Alright, I want an outside source to assess my potential.. that's you!

Okay, so I'm 18 years old.  I just graduated from high school this year, I played golf all 4 years. I've taken probably a grand total of 6 lessons in my life, mostly because it seems like pros never have anything useful to say to me.  My dad as been my coach since I quit baseball in 8th grade and started playing golf.  Now, pretty much every pro I've taken lessons from has told me that I could be an extremely good golfer.  The most recent told me I had the potential to play at any college, he even introduced me to Ball State University's head coach (he went to BSU, had connections).  I didn't pursue BSU because of academic reasons, but basically why I'm posting this is because I want someone I'm not paying (a pro), and someone that isn't my dad/related to me to tell me that I definitely shouldn't give it up when I go to college this fall.

Okay, so here's my story.

My swing speed averages about 115mph.

First I'll tell you about my home course.  It's a short course, a goat ranch basically.  Just under 6000 yards with horribly slow greens, no driving range, and a domed practice green. I hate this course with a burning passion :P

My coach was a great guy, but he couldn't help me get better other than having me practice.  He didn't know enough about the swing to critique me whatsoever.  I went to a small school, with about 65 people per class.

I started playing 8th grade year, I went to a one week golf camp at Purdue University and got some minor instruction, nothing big.  Played probably less than 5 times that summer. Joined my high school golf team my freshman year, averaged 44.6 on 9 holes.

The summer after my freshman year I still did almost nothing to practice.  I played a grand total of 8 times, and never went somewhere to just solely focus on my short game/driving range.  I averaged 41.3 during that high school season.

After sophomore year, that summer, I finally had my license and could practice more.  I could practice, and did, but I practiced the wrong way.  I went to that home course I told you about earlier and just played, probably about 20 times that summer.  I thought I had gotten pretty good because I could score well on that course.  I averaged 39.8 my junior season in high school, and I made it to regional's with a 78, and missed going to state by 1 shot.

After junior year, I decided to finally enter into the Indiana Golf Foundations junior tournaments, something every one I was competing against had been doing since they were young.  I played in 6 official tournaments I think?  I ended up averaging 79.3 that summer in those tournaments, on nice courses that I had never played before.  I also put in some pretty good practice time that summer.  I finished in 7th place out of 177 players on the junior tour I played on.

Now entering my senior year in high school, I had some tournament experience under my belt, and it felt good.  My high school season tournament average ended up at 75.5, keep in mind that is on courses that I have played 3 times each, once per year in high school.  My dual meet scoring average was just over 38.  I made it out of sectionals, and out of regionals, and competed at state.  I shot 77 at state and tied for 31st.  I had a 4 putt and a couple 3 putts at state, which wasn't normal so I could've placed much better.

So this summer, I decided to practice the right way.  I've focused on the short game, and I am seeing results.  I played in more junior tournaments run by the Indiana Golf Foundation, and was pretty successful again.  I'm currently averaging 76.3, I still have the tour championship this friday.  I played in bigger tournaments this year, and finished decently in two of the three two-day tournaments I played in.  My first two day tournament was awful, I don't know what happened, but I shot 84-80 and tied for 47th.  The next two day event was much better, I finished t-8th with a two day total of 74-74=148, +4.  Finally, in the Indiana Junior PGA Championship, the most recent two day tournament, I shot 70-74, +3 and finished T-7th.  Both of these tournaments were on courses I hadn't ever played before.  I had a week and a half of the best golf of my life about 2 weeks ago, I played every day in various tournaments, including those two I just mentioned.  My scores for the week were 74-74-73-83-70-74-72-71-73.  The 83 was just one of those rounds that happens sometimes.

The kids that are beating me in these tournaments are only beating me by a few shots, and I always ask them how long they've been playing golf, I have yet to hear someone say anything but "since I could walk," in the top finishers, at least.  I feel like with the very very small amount of true hard practice and experience I've had, the lack of a real coach, and the lack of facilities at my home course for the last 4 years, that I have potential with this game.  (I'm not implying pro or anything, because I know how obnoxiously difficult it is to turn pro)  I just want to know if you think I have the potential to make a big university's team.  I love golf, and want to keep playing, I just don't know how strongly I should be pursuing it.  I think that if I get on a college's team, and I am forced to practice the weak points of my game for 3+ hours a day, I will improve incredibly fast.

Wow, that was an obnoxiously long post, sorry.  I feel kind of silly for writing all of that.  If you actually took time to read it all, thank you :P

Man, it looks like you've got an enjoyable 50 + years of golf in you. I guess the only advice I would pass on is there will be changes, I mean, you're 18, go and enjoy life it will make your golf better later on.

I didn't really say that correctly, I don't live near a course. It takes me 30 minutes to get to a good practice facility, and having recently become dedicated this summer, with no job and no girlfriend I've been averaging about 3 hours if not more on golf daily.   Plus, those 3+ hours would be with a D1 coach who could actually teach me something new.  I don't mind the practicing, I love seeing the results.

Got it. Start contacting colleges and see what they require to get a ride. I know that there are smaller schools that will offer scholarships to someone who can average 75-77'ish. A friend of mine went to Memphis on a similar ride.

Well that's the thing.. I already know where I'm going, and I need to get better to play there.  I want to know if you think I have the potential to get down to shooting 73ish on average.  I've only recently started practicing hard, and my scores are getting so much better so fast.

Sounds like you have a pretty good natural gift for the game.

The one thing you have to figure out is if you love the game or not, if so, the you will be putting a LOT of hours into it.

The myth about "practicing wrong" is kind of null FOR YOU in my opinion. You can get bad habits, but practice is practice, and the "wrong practice" is those with a 25 handicap that shanks, Warp slice drives, blades irons and what not.

If your making solid contact, and hitting good shots with most of the time then your doing just fine. Some of the best guys out there never "practice right" they just have a gift and practice.

It sounds like your VERY late looking for a college to play at. You should have been working at that a long time ago. If you want to go to a college to play golf, start searching now.  Coaches can see potential, and its not all about what your doing ATM but what your capable of after some coaching and full time practice for a year.

Not trying to break your heart here, but you won't get into a D1 school with golf at your score on the courses you describe. Golf is going "or has gone" mainstream the last few years. More and more true gifted people are playing and the scores just keep getting lower and players get better.

Your best bet is a small school that you can play at until you improve some more and transfer to a D1.

Truth is, when you play at a D1 school, with the pressure, and the high scale courses they play on,  you may be surprised how much more difficult it is than a shorter playing course, that is NOT tourny cut with 3 inch rough, super fast hard greens, and more narrow cut fairways to challenge you more.

If you know some people with some small school contacts, now is the time to use them. The potential seems like it is there.

Like I said, I already know where I'm going to school.  My dad decided it was the right choice for me to go to a very good school for my interests academically, which was probably the right choice.  I just don't want to quit playing golf.   I'm going to try to walk on to the team but I know that is unrealistic with where I am now, even though I'm consistently shooting low 70s.  Do you think I could get to where I need to be with hard practice by say.. sophomore or junior year of college?  I just think most the kids I'm playing against have basically hit a wall, they've been this good for almost every year of high school, whereas I'm still rapidly improving.  It's a big D1 school.

Also on the wrong kind of practice, playing my home course daily didn't challenge me whatsoever.  I think that's where the mistake lay.  I still had to hit shots, but I could hit tons of bad shots and just play lazy and still shoot 75 because the course was so easy.  Now, the courses I'm playing nowadays in my junior tournaments are much different, averaging ~6700 yards with course ratings anywhere from 70-74 and slopes from 120-135.  They aren't easy courses by any means, now I totally agree with you that the courses I will be playing will be harder.  The universities course is nearly 7500 yards and just an absolute monster, especially when it is cut for NCAA tournaments.