I have a major dilemma! (college and golf)

[gildea909]

Its getting time to apply to college, and i cant decide whether to forget golf for a 4 years and focus on my education, or try and go down south and play year round. What would you guys suggest? I seriously cannot decide and want to here from some fellow golfers.

P.S I'm nowhere good enough to make any college team, just love the game. I live 45 mintues outside of boston, and seriously hate the cold!

[jamo]

I'm too from the Boston area, and I'm freshman in college. I am on the club team here at the University of Delaware, and it's pretty good. No matter where you go you don't have to forget golf for 4 years. I can play on weekends and on tuesdays because my schedule allows it. Pick a school for academics and how much you like the campus, stuff like that. Don't go to Florida or Texas just because you want to be able to play golf year round.

[darkhunter139]

I would not base your decision on where to go to college based on golf. I don't see why you would have to completely forget about it for four years though? No matter where you go you should be able to find somewhere to play during the spring, summer and fall.

I go to Drexel University in PA and have enough time to play on Tuesdays and weekends this term.

[golfro]

im one of the few who forgot about golf for 4 years of college.

I actually received a full scholarship for a small state school but decided against it and took my chances at a bigger school out of state that has a great golf team...

I didn't get on the team...and I ended up not golfing for a good 4 years throughout college.

I agree with darkhunter though...your hobbies are important but i wouldn't suggest that you make decisions simply based on golf. Education is/was very important to me so that took top priority...thus deciding on a school depending on if i get to play golf or not was not even a factor.

Also, playing for a college is definitely an option but at 12 handicap...chances of you playing for a college is very slim. I was a 2 handicap when I got my scholarship...Jamo is now 1.5 handicap...

I'd say you have to play pretty consistently at a 2-5 handicap to have a chance.

[themightytimmah]

Do both! I am from the Northeast and going to school in Florida was the best decision I ever made. It was a much better fit for me culturally, academically it was a little less pressure, and I pretty much had the time of my life while graduating with honors. I went to Florida Atlantic which is basically a safety school, but there are plenty of world-class universities down south (Duke, Miami, UF, etc).

[TourSpoon]

When I was getting my Master's from Florida Atlantic I worked at a course and played 4 days a week.

[ComebacKid]

I'm currently playing at a local community college because I wasn't sure which to do and now I'm transferring to the University of Northern Iowa to play for them in the spring. It's tough balancing studies with traveling for golf. But don't give up the game, such a good stress reliever.

[O.B. Right]

You haven't really given enough info . .for example. . if you want to be a doctor and have a chance to go to John's Hopkins then you would have to be an idiot to go to Florida so you can play golf. On the other hand, let's say you want to be a computer programmer, teacher or social worker or whatever . . . there are plenty of good schools in every part of the country for that. I would agree with everybody else though that school should come first no matter where you decide to go. When you got that fat job and paycheck you can join the country club and play a lot of golf.

[srjorion]

Focus on school, but keep playing even if it is only once or twice a month. Getting out to the range or practice green would be a great short stress reliever for those times you can't squeeze in a round.

I didn't play much golf during college due to a tough curriculum and schedule, plus I didn't have much money. I wish I had played a little more to be honest.

Get good grades in college, find yourself a good job, and you can play even more golf.

[Comeback City]

Obviously there's probably things you should factor ahead of golf...

But there's a bunch of pluses - you can get Student Discounts on Green Fees especially if your school has its own Golf Course. And as a freshman, you'll have a lot of free time (unless of course you already know what you're going to do with your life, have a major in mind and a pretty intensive schedule)...and you've got some big decisions you need to make (picking a major...finding yourself...social drama, ect), and playing golf can be a way to clear your head a bit..

[colin007]

if i had it to do all over again, i would absolutely go south to school to play golf. doesnt have to be florida, could be south carolina, georgia, tenessee, lots of places warm enough to play year round.

[JML22]

dude work hard play hard
I have 30 hours of classes right now and if i dont get out to atleast the range i'd go ••••ing insane and want to kill myself

[2bGood]

Play golf and go to school. You mise well learn to balance things now. I work around 60 hours per week, have 2 kids and play around 100 rounds per year (about 25 for work that counts to my 60 hr work week).

It depends what you take in school, but when I went to university, I had 2 part time jobs, my classes and was very active socialy. It was before I took up golf, but If i wanted to I am sure I coul have played a few rounds a week instead of pickup basketball and hockey.

Of course if you are trying to get somthing specific out of you education (I docter, lawer etc) then your results may very.

The funny thing is I have to say golf has been as good for my career as school was. School got in me into my line of work, but golf has helped me to make the contacts i need to do well at it and move up.

[Shooter McGreenkeeper]

do it!!!!
otherwise you will regret it + anyway, the alternative is working for a living.

who cares, you only live once, do what you love to do.

[Patch]

Unless you plan to make a living in the golf business, then a college degree in some other area is far more important. This, even if it means less golf for a while. A person who gets their important educational priorities in order at an early age will live more comfortably when they get older. IMHO I think  that too many younger folks don't plan far enough a head. Too many live for the moment, and by the time they want to retire, they can't. 

[vangator]

Sounds like me 40 years ago.  I grew up in a town about an hour south of Buffalo NY.  After the winter of 1977 (worst in history) I decided to go to Florida.  I graduated from a CC in 1977 and transferred to the University of Florida.  Graduated with an engineering degree and geology degree.  A professor I worked for arranged for me to get into the doctoral program at Princeton.  I should have taken it, but I didn't want to live in the north again.

I played golf several times a week at UF.  Student green fees were $3 weekday, $5 weekends.  I played a lot.  I had a friend who was basically a scratch golfer that wanted to walk on to the team.  He convinced me to give it a try.  He was +1 for the two rounds of the try out.  I was +7.  Neither of us even sniffed a spot on the team.

You can certainly play golf (even on a school team) and go to school at the same time.  If you want to make a school team, you better be shooting par, preferably under, especially at the powerhouse schools.

Living in Largo Florida, I've played with guys from Stetson, USF, Tampa several times.  Those guys are good.  They hit the living snot out of the ball.

[Grumpter]

I mostly gave up golf for my college years. It was too expensive while working my way through school and I had plenty of other interests (school, women, music, other sports etc.). After college I went right back to the golfing without missing a beat.

[rkim291968]

8 hours ago, Patch said:

Unless you plan to make a living in the golf business, then a college degree in some other area is far more important. This, even if it means less golf for a while. A person who gets their important educational priorities in order at an early age will live more comfortably when they get older. IMHO I think  that too many younger folks don't plan far enough a head. Too many live for the moment, and by the time they want to retire, they can't. 

I second this.   Go to college and have fun studying, and enjoying school life.   Golf can wait.   After graduation, you have approximately another 60 years to play golf.  If you can afford to put in a casual round or two once in a while, more power to you.  Otherwise, go all in for a higher education.