What Are College Coaches Looking For?

It’s tournament season!

There’s a good chance that you’ll see a coach or 10 on the course this summer. They are hitting the recruiting trail to see which types of players would be good fits for their programs.

Spoiler alert: They probably know what kind of player you are BEFORE watching you tee it up. For over a year, coaches had to get really good at recruiting from their couches. I once had a coach tell me that he had 18 tabs open at any given time monitoring the players that he was recruiting. So if you think they are out there to watch you shoot 65, think again! There’s no pressure for you to go out and shoot 65, but if you do, here’s a high five.

What are coaches looking for? Coaches understand that golf is hard. They like to see how you handle adversity—do you pout and act like you’ve never made a 6 before, or do you handle it with grace and follow it with a birdie? One of my favorite Ivy League coach friends puts it this way, “I know all about your good scores. That’s why I’m here watching you. I’m watching so much more than scores. I like to see you make double because the next ten minutes will get a whole lot more interesting.” Coaches are also evaluating:

• How you carry yourself - Are you confident and walk with your head held high or do you walk like you’re angry and can’t stop looking at your shoes?

• How you react after bad shots - Did you just launch your 7 iron into the water?

• How you treat your parents - Did you just yell at your mom to bring you a sandwich?

• How you interact with your fellow competitors - Are you that guy who always steals the tee after someone else makes birdie?

• Your parents - Did they just yell at you for 3-putting and tell you to get another ride home?

• Your energy - Do you give off good vibes or are you a drag to be paired with?

• + Many more intangible factors because coaches, at the end of the day, want to fill their rosters with players that they enjoy spending time with who will make their teams better.

A note on withdrawing from tournaments when you’re not playing well: do NOT do that. The Junior Golf Scoreboard rankings are calculated by your last 75% best scoring differentials (your score relative to the course rating) so withdrawing takes away the opportunity that you have to come back and learn some valuable lessons along the way. Plus, coaches HATE when junior golfers do that. It looks like you’ve given up. Are you a quitter? No, you’re NOT. You’re a competitor, and you’re made for this.

Lessons from Junior Golf Scoreboard Webinar with Mac Thayer - Episode 1

A brief history of Junior Golf Scoreboard:

Founder and Executive Director, Mac Thayer, started Junior Golf Scoreboard in 1998 because his son was an accomplished junior golfer. Like most families at that time, there weren’t that many resources or a comprehensive list of tournaments anywhere. In order to register for events, parents had to send a check in the mail and then see if their child got into the tournament based on the snail mail response weeks later.

Technology and “the internet” has helped the world evolve since then. Fast forward to 24 years later. JGS lists about 3000 tournaments per year and has about 13,000 junior players (boys and girls combined). As someone once put it, they are the “Switzerland of Junior Golf”.

In the early days of creating his company, he asked college coaches to assist him in creating a system that would evaluate how players get the ball in the hole.

What does it take to establish a ranking?

For a junior golfer to be ranked on Junior Golf Scoreboard, they must play in four 2-day stroke play events within the last 365 days.

How do I improve my ranking?

Play better. The mathematics of JGS is built around scoring based on the difficulty of the golf course. There is a factor based on the quality of competition and your finishes, but there is no other factor that will help you more than just playing better. That’s the way it works.

What is the “scoring differential”?

It is the score you shoot relative to the USGA course rating. Take your score minus the course rating.

Do all scores count to calculate the “differential”?

JGS only counts 75% of your best scoring differentials.

More to come from last week’s webinar from Mac Thayer! Stay tuned.

Updates in College Golf: November 2020 Edition

NCAA Dead Period Extended On Wednesday, November 18th, the NCAA Division I Council met and extended the Dead Period through April 15, 2021. Coaches expected this to happen as many had been told by their administrators that the decision was forthcoming. As of Wednesday’s ruling, Division I coaches are unable to have in-person contacts with prospective student-athletes. This means no in-person recruiting contacts or evaluations, no campus visits to meet the coach (you can visit campuses on your own if it’s safe to do so), and no camps. 

While it may be disheartening to know that Division I coaches will not be on the recruiting trail until April 2021, you should continue your recruitment in the spirit of pandemic communication. Lots of Zoom calls are happening right now, and what better way to get to know a coach than to see them with their campus on a beautiful, sunny day as their background photo? Permissible activities during a dead period include emails, texts, phone calls, FaceTimes, yes Zoom calls, and social media communication. 

College Golf This Fall Despite shutdowns in states like California, college golf did happen this fall. In some conferences, teams were able to travel and play. In speaking to college coaches about their experiences, they said that it was tough and a huge sacrifice on behalf of their students. Many athletic departments required that their student-athletes sign waivers and agree to certain conduct. Many of them lived in their own “bubbles” to ensure that they would pass weekly Covid testing protocols.

You can find the official college golf rankings on Golfstat.com where you can toggle between association, gender, and division. Listed below is the total number of teams that competed in official tournaments this fall. The Number 1 ranked team is listed in parentheses.

Division I Men: 58 teams (Vanderbilt); Division I Women: 45 teams (Baylor)

Division II Men: 68 teams (South Carolina - Aiken); Division II Women: 53 teams (Dallas Baptist) 

Division III Men: 27 teams (Piedmont College); Division III Women: 22 teams (Mary Hardin-Baylor)

NAIA Men: 131 teams (Point University); NAIA Women: 104 teams (William Cary University)

NJCAA Men: 15 teams (Hutchinson Community College); NJCAA Women: 13 teams (Redlands Community College)

Connect with Golf Globally, LLC

Golf Globally, LLC is a San Francisco-based college placement company. After 11 years coaching NCAA Division I Women’s Golf, Dr. Katie Brophy Miles founded Golf Globally to simplify the recruiting process for families. Contact Katie if you have additional questions about playing college golf!

How good do I need to be to play college golf?

Let’s talk about stats. If you are a Golf Globally client, then you received this information via email earlier this month. If you follow us on Instagram, you can find more detailed information on our daily posts from October 6-14. This research hasn’t been done before, and it took a while to compile everything since some universities make it very difficult to find golf scores.

What does the data say? In looking at data from the COVID-shortened 2019-2020 season, we see the numbers required to play college golf at men’s and women’s programs in Division I, II, and III. College golf gets more and more competitive every year, and the data from 63 teams tells us this. College golf competitions typically are scored by counting the best four scores from the five players who compete in the tournament. The NCAA statistics show scoring averages from the top eight players to give you a frame of reference for what it takes to make the lineup on a college team. Remember that college golf is often played in suboptimal weather conditions during months where courses may not be in the best shape in most parts of the country (September-November and February-May) so your junior golf scores won’t directly translate to college golf scores. Since course yardages in college golf are longer, you can expect to add 1-3 strokes to the scores you are shooting now when you get to college.

How can Golf Globally help me play college golf? At Golf Globally, we stand for sharing honest information and serving as a resource for families in the college golf recruiting process. As a former college golfer and Division I coach, Golf Globally CEO, Dr. Katie Brophy Miles shares her experience and knowledge to provide objective, unbiased information in the junior golf world.

3 Common Recruiting Myths: Myths 16-18

The college golf recruiting myths is in its final installment today. Don’t be sad that it’s over, but glad that it happened! Our next series will be just as informative so get excited about that.

Myth #16: Coaches will stop recruiting me if I have a bad tournament.

Reality: Coaches understand that golf is hard. They like to see adversity and how you handle it. Professional golfers are humans, and you as an amateur/junior golfer are not expected to walk on water. Do you come back better next time, or do you send them a really long email explaining why you shot what you shot? When I was a coach, I always appreciated the students who could stand by a bad round and tell me what they learned. I hated getting emails that were chapter books explaining why all the bad bounces, the slow player you were paired with, rain, wind, snow, sleet, and poor rulings were the culprit for your 85. Be introspective. This is an opportunity to grow. You will be faced with similar challenges at the college level, and no one can be expected to shoot low rounds every time they tee it up.

Myth #17: My scores are about as good as the #5 player on the roster. The coach needs me!

Reality: Junior golf does NOT equal college golf for a number of reasons. Junior golf is often played in more favorable weather conditions and on shorter courses. If your scores in junior golf are equal to the #5 player on the roster, you won’t level up their program. In fact, you should probably add one to three strokes to your scoring average when you transition from junior golf to college golf. In this case, you’re not in the lineup anymore! Oftentimes coaches are recruiting players who will contribute to the team regularly and perhaps even replace their current #1, #2, or #3 players. There are some reasons that a coach would recruit a steady #5 player, but they probably won’t be as excited about a #5 recruit as they would about someone who can make an immediate impact in their program.

This is where the right fit is important. Do you want to go somewhere where you barely make the lineup for 50% of your tournaments, or do you select a school where you’ll be a difference maker? When I was going through the recruiting process, I was recruited by a number of schools. One opportunity I had was to play at a program that was ranked in the top-10 in the country. Their team was stacked at that time. Lorena Ochoa had recently left to turn professional, and the university had already committed scholarships to two other players in my graduating class who were better than I was—by a lot! I appreciated the coach’s honesty when he told me that I would likely sit on the bench until my junior year. That would have broken my spirits, and while lots of people thought I was crazy for turning down a top Pac-12 school, I knew it wasn’t the right fit for me.

Myth #18: If I get a scholarship offer, I can wait around until I get more offers.

Reality: You always want to ask a coach how long you have to accept their offer. Definitely don’t leave coaches hanging! If you do, your offer will dry up and no longer be available to you. Coaches deal with players every year who “play the field” and use their offer to gain a “better offer”. They can sense that behavior from a mile away, and it would behoove you to know what you would say to a coach if you anticipate that an offer will be coming. This is something that I talk through with my students when things seem to be getting more serious with coaches. Will you accept the offer? Spoiler alert: coaches LOVE it when players accept their offers.

If you truly aren’t sure or weren’t expecting it to get to this stage yet, then tell the coach thank you and that you need to talk it over from your parents. The tricky part about the recruiting process is that players rarely receive all of the offers that they want on the same day. Some coaches wait until way later in the summer/fall to offer their top players so you have to be willing to say no to a coach and lose a great opportunity if you are waiting for something else to materialize.

What is “Golf Globally”?

Golf Globally assists junior golfers and their families with the college golf recruiting process. Founded by Dr. Katie Brophy Miles, the company offers families custom packages to guide them through their college search. As a former NCAA Division I player and coach, Katie takes a holistic approach in helping your sons and daughters achieve success at the junior level and beyond.

Lots of exciting events coming up. Register today!

3 Common Recruiting Myths: Myths 13-15

The college golf recruiting myths series continues. Thanks for tuning in.

Myth #13: Coaches like transparency. I should request a full scholarship in my first email.

Reality: This one is common for international students who want to come over to study in the USA but need financial assistance to do so. While it’s understandable that you may want to let coaches know about your monetary situation up front, wait to discuss in greater detail after you’ve had a few conversations. You don’t even know if they like you yet or want you to be a part of their program! Do you expect a marriage proposal before you even meet the person? I sure hope not. This is a 4-year commitment with a lot of money on the line. Grow the relationship first, and then get down to the details.

Myth #14: I can wait until June 15th following my sophomore year to start the recruiting process.

Reality: On June 15th this year, I had multiple 2022 students who received emails from coaches telling them that their 2022 class was already full. Be proactive in every way that you can prior to that date! Email them for the first time during your freshman year and send them updates every few months. Of course you’re not ready to play college golf yet. You will be though! Fill out questionnaires when coaches send them to you. Follow them on social media. Like their posts to show your interest. I love when I hear from coaches that my students are engaged. Why do you think that coaches spend time on social media? One huge reason is to share their team’s progress with recruits. Spend a little time to spruce up your profile and post some photos too.

Myth #15: Coaches won’t care how I treat my parents when they come to watch me play.

Your parents are supporting your junior golf career. It is a tall task financially, and traveling around the country to chase a white ball around is a huge commitment on a family’s time. Are you rolling your eyes at your Dad’s clapping because you thought you should have hit your approach shot closer (read: in the hole)? Did you just yell at your mom to bring you a sandwich and tell her to carry your umbrella (and rain pants and rain jacket)? Coaches see themselves as parental figures and can already see the future in that behavior.

Many coaches have stopped recruiting players based on disrespectful behavior towards their parents. I’m not suggesting that you should be on your best behavior because a coach might see you. Instead, be grateful for these years together and genuinely show your parents respect! Show appreciation to them. Tell them thank you every once in a while (or every day, up to you) for sacrificing their time to take you to tournaments. Enjoy your last few years together before you go to college. Wouldn’t it be more fun if these were positive experiences instead of negative ones?

What is “Golf Globally”?

Golf Globally assists junior golfers and their families with the college golf recruiting process. Founded by Dr. Katie Brophy Miles, the company offers families custom packages to guide them through their college search. As a former NCAA Division I player and coach, Katie takes a holistic approach in helping your sons and daughters achieve success at the junior level and beyond.

Lots of exciting events coming up. Register today!

3 Common Recruiting Myths: Myths 10-12

The college golf recruiting myths series continues. Thanks to the coaches who have sent emails and texts with their favorite myths. Buckle up with this week’s list.

Myth #10: Hundreds of women’s golf scholarships go unused each year.

Reality: This one continues to circulate due to outdated information and misconceptions about the recruiting landscape. A 2017 LA Times article stated that the NCAA estimated that 200 women’s golf scholarships go unclaimed. This article contains data from 2009 and doesn’t discuss the dollar amounts of these scholarships,. Also, according to his Golfweek article, the NCAA does not keep track of unused scholarship money. The Golfweek article sets the record straight and interviews women’s coaches about this common myth. Since golf is an equivalency sport, a partial scholarship counts as a scholarship. Are there 200 full rides out there waiting for you to grab them? No. Are there some scholarship dollars that go unused? We are likely talking about schools in regions of the country that aren’t ideal and those with lesser academic reputations.

In other cases, extra scholarship money may be the result of an unintended issue with the admissions process or a player transferring or deciding to turn pro. Most of the time, this happens at the last minute and coaches can’t fill that spot before the school year starts. While a few programs each year might not use their entire allotment (which is 6 for a fully funded Division I women’s golf program and 5.4 at the Division II level), highly competitive programs use all of their scholarships and plan for how they will divide their scholarships 2-4 years out.

Another thing we must consider is that all schools are not fully funded. There isn’t a magical website that tells you that information. It’s up to you to learn what types of scholarship opportunities are available at different programs by communicating with coaches. Research in the recruiting process is key and selecting a school based on the type of scholarship you receive may lead to heartache in the long term.

At the time of this writing, there are 2929 girls listed on Junior Golf Scoreboard. In order to have a ranking on their website, you need to have played in four multi-day stroke play events during the last 365 days. According to the LPGA*USGA Girls Golf Program, there were 72,000 girls golfers in 2017 participating in the program. As girls golf participation continues to rise and these players matriculate into more competitive settings, there will be more players with official rankings. In turn, coaches will have more opportunities to award these “unused scholarships” to the upcoming stable of players.

Myth #11: I should inflate my abilities and tell coaches what I think they want to hear.

Reality: Be honest. As a Division I men’s coach said in an email to me last week, “Don’t tell me that you built Mt. Rushmore and then later tell me that your lowest tournament score is 74.” Self-promotion is necessary in your communication with coaches; however, there’s no need to go overboard. If you are a great player who is shooting low numbers in tournaments, there’s a good chance that coaches will already know who you are. Send coaches a brief email with some academic information, golf scores, your resume, and contact information. Do not write a novel. Make it brief because coaches are likely going to take your name and plug it straight into various ranking websites to get an unbiased opinion of how good you are.

Myth #12: I will never have to sacrifice anything to play at an elite level.

Reality: In a world where FOMO is plentiful and social media makes everything look so much fun, it’s tough to say NO sometimes. What do your habits off the golf course say about you? Are you easily swayed? Are you hanging out with people who are bad influences? Do your friends prioritize partying and other activities that will negatively impact your golf performance?

To play golf at the elite level and attain a spot on a college team will require you to work harder and think about college earlier than most of your high school friends. Your process starts as early as your freshman year (okay, 7th and 8th grade for some of you) and hopefully will end with a verbal commitment followed by an early admittance in the fall of your senior year. At no point do you get to take your foot off the gas and coast because you already have a scholarship.

If you truly want to be an elite player, you must treat your body accordingly. Get rest. Hydrate. Read books to enhance your mental game. Fuel yourself properly. Stay on top of your academics. Visualize. Hire professionals to help you with different aspects of the process.

College coaches will expect you to be prepared once you get to the next level, and they will be the first to tell you that you can’t do it all. Sacrificing sleep to study? That will likely happen. Sacrificing sleep to stay up all night drinking? That’s not a productive use of your time. It’s up to you to decide what kind of college experience you want to have. Do you go in ready to qualify for the first tournament? Are you dialed into various aspects of your game? Or will you treat college like one big party? The small decisions you make now will pay dividends in your future so remember that it’s okay to say NO to the activities that don’t make you better. While you’re at it, feel free to eliminate the people who are bad influences in your life as well.

What is “Golf Globally”?

Golf Globally assists junior golfers and their families with the college golf recruiting process. Founded by Dr. Katie Brophy Miles, the company offers families custom packages to guide them through their college search. As a former Division I player and coach, Katie takes a holistic approach in helping your sons and daughters achieve success at the junior level and beyond.

Sign up for our next video chat on September 9th! This video chat will address what the class of 2023 and 2024 should be doing to maximize their recruitment.

3 Common Recruiting Myths: Myths 7-9

This recruiting myths series has been very popular, and the engagement from college coaches has been overwhelming. My hope is that junior golfers and parents are taking these to heart—coaches see these behaviors all too often.

Myth #7: Coaches will never see the ridiculous things I post on social media.

Reality: Coaches are watching everything you do. One of my favorite pieces of advice from an Ivy League coach is “Give me a reason not to recruit you”. The margins between ALL OF THE RECRUITS and the 1-2 players that get selected in a given year are slim. What does your social media profile say about you? Does “your brand” hurt you or help you?

Myth #8: I can be “that player” who throws clubs and drops F-bombs when I don’t play well. Coaches will never find out.

Reality: Coaches will do their homework and talk to as many people as they can to learn more about you. They consider the long-term benefits and consequences of adding anyone to their program’s culture.

Coaches will find out if you are poorly behaved, yell at your parents or treat them disrespectfully on the golf course, utter profanities over missed shots, or have a reputation as “that person” that no one wants to be paired with. Most of them will want to watch you play before they make a final decision. This year is unlike any other in that coaches may not have the opportunity to evaluate you in person; therefore, they will do extra work to make sure that you are an upstanding individual who will bring more positives than negatives to the program.

No coach wants a player who has embarrassing behavior that they have to correct. If you’re wearing that university’s logo, you represent something way bigger than yourself. Coach is going to want to make sure that you are representing them and the university program that they are paid to lead with honor and distinction.

Myth #9: My parents can have access to my email account and write my emails for me. Coaches will never know.

Reality: Coaches receive lots of emails from junior golfers. They can see through a parent-written email pretty easily. If parents are writing your emails now, when does it stop? I’ve coached many players through the years, and I can think of one player whose parents were still writing monitoring her email box when she was IN COLLEGE. This is your first step in becoming an adult. Take responsibility for your email box and the next chapter of your life.

How do I get more information about Golf Globally?

Email Katie directly. Still not sure how she can help? Sign up for our next video chat on September 9th! This video chat will address what the class of 2023 and 2024 should be doing to maximize their recruitment.

3 Common Recruiting Myths: Myths 4-6

Last week’s post was so popular that it deserves a follow-up series. I heard from so many coaches who shared their favorite myths, and as a result, this series will continue until we have 18 myths. 18 is a pretty good golf number!

I founded Golf Globally because I wanted families to understand the truth about college recruiting and guide them through this complicated process. Here’s to busting myths and setting the record straight!

Myth #4 I should only focus on my dream schools in my college search.

Reality: Chances are, your dream school is shared by a few other people. My dream school was Stanford. During my recruiting process, they never responded to me. Ever. I was pretty heartbroken about this, but the reality was, I WASN’T GOOD ENOUGH to play for Stanford. That and Stanford probably had received a few (read: a TON of) letters (it was letters in those days because I’m old) from other girls who were better than I was. If I focused solely on that opportunity that was clearly never going to come to fruition for me, I never would have played college golf at Notre Dame. By the way, I loved Notre Dame and had a great career there because it was a fit for me.

It breaks my heart when students ONLY focus on a few schools (e.g., The Ivies, The Pac-12, Division I Top-25 or bust). I challenge my clients to be more strategic than this. Explore a variety and start with a list of at least 50-60 schools. These should classify as a mixture of Dream, Reach, Target, and Safety schools. If Covid has taught us anything, it’s that so much can happen throughout your recruiting process. You may never play the PGA/LPGA Tour level junior golf that you’re envisioning for yourself. Take the pressure off by making sure that you have options. If your dream school ultimately comes knocking on your door, then that’s awesome. What you might find along the way is that there is another school that is better suited for you if you keep your eyes open to the process.

Myth #5: I should wait until I shoot really low scores and then email coaches.

Reality: Waiting…waiting…

Coaches love to watch your progress over time. They are recruiting players earlier and earlier and understand that freshmen in high school are not ready for their freshman year of college. I spoke to a coach last week who said that he has about 19 tabs open on his computer at any given time. Covid has made the recruiting process look different, but coaches almost always have players that they are watching when they are looking at results from tournaments.

Send them an email telling them that you exist during your freshman year. For players outside of the top-50 in the world, coaches won’t magically find out about you. They will probably assume you’re looking elsewhere if they haven’t ever heard from you. Put your best foot forward by sending a nicely constructed, thoughtful email with your resume and schedule attached. That way, they can monitor your progress and watch your scores go down!

One other note here that’s important to remember. There will be some coaches who you have no business in contacting if your scores are way outside of their team’s averages (10-20 strokes higher). Most coaches won’t respond to your email if you don’t do the research to make sure that your numbers are in the right ballpark. That school wouldn’t be a fit anyway so dig deeper and find places that would be!

Myth #6: If a coach responds to my email right away, I can respond in a few weeks after my tournaments are over. I’m kind of busy right now.

Reality: Coaches receive lots of emails, and they are way busier than you. If they take the time to respond, you should email them back in an appropriate amount of time (within 24-48 hours). Blowing them off may give them the wrong impression, and if you take a break from TikTok, Snapchat, and Instagram, you’ll find that you have plenty of time to send a few sentences in response to a coach’s email. If you aren’t responding, there’s someone out there who is, and that person just got your spot!

How do I get more information about Golf Globally?

Email Katie directly. Still not sure how she can help? Sign up for our next video chat on September 9th! This video chat will address what the class of 2023 and 2024 should be doing to maximize their recruitment.

3 Common Recruiting Myths 1-3

During 11 years as a college coach, I hosted lots of families in my offices in both Bloomington, IN and Washington, DC. I heard many interesting statements from recruits and parents who knew anywhere ranging from a little to a lot about the college recruiting process.

As a performance coach and college recruiting expert, these myths are some of my favorites and worth mentioning. You may be holding onto some of these myths yourself.

Myth #1: If I play really well this summer, coaches will find me. All I need is one breakthrough tournament.

Reality: Coaches are looking at your entire body of work. One or two solid tournaments, while impressive, won’t cause a whole line of coaches to knock on your door. You may get attention from a few coaches from a great stretch of tournaments, but it’s best not to put that pressure on yourself and rely on multiple above average performances. Stay proactive and engage with coaches regularly. Send them email updates. Follow their programs on Instagram. Like their posts. Get to know what type of coach you would be playing for and what type of players attend that program. Learn about the culture and long-term goals of the program so that you can evaluate whether or not it’s a match. You must do your part in this. It’s a marathon—not a sprint! Enjoy the process so that you can make an informed decision.

Myth #2: I’m targeting a Division I offer. Based on my experience, I expect a full ride.

Reality: Let’s talk numbers here. A Division I fully-funded men’s program has 4.5 scholarships. Fully-funded women’s programs have 6 scholarships. These scholarships are divided up among all players on the roster which can range from 8-12. There are 298 men’s programs and 267 women’s programs in Division I. These coaches are recruiting the best players in THE WORLD. If they bring in 1-2 players per year, you need to have a pretty substantial resume to play Division I golf at all. One of the best ways to see the types of programs you should be targeting is to look at your Junior Golf Scoreboard ranking compared to the class that is graduating this year. Those players have announced their commitments on the website. See what types of universities the players of your ability level are attending. It will save you time and determine the caliber of school you should be targeting.

Myth #3: I’ll hire a cheap recruiting service to do this for me. Coaches love getting those emails every day.

Reality: Coaches receive countless emails from recruiting services every day. Typically, 90% of the golfers being marketed in these emails should NOT be targeting their schools. An example of this would be from my time as the head coach at Georgetown. I would wake up to about 5-10 emails from various recruiting services. Most students had SAT scores of below 900. The average SAT for incoming freshmen was above 1400; therefore, none of these students had any business in trying to get admitted to the school, much less the golf program. Coaches are aware of these “puppy mill” services and see them as a lazy way to handle your recruitment. At Golf Globally, we help guide you through this process and won’t do everything for you. I have a number of students who have come to me after buying annual subscriptions to recruiting services. Yes, they are often a good deal, but coaches don’t like to have their communications with you living on some 3rd party platform. Are you really going to outsource one of the most important decisions of your life? My goal is for you to take control of your recruitment and enjoy this process because it can be incredibly fun!

NCAA Extends Dead Period

The NCAA announced on June 25th that they have extended the Dead Period for all sports. The Dead Period is extended through August 31st. This means that you will not see any Division I coaches at tournaments this summer, and you will not be able to participate in any camps with Division I coaches present.

This begs the question: what can you do to remain proactive about your recruitment right now? I encourage prospective student-athletes to remain diligent about sending emails to coaches, following their programs on Instagram, and sending more information that you might think is necessary (e.g. updated swing videos, contact information for your swing coach, your high school transcript). For the classes of 2021, 2022 and 2023, I have two upcoming webinars that you might find useful.

Visit our events page to register for the webinar that pertains to your graduation year!

What Should I Expect From Coaches This Summer?

Golf is back! Golf at the local and national level is picking back up. Each junior golf organization has implemented rules and procedures to ensure the safety of participants and spectators.

What are the rules? At the date of this writing (June 13th), NCAA Division I coaches are in a “Dead Period”. During a Dead Period, coaches are prohibited from recruiting or working camps with prospective student-athletes. The Dead Period is in effect until August 1st. Division II coaches are in a “Quiet Period” which means that they can’t recruit, but they can work or host camps. Many Division III universities have conference and institutional travel restrictions until July 1st or August 1st. NAIA and NJCAA coaches can recruit and work camps; however, it’s a college-by-college decision to allow recruitment based on state and local restrictions. 

Will I see coaches at tournaments? 

NCAA Division I & II: Not until August. Some coaches have gotten around this rule by participating in state amateur tournaments if they retained their amateur status. 

NCAA Division III: Maybe. Some athletics conferences are in a dead period until July 1st. You may see coaches in July if their conferences allow it. 

NJCAA: Maybe.

NAIA: Maybe.

The NCAA will make a statement in the end of June about the current Division I Dead Period and if it will be extended past July 31st.

How can I still get recruited? Coaches are still recruiting, and you must be proactive! Coaches are watching your scores online, speaking to your PGA and LPGA professionals, and trying to learn more about you. Update coaches regularly via email or text. Give them a call from time to time if they’ve given you their number. Coaches can respond if you are of recruitable age (after June 15th following your sophomore year for Division I and II, any age for Division III). 

What factors should I consider in my college search? While it’s tempting to go for the big, brand name schools that everyone is targeting, your college search should be unique to YOU. Ask yourself what you want from a university from an academic, athletic, and personal perspective. Consider the following aspects: location, part of the country, size of school, weather, campus setting, preferred major/area of study, and career aspirations. Look at Division I, II, III, NAIA, or NJCAA options based on your academic qualifications and golf resume.

What is Golf Globally, LLC? Golf Globally, LLC is a San Francisco-based college placement company. After 11 years coaching players in NCAA Division I Women’s Golf, Dr. Katie Brophy Miles founded Golf Globally to simplify the recruiting process for families in the US and around the world. Katie played collegiate golf at Notre Dame and was the head coach at Georgetown University for six years before moving to the Bay Area for her husband’s job in tech. Leveraging her background as an award-winning coach and PhD in Human Performance, she serves as a strategic partner in your child’s success at the collegiate level by offering a thorough understanding of what coaches are looking for in players and the steps needed to be recruited. Contact Katie to start your recruiting journey today!

Division I, II, or III: What's Right For Me?

Did you know that there are over 900 options for girls and 1100 options for boys to play college golf?

Regardless of the Division, all universities vary in size, resources, and their commitment to their golf programs; therefore, it’s vital that you learn about these factors in the recruiting process. Not all Division I and II programs are fully funded, and interestingly, Division III awards the highest amount of academic aid of any division. A useful tool from the NCAA that details the average size, scholarship money, medium undergraduate enrollment, and other information about all three divisions can be viewed here.

Information about Division I colleges and universities:

• Median undergraduate enrollment: 9,629

• 59% of all student-athletes receive some level of athletics aid.

• Largest athletics budgets, provide the most athletics scholarships.

• Renowned sports conferences such as the “Power Five” (ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-12, and the SEC). Other conferences include the Ivy League, Big East, and the Mountain West.

• Examples of Division I universities: Yale, Stanford, Hofstra, Portland State University, and the University of Notre Dame.

Information about Division II colleges and universities:

• Median undergraduate enrollment: 2,485

• 62% of all student-athletes receive some level of athletics aid.

• Many participants are first-generation college students.

• Athletics conferences include the Sunshine State Conference, the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, and the PacWest Conference.

• Examples of Division II universities: The Academy of Art University, Regis University, Rollins College, California State University Monterey Bay, and Dallas Baptist University.

Information about Division III colleges and universities:

• Median undergraduate enrollment: 1,748

• 80% of all student-athletes receive some form of academic grant or need-based scholarship.

• Features an integrated model focusing on academic success and competitive athletic opportunities.

• Athletics conferences include the NESCAC (the “Little Ivies), the Northwest Conference, and the SCIAC.

• Examples of Division III universities: Amherst College, Claremont, McKenna, Scripps Colleges (CMS Golf), Emory University, and Washington University

Some scenarios to consider:
Do you want to play for a top golf team? Chances are, you won’t get a full ride unless you’re really good. Need a full scholarship? Focus on universities with lower golf rankings to maximize your chances. Do you want to major in something academically rigorous? If so, you want to make sure that there are opportunities for you to be on the golf team as well as pursue your field of study. Learning about how different coaches handle these scenarios is an important part of the recruiting process.

To learn more about how Golf Globally can assist you with the College Golf Recruiting Process, schedule your complimentary consultation here.

The NCAA Rules in 5 Minutes

The 2019-2020 NCAA Division I manual is 452 pages, but here are a few highlights that pertain to you as a prospective student-athlete or “PSA”. Note that parents act as extension of their children; therefore, the same dates apply to you for first dates of contact.

Remember that you can contact coaches at ANY TIME, and you absolutely should email coaches periodically with updates.

Division I & II

On June 15th following Sophomore Year*, these types of communication are permissible:

• Correspondence/Private Messages

• Incoming Telephone Calls

• Outgoing Telephone Calls

On August 1st before Junior Year*, the following recruiting activities are permissible:

• Unofficial Visits

• Official Visits

• Off-Campus Contacts

*Please note that some of these dates may differ based on your academic calendar if your country does not follow the same school year as the United States. We determine these dates directly with NCAA compliance officers on college campuses in the US.

Division III

Coaches may respond to you at anytime. This means that you can correspond, send private messages, have phone calls, take visits, and have off-campus contacts at any point during your high school career. Get talking to Division III coaches!

More information about the NCAA rules is available via login and password for Golf Globally students. To learn more about programs, visit our website or contact us. Join our free webinar on April 2nd for a more thorough presentation of the NCAA rules and how to get noticed!

SAT vs. ACT

As many of you have probably read in the news, the upcoming ACT (April) and SAT (May) tests have been canceled due to COVID-19. If you were one of the students preparing to take the exam on those dates, you will need to reschedule. Do it soon as testing locations fill up!

Let’s talk about the SAT vs. the ACT. In 2018, 2.1 million students took the SAT as opposed to 1.9 million who took the ACT. Many students took both. Both administered by nonprofits, the SAT is administered by the College Board, and the ACT administers their own test. Which one is better for you? Here is some information about each exam so that you can determine that for yourself.

SAT

• Duration: 3 Hours (50 Min. Optional Essay)

• Questions: 154

• Scoring: 400-1600

• Cost: $47.50 ($64.50 with Optional Essay)

• Sections: Reading: 65 Min.; Writing & Language: 35 Min.; Math: 80 Min.

ACT

• Duration: 2 Hours 55 Min. (40 Min. Optional Writing Test)

• Questions: 215

• Scoring: 1-36

• Cost: $50.50 ($67 with Optional Writing Test)

• Sections: Reading: 35 Min.; English: 45 Min.; Math: 60 Min.; Science: 35 Min.ACT

For more information about the SAT/ACT, join the Golf Globally family! Contact us or sign up for one of our annual programs! You CAN play golf at the collegiate level—let us help you get recruited!

Do I Need to Register for the NCAA Eligibility Center?

Do you need a driver’s license to legally drive a car? Yes. Do you need a passport to travel to foreign countries? Yes, it would be virtually impossible to get on a plane much less clear customs on the other side if you don’t have one. In the same way, you MUST COMPLETE THIS STEP if you want to play NCAA Division I, II, or III sports!

The NCAA Eligibility Center is the pathway for you to play college sports. The NCAA is primarily concerned with two things: academic eligibility and amateurism. Once you start the process by creating an account, you’ll be assigned a number, and you can access your task list each time you log in. One item that will be required is an official report from the SAT or ACT testing center. When registering for the ACT or SAT, use the NCAA Eligibility Center code of 9999 so that your scores are sent directly to the Eligibility Center from the testing agency. Every item must be completed from your task list before you start your career on campus. Register for the NCAA Eligibility Center here. The cost for Division I and II registration is $90 for US and Canada residents and $150 for all other international students. If you intend to play Division III sports or you’re undecided, you can create a free profile page.

Did you know that the NCAA has a podcast? In addition to features on the NCAA’s divisions, sleep, mental health and other topics, there is an ENTIRE EPISODE on the NCAA Eligibility Center featuring the Vice President of the Eligibility Center! Listen here.

COVID-19 and New NCAA Rules

We are living in a world that seems to change day by day. A week ago, college golf teams were still in season. If you follow Golf Globally on social media (@golfglobally), you saw the post about the new NCAA rules that went into effect on Friday, March 13th. In case you missed it (ICYMI), there is a recruiting dead period in effect until at least April 15th. These recruiting restrictions are in effect for all of Division I across every sport.

Activities that are allowed during a Dead Period:

• Phone calls

• Texts

• Emails

• General correspondence

• Social Media (e.g., Instagram posts of your beautiful golf swing)

Activities that are impermissible (read: NOT allowed) during a Dead Period:

• On or Off-Campus Contacts

• Evaluations

• Official Visits

• Unofficial Visits

• Camps

Stay safe, and stay tuned for the virtual opportunities that we will be offering during this time of #socialdistancing. We are all connected, and we are in this together!

Finding the Right Fit

During 11 years of coaching at the Division I level, I met hundreds of families who were baffled by the college recruiting process. I always stressed the importance of finding the right fit. What does “the right fit” entail?

I always like to break these questions down into my three main areas of focus: academic, athletic, and personal. What universities will challenge you academically, and which universities will serve as the foundation for you to achieve your scholastic dreams? What type of golf team can you play on, and what type of coach will create an environment for your success as a player? What are your goals after college, and what type of experience will foster the growth necessary for you to get there?

As a coach, I always looked for students who were passionate about my school—students who wanted to wear the logo and represent the university with pride. At the end of the day, you want to love where you go to school!

How Do I Begin?

How do you begin anything? Let’s start your college golf process by listing goals and objectives. During my 11 years of coaching college student-athletes, I helped them create goals. At the beginning of each semester, they set goals, and we would check in on their progress periodically.

Focus on the following three areas in your goal setting: academic, athletic, and personal. What types of universities are you targeting academically? What type of golf program can you contribute to? Do you have certain schools that you’d love to attend?

The next step will be discussing the concept of college golf with your parents. Your parents likely attended college themselves, and they remember the college decision process. They will be your biggest supporters for this next step, and you will need their support and guidance. It’s best if you’re all on the same page and can go through this process together.