How to Find the Best College Coach and Golf Team for You

This is the fifth part of the TRC’s College Golf Basics Tutorial Series. In this article we focus on Finding the Right School.
Written by Sally Austin, Former Women’s Golf Coach at The University of North Carolina.

1. Decide What You are Looking For in a School-
Make a list of the things you want in a school and rank them. These might include things such as location, size, academics, majors and extracurricular activities to include social life, the arts, community service, etc.

Find the schools that match this list. Include in this list what you want in a golf facility and golf course. Consider proximity to campus and accessibility to the course or courses just to name a couple.

Visit those schools that meet your criteria. Remember that your Letter of Intent is a contract with the school. You need to feel comfortable with the school and know that the school offers those things you want in a school.

2. Find a Coach That is a Good Fit-
Ask questions to determine the coach’s philosophy and expectations as Coach Dailey mentioned in her article. Be sure the coach knows your expectations and goals for golf, academics and outside interests. The coach needs to know up front how important each of these is to you. It is good if this comes directly from the recruit. Most of the communication should come directly form the recruit so that the coach gets to know the recruit better.

Parents communicate your expectations to the coach. Let the coach know how you see your role and involvement with the coach, player and team. Different coaches have different philosophies as to parental involvement. Parents should be clear on this up front so that both the coach and parents understand the expectations of the other and accept the philosophies of each.

Find out how involved the coach expects to be in teaching the recruit swing mechanics. Many recruits have their own swing instructor and do not want to change that relationship. Find out if this is okay with the coach. It is good if the coach and teaching pro communicate and develop a good relationship so they can work together to help the player.

As mentioned by Coach Dailey, write and call the coach. This communication will help you make an informed decision and get to know the coach better.

3. Get to Know The Team-
Spend as much time with the team on visits as you can. Ask questions that will help reveal more about the players, their individual goals and team goals. It is also helpful to know about the academic goals of the players and teams. Find out what is important to them. Call them. Email them. Get to know them in summer tournaments. This will help you get to know them and they get to know you.

The obvious objective of all parties concerned is for the college player to improve his/her game and to have an incredible college experience. Thorough research of the schools and honest, open communication with the coaches and team during the recruiting process will make it more likely for the player to select the right school and coach and experience the best 4 years of your life.

About Sally Austin:

Sally Austin coached the University of North Carolina women’s golf team for 16 years. Austin was selected the LPGA Coach of the Year in 2004. In 1999, she was named the LPGA SE Section Coach of the Year. In Austin’s 16 seasons as head coach, Carolina finished in the top 25 at the NCAA Championships six times. The winner of the 1979 North Carolina Women’s Amateur Championship, Austin won events on the Women’s Professional Golf Tour and the Futures Tour. She received her LPGA Tour card in 1987.

ABOUT TOUR RESOURCE CENTER

The Tour Resource Center is one of the most valuable tools available to golfers who are serious about their game. The TRC is THE universal on-line resource for golfers. A plethora of golf information, a ‘one-stop shop’ for golfers looking for golf tournaments (currently over 3,000+), mental game coaches, nutritional tips, and in-depth information on Junior golf, Collegiate golf, Amateurs of all ages, Professionals, and Caddies. The tournaments are in an easy to understand format for Juniors and Amateurs including Ranked Events, Celebrity Events, Competitive Events recognized locally and around the world.

Don’t forget to follow us at www.twitter.com/golfTRC

College Golf Basics Tutorial Series Listing:

• • 1. Intro/The College Golf Basics – Released Monday, September 28, 2009
  • 2. Playing College Golf; Important Information to Know – Released Monday October 4, 2009
  • 3. How To Get College Scholarships, Golf Scholarships & Financial Aid - Released on Saturday October 17, 2009
  • 4. How to Find Minority College Scholarships – Released on Wednesday October 28th, 2009
  • 5. College Golf The Recruiting Process by Dianne Dailey; DI Women’s Golf Coach – Released on December 2, 2009
  • 6. Selecting the Right College Golf Coach, College Golf Team and College-Released on February 10, 2010
  • 7. Is College Golf For Everyone? / What is it like playing on a college golf team?
  • 8. Careers in Golf


Related Articles:
Best college golf programs over the last 20 years
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT COLLEGE GOLF RECRUITING
Tips for Juniors Who Want to Play College Golf
Golf Digest Ranks America’s Golf Colleges
College Golf Recruiting
Best route to the tour? It’s not college
Winning a College Golf Scholarship
Scholarships for Skilled Golfers
Junior Golf Tournaments
College Golf is a Marketing Game for Junior Golfers
Where Should I Attend College to Study and Play Golf?
Wanna play in college?

How to Find a Golf Camp That’s Right for Your Child


How to get a Golf Scholarship and Play in College: Part 1

Play Collegiate Golf

Tags: coach, college coach, college coaches, college search, college team, golf team, Sally Austin

This entry was posted on Friday, April 30th, 2010 at 5:46 pm and is filed under Junior Tour 411 College, Professional Caddie Blogs. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.