Interested in Playing College Golf (I'm 24 yrs old)

[teamtom]

I am currently considering going back to school to get my college degree. I went to U of Denver but dropped out halfway through for various reasons. I didn't play any NCAA sports while at DU, so I guess I have all my eligibility left.

About a year and half go, I took up golf seriously, and I am improving constantly. I have gone from a 13 to a 4 in the past year and a half. By this time next year, I believe I will be playing close to scratch. I play or practice everyday. I do a golf-specific workout program twice a week. I am 100% committed to becoming the best golfer I possibly can.

The main reason I want to go back to school is to better myself, and finish my formal education, but while I'm doing that, I would love to play college golf. I really don't know if any coaches would be interested in me because of my age. I have no high school golf, or junior golf experience. Next summer I plan on playing in a lot of amateur events in the mid-atlantic to start building a resume of sorts.

Know of anyone who's done this? Do I have a chance? What is the best course of action? Is this even possible?

[joshtpa]

Going from 13-4 is quite a feat, but going from 4 to 1 is much harder. Good luck on your journey

[teamtom]

Yea...I know I have a lot of work ahead of me to get to scratch (and beyond), but from what I've read, that is not a requirement to play college golf. Top level D-1 golf maybe, but I would be perfectly happy playing at just about any level.

Hopefully me age isn't a problem (my golf game is still pretty young), but I could see coaches wanting to work with younger players, or I fear there could be possible eligibility issues. I'm pretty sure I would have to go to a junior college for at least semester or two to even get into any respectable university at this point. And from looking at the Maryland JuCo Athletic Association Golf results, I could play on any of those teams right now. Maybe thats the way to get started..hmm....

[NM Golf]

Some of your smaller colleges (NCAA Div. II & III, NAIA) have golf teams and at a 4 hdc. you may very well be able to play for them at you current skill level. As far as a div I school I would say probably not. To be successful at most of them you have to be at least scratch but probably better.

Look at the schools you are interested in on the web and pull up the golf team. Look at the kind of scores and scoring averages the players are putting up and realize they are doing that at tougher courses than you probably play. Some of the smaller schools like I mentioned above don't have a single player who averages in the 70's so at your level they would love to have you.

It is difficult to do but try and be very realistic with your abilities before choosing. Choosing wisely might get you playing some collegiate golf, if your skills are not there you will just waste their time and they will cut you right away. This may sound harsh but I am just trying to give it to you straight.

[teamtom]

Thanks for the responses....

I agree that Division I is a pretty big long shot. Although I probably won't be going back to junior college until fall of 2009, meaning I probably wouldn't be able to attend an actual university until fall of 2010, and who knows where my game will be at that point .

But realistically, looking at some scoring averages for schools in my area, I think DIII is a strong possibility (there are no DII or NAIA schools around me). However, I don't think DIII schools give out athletic scholarships, so I would def have to fit the bill. Yikes.

[JYB]

once you begin college, you either have 10 semesters or five years to play four.

for example,

if you started school in fall 2006, you would have until fall 2010 to complete four years of eligibility at Division 1 or Division 2.

D3 however, there is no time or age limit. You just have to have not been enrolled full time for more than 10 semesters. I, for example, have gone to college in Fall 03, Fall 05 and Spring 06. I'm 23 years old and just now going back to school in the fall of 08 but i still have 7 semesters of eligibility at D3. Get my drift?

[teamtom]

Interesting...So my "clock of eligibility" starts when I first attend a university, regardless of if I play a sport or not? In that case, I guess I am not eligible to play DI or DII (my first semester at DU was 2002).

Do you know if junior/community college semesters count towards my 10 semesters for DIII eligibility? What about semesters that were not completed??

I think I would have about 6 semesters worth of eligibility left, if partial and JuCo semesters count. A few more if not. Thanks for the info.

[907golfer12]

I would get e-mails and contact number from schools that you are looking at and talking to the golf coach, see if you can still get on, see if you can play with him there.

[JYB]

if you started college in 2002, then your D1 eligibility is gone, as is your D2 eligibility. You can play D3 however, at any age, as long as you have gone to school less than 10 semesters.