaments this spring, let’s take a moment to introduce the top-ranked teams from last year’s spring season.

Boys:

Gaffney High School – South Carolina – 5A

Gaffney High School captured the NHSGA’s #1 national ranking with rounds of 280-269 to finish at 27 under par for the championship. Can Gaffney regain their number one ranking this spring?

Highland Park High School – Texas – 5A

Highland Park High School fired two rounds of 286-278 to finish at 12-under-par for the state championship, besting their nearest competitor by more than 30 strokes!

Mountain Brook High School – Alabama – 7A

Mountain Brook High School finished at 32-under-par for the state championship, firing rounds of 269-275.

Westlake High School – Texas – 6A

Westlake High School edged out the competition last spring with rounds of 283-290 for a 3-under par total.

Oklahoma Christian School – Oklahoma – 3A

Oklahoma Christian School captured the 3A state championship with rounds of 276-277 for a seven-under-par total.

Vandergrift High School – Texas – 6A

Vandergrift High School finished second at the Texas 6A state championship with rounds of 294-287 for a 5-over-par total.

Houston Memorial High School – Texas – 6A

Houston Memorial High School finished third at the Texas 6A state championship with rounds of 293-289 for a 6-over-par total.

Columbus High School – Georgia – 4A

Columbus High School captured the 4A state championship with a ten-under-par round of 278.

Christian Heritage High School – Oklahoma – 3A

Christian Heritage High School finished second at the 3A championship with rounds of 285-278 for a 2-under-par total.

 

Christ Church High School – South Carolina – 2A

Christ Church High School captured the 2A state championship with a round of 287 for a 1-under-par-total.

Be sure to stay up-to-date on all state and regional high school golf tournaments this spring through the NHSGA!

March 1, 2019

Getting a college coach to respond to your emails

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If you are a high school golfer, chances are you have sent tens if not hundreds of emails to college coaches. However, for many of you, the number of emails you send does not always equal the number of replies you get. Check out some of the tips below to help ensure your emails to coaches are read and receive a reply. 

Subject Line

This is possibly the most important piece of your email to a coach. College coaches receive hundreds of emails every day from interested athletes, make your subject line stand out. Remember, this is the first thing a coach sees when opening your email. Focus on putting tangible information such as stats, tournament averages, rankings or academic achievements.

Example of a good subject line:

Name – Graduation Year/State – Tourn. Scoring Avg. – GPA or ACT/SAT Score – Video

Length of email

Less is more! Your introduction email should only be about 3 paragraphs in length. The first paragraph is a quick introduction to yourself talking a bit on your golf game and academics. The second paragraph focuses on answering the question, why do you want to go to that school and why would you be a good fit for their golf team? The third and final paragraph opens up the dialogue by thanking the coach for their time and asking questions that require a response from them. 

Swing video

Emails that do not include a link to a swing video are much less likely to be opened or viewed by a college golf coach. Keep in mind that you can make your own swing video and link back to it in your golf resume.  It’s important to have a swing video if a coach has never seen you play before and wants to get an idea of your fundamentals and overall game.

Punctuation & Grammar

Nothing looks worse to a coach than an email filled with poor grammar or improper punctuation. Lean on your parents or teachers at school to help proofread your emails before sending out to a coach. Using resources such as Grammarly can help if you don’t have an adult to read your emails.  

Time of day

The best time of the day to email a college coach is between the hours of 4:00 – 8:00 p.m local time. Coaches are typically winding their day down, finished with practice and cleaning up emails for the evening. Avoid sending emails on Monday, rather, try your best to send mid-week since coaches won’t be playing catch-up from the weekend.

Season

The two best seasons to send college golf coaches emails are in the winter and the summer. Golf coaches are their busiest in the spring and fall season, so be strategic if you choose to email when they are in season. Take a few minutes and review their schedule, avoiding sending an email on a day they are at or coming back from a tournament.

To be successful when contact a college golf coach, keep your emails short and to the point. Be sure to do your homework on a school or program to show your interest is genuine, and strategic on timing when sending off your emails.

February 21, 2019

Why families should join a country club

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For families that play golf, finding a home course or golf club is a major decision. Golf is expensive, and a country club may not always be the first thought when it comes to saving money. However, country clubs can provide an opportunity for investment, great playing conditions and tournament opportunities for the entire family.

Tournament & League Options

Junior and high school golfers are always looking for tournaments to compete in during the golf season. A country club typically will provide junior leagues and even a series of events for various skill levels to compete in throughout the year. Many of the tournaments are flighted by handicap and skill level which makes it enjoyable for all. From the youngest member of the family to the oldest, anyone can keep a competitive edge with events run at the club.

Course Conditions 

Public and municipal courses can struggle with the conditioning of their golf courses due to budget restraints. At a country club, one will typically find pristine and consistent conditions throughout the year. When you join a country club, members are prone to fill their divots and replace their ball marks because of a sense of ownership in the course.

Let’s say you play at a mid-tier public course and pay $80 for a round of golf and you play only 25 times in a year. That’s $2,000 on only golf for the year. Country clubs provide more of an inclusive feel where the use of the driving range, swimming pool or other social events are included in your dues.

Investment 

Country clubs come in all shapes and sizes when it comes to cost. Family and junior membership options are more affordable and a better investment option if more than one family member will be playing. Important questions to ask when looking to join: Are there food minimums, initiation fees, cart fees, guest fees, or other assessment fees?

Junior golf camps and clinics are put on throughout the summer by PGA professionals at country clubs. These camps can act as great introductory courses for a youngster just getting in the game and even an opportunity for parents to have some much needed time away from the kids.

Caddie Programs

Country clubs are known for caddie programs that employ high school age golfers throughout the summer. Many clubs are part of the Evan’s Scholarship program which helps put deserving young men and women into college with a full scholarship. Caddying in the summertime can provide high school kids a flexible schedule, chance to form meaningful relationships with area business leaders and even free golf!  

In short, your family joining a country club this year can prove to be a smart economical decision depending on the amount of use you will get out of it. Evaluate how much you typically spend on golf related costs per year as a comparison to the cost of membership. Clubs are typically looking for new members and inquiring on “member for the day” options can provide a test-run before purchasing your membership.

February 19, 2019

Getting a golf scholarship – An expert’s advice on…

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If you are a high school student or parent seeking advice about college golf scholarships, you came to the right place. When most people think about college golf scholarships, they are only thinking about a skill-based playing scholarship which requires a student to play for a varsity golf team. Since getting a playing scholarship is not feasible for most high school golfers, below highlights some other options for getting a golf scholarship. Read more “Getting a golf scholarship – An expert’s advice on 5 alternatives” →

February 15, 2019

Driving range etiquette

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If you are a high school player that is new to golf, there are some things you should know about how to handle yourself on the driving range. It’s a different atmosphere from other sports, so here are a few things to keep in mind next time you head to the range.

Read more “Driving range etiquette” →

February 7, 2019

How to create a swing video for your golf…

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One of the most important parts of a college golf resume is your swing video. College coaches can’t always watch you play in person, so it’s important to showcase all parts of your game in a 1-3 minute long video.

Read more “How to create a swing video for your golf resume” →

February 5, 2019

Order 1st and 10th Tee Bars for fundraising

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If you are in need of  fundraising ideas for your high school golf team, look no further then 1st and 10th Tee Bars from SCNS Sports Foods. SCNS is an amazing company that really supports golf at all levels of the sport. Below are 5 reasons why you should consider these bars as a snack on the course and consider ordering some boxes as part of your next fundraiser.

Read more “Order 1st and 10th Tee Bars for fundraising” →