How good do you have to be?

[eagle golfer]

to play for a d2 school

Im a freshman and my handicap is about 10, ive been playing for about 1 year, and im starting to practice alot and am going to enter alot of tourneys this summer. but i want to know how good you have to be to play for a d2 or d3 school and what could i do to get the coaches attention?


thanks cody

[wholeinwon]

Just look down the topic page...

 

 

"how good do you have to be

to play for a D1 school"

 

All schools vary you can't say...oh your a 5 handicap your gonna play...you have to be able to play good golf.

 

how do you get the coaches attention?

 

make a portfolio highlighting your golfing accomplishments, send him a letter or email, phone him, go visit him.

 

Just remember if your going to play for a D2/3 school that you really need to focus on school because your probably not going to be having a playing career in golf. So in high school and at University/College be sure to keep your grades as high as you can so you can get the best education which will do much much much more for you than playing D2 golf.

[expunge]

 

Just remember if your going to play for a D2/3 school that you really need to focus on school because your probably not going to be having a playing career in golf. So in high school and at University/College be sure to keep your grades as high as you can so you can get the best education which will do much much much more for you than playing D2 golf.

 

Way to be an optomist. If you don't play for a D1 school you aren't going to be playing pro golf? Why's that? Why can't he be #1 in a D2 conference and make the tour?

 

If you are in school you of course need to focus on school and get your degree.

[wholeinwon]

I said "probably not"...which is an accurate statement no?

 

I would say most D2 players...heck most D1 players will probably not be pro golfers...more so for D2 school.

 

I'm sorry if my statement wasn't accurate I'm sorry but I'm pretty sure it was. I did not though say what you are accusing me of basically saying "If you play D2 golf you won't make it anywhere professionally" which is nothing at all what I said.

[jboyd1]

 

Just remember if your going to play for a D2/3 school that you really need to focus on school because your probably not going to be having a playing career in golf. So in high school and at University/College be sure to keep your grades as high as you can so you can get the best education which will do much much much more for you than playing D2 golf.

 

Way to be an optomist. If you don't play for a D1 school you aren't going to be playing pro golf? Why's that? Why can't he be #1 in a D2 conference and make the tour?

 

If you are in school you of course need to focus on school and get your degree.

 

 

It was just a generalization, some don't even need college at all to make it in the pros. I am sure there are many D2, and D3 golfers in the pro level.

 

 

As for the OP, I am on a decent D2 team and if you can average about a 76 on 6900-7200 yard courses you should be ok.

[bk4]

A ton of D2 teams are better than D1 teams. USC-Aiken, Rollins, Florida Southern, etc...

A lot of PGA players played at schools like this.

 

Lee Janzen played at Florida Southern

Colin Montgomerie went to Houston Baptist

USC Aiken reguarly competes and beats D1 teams, and can beat USC or Clemson on any given day. Or at least they used to be able to. For example, I played in the Palmetto Am a few years ago and one of their players (Dane Burkhart) shot 59 on a day when the next lowest score was 68 (by another USC-A) player and the field had guys from USC, Clemson, NC State, UVa, Kansas, etc.. in the field

[stimpmeter12]

A ton of D2 teams are better than D1 teams. USC-Aiken, Rollins, Florida Southern, etc...

A lot of PGA players played at schools like this.

 

Lee Janzen played at Florida Southern

Colin Montgomerie went to Houston Baptist

USC Aiken reguarly competes and beats D1 teams, and can beat USC or Clemson on any given day. Or at least they used to be able to. For example, I played in the Palmetto Am a few years ago and one of their players (Dane Burkhart) shot 59 on a day when the next lowest score was 68 (by another USC-A) player and the field had guys from USC, Clemson, NC State, UVa, Kansas, etc.. in the field

A player named Casey Clendenon who goes to Lamar and is a top 20 player in the nation was going to University of Houston (D2 or D3) last year and is now the best player for Lamar (top 15 in the nation D1 school). And like bk4 said there are a ton of D2 schools that are better than D1s.

[TM golf guy]

I got offered to play D3 and some D2 golf when I was a junior and I was only averaging like 75 at the time they offered (start of season so I wasn't playing at my best). Got some D2 and D1 offers at the end of senior year and I was averaging a hair under par. Problem for me was that I was at a 2A school instead of a big 5A.

[eagle golfer]

Thanx everyone i would like to play pro golf but i no that it is very rare so i just want to concentrate on trying to get to play in college becuase i love competitive golf and i will really concentrate on my education

 

 

cody

[kobe123]

I would really like to play golf at the college level too

[conorgolf22]

i was reading Davis Love III's book "Every Shot I Take" and he said Paul Azinger couldn't even break 90 during his high school years alot can happen from the age of 15 to the age of like 22

[xal951]

you still have 3 more years left of highschool. my advice if you really want to play at the next level(college) is to start taking lessons with a golf pro and get started in the AJGA, IJGT, FCWT, and Junior and Am tournaments. These are your best way to get noticed by college coaches. Start emailing and writing coaches your sophmore year so they;ll have you in the back of their minds. But if your concenerned about your education look at it this way. D2 sports are mostly for the kids who couldnt get into D1 schools becuase they didnt have the grades so the best education is at D1 and D3 schools. And just because its not a D1 school doesnt mean its bad. Some of the best golfers come from D2 and D3 schools and even NAIA. But def start now with tourneys if u already havent and get with a pro. Its your best chance and i know from experience. Good luck.

[eagle golfer]

thanx i will play alot of tournaments but how do i get into those tournaments to i have to qualify or can i just pay money or wut?

 

thanx cody

[xal951]

some you have to qualify and some you have to just pay. But most of them your have to pay for the qualifier and sometimes then pay for the actual tourney. But the best thing to do is work with a golf pro and get that handicap down to scratch...trust me, a pro will do more for the money then 10 tourneys will. The main thing to do is get your name out there to coaches by playing and placing top in tourneys.

[bk4]

Even if you don't think you're good enough, you can without a doubt play lots of places. I know of several people who had no tournament experience and were either really bad for their high school team or didn't even play on the team who are now playing D3 golf.

[xal951]

Even if you don't think you're good enough, you can without a doubt play lots of places. I know of several people who had no tournament experience and were either really bad for their high school team or didn't even play on the team who are now playing D3 golf.

exactly...look at D3 schools results. Some of their players shot 90s and 100s :drinks:

[soberguy16]

You can definitely play golf in college with a 10 handicap. And for not being able to go pro if you go to a D2 or 3 school...well that ridiculous. I played D3 tennis and can beat MOST D1 players...had I wanted to be a journeyman professional I could have but I chose otherwise. Golf is a completely different sport than any other in that the school you go to does not affect how much you improve. Sure its gonna be hard to go pro in other sports like football or basketball when your D3 opponents are half the size as at the D1 level...and in tennis it was very hard for me to picture going professional and being tested every match when i wasnt tested so much in college. Golf is completely individual and you can improve no matter where you go...youre playing against the golf course after all and don't need other good players necessarily to make yourself better. Just practice hard and it won't matter what Division school you go to...By the way because I played tennis I couldn't play college golf and I would have probably been #1 on the team...most of the guys who played wished they had a 10 handicap.

[MrBlack]

i don't know a ton about this subject, so i should just keep my mouth shut....but...

 

i believe MatucH was generalizing that if

 

you can't get into a D1 school via golf skills,

 

and if D1 guys can't get on to mini tours,

 

and if mini tour guys can't get on to the nation wide,

 

and if nation wide guys can't get on to the PGA,

 

and if PGA guys can't make a cut,

 

and if PGA guys who make a cut can't get in the top 10,

 

then its pretty freakin impossible to have D2 school game and become good enough to make a living playing

 

these are the facts of life...

 

go ahead and name 5 guys that did it...there are MILLIONS who didn't

 

it is a generalizaiton because is generally true

[emc]

Very true Mr.Black but we can all still dream about it

[MrBlack]

absolutly true...just don't jump on a guy for making a true statement

[Long Shot]

 

Just remember if your going to play for a D2/3 school that you really need to focus on school because your probably not going to be having a playing career in golf. So in high school and at University/College be sure to keep your grades as high as you can so you can get the best education which will do much much much more for you than playing D2 golf.

Good advice for any student athlete. Most division 1 athlete "PROBABLY" wont play their respective sport for a living. So keeping up on those grades is real good advice.

 

On a side note a few guys flamed the above poster for this advice and this advice is spot on. Even if you are good enough to go pro that doesn't mean that something can't happen to derail your career. Having a good education to fall back on is great advice, and not to mention that if you have a good educationa dn make it big maybe that education will help you manage your assets a whole lot better.

 

As far as the original poster, you are only a freshman. First off I commend you for already anticipating college, good plan. If you focus on college entrance now you can prepare yourself for a successful college experience. SecMy advice to you is to aim for the stars set your goals high. You are young and it sounds like you just began playing this game. Work hard at it and set your goals higher than being good enogh for a d2 or 3 school. Shoot for a d1 school or even better decide what you want to achieve in your HS career that will make you look good to a college golf program.

 

Good Luck

[Long Shot]

You can definitely play golf in college with a 10 handicap. And for not being able to go pro if you go to a D2 or 3 school...well that ridiculous. I played D3 tennis and can beat MOST D1 players...had I wanted to be a journeyman professional I could have but I chose otherwise. Golf is a completely different sport than any other in that the school you go to does not affect how much you improve. Sure its gonna be hard to go pro in other sports like football or basketball when your D3 opponents are half the size as at the D1 level...and in tennis it was very hard for me to picture going professional and being tested every match when i wasnt tested so much in college. Golf is completely individual and you can improve no matter where you go...youre playing against the golf course after all and don't need other good players necessarily to make yourself better. Just practice hard and it won't matter what Division school you go to...By the way because I played tennis I couldn't play college golf and I would have probably been #1 on the team...most of the guys who played wished they had a 10 handicap.

I think the poster who made the D1 not playing for a living statement was stressing the importance of education. I am sure you will agree that no matter what division you play the chance of making a living from Playing that sport is slim (this doesn't include the possibility of making a living from the teaching or business side of the sport, just getting paid to play).

 

And that fact that you chose to do something other than play tennis proffesionally furthers the importance of student athletes focussing on academics. I too was a college athlete D1 wrestler and football player. Had it all going 2x all-american wrestler and a 1x all independant D lineman going into my senior year. Had a very good football season and was going to skip the wrestling season to focus on football and the pro combines, but I decided to wrestle and got hurt ending any chance of a pro career. Thank goodness I had my education.

[bk4]

On the same hand, a lot of the most hyped junior golfers in the country at the time they enter college end up flaming out and not making it to the pros. There are scores of kids who were top ranked as juniors, and went to top ranked colleges and didn't even sniff the starting line-up ever. The most important thing is playing. I think you could take some kids who sit on the bench for a D1 team, put them at a reasonable D2 team that has the opportunities that teams from D1 have and they could prosper. I mean you have guys like Will MacKenzie who burn out and quit golf at 14 but end up PGA Tour winners. He didn't touch a club for years. If you have the talent it doesn't matter where you go. If you go somewhere that you can cultivate that talent, you can make it. With golf anything can happen. You can go from shooting in the 90's one year to just having it click and being able to shoot in the 60's the next. There's one p[layer who is a top ranked college player, but who had some serious run ins with the law as a junior, basically running every college off him. He went to a smaller school, that is not a traditional golf power, and he was able to mature and realize the talent he had and now he's one of the top 10 amateur golfers in the country. It doesn't matter where you go to school. If you're willing to work hard anything can happen

[jdhallissey]

My problem is I have more than enough game to play D-1 but I don't have the grades. 2.8 gpa os getting you a trip on the short bus. I got calls all the time from D-1A schools but then they asked what my grades were like and at the time they were at 3.0 and they said good luck if your grades come up then I will call you back. That really got to me and my grades actually dropped a hair. So keep your grades up and then you can go anywhere you want.

[greenmachine0227]

On the same hand, a lot of the most hyped junior golfers in the country at the time they enter college end up flaming out and not making it to the pros.

 

 

Casey Wittenberg seems to fall into that category right now. I hope he can get it turned around and make it as a pro.

[wholeinwon]

Mr. Black...that is kinda what I was saying without trying to be that forward lol.

 

Sure never stop following your dreams, I'm not saying don't try just give up now, All I was saying was to make sure golf isn't taking up all your time when you are in school.

 

I mean if you have a scholarship offer from Brown for academics and one from Western New Mexico State for golf...make the smart choice there...

[bk4]

My problem is I have more than enough game to play D-1 but I don't have the grades. 2.8 gpa os getting you a trip on the short bus. I got calls all the time from D-1A schools but then they asked what my grades were like and at the time they were at 3.0 and they said good luck if your grades come up then I will call you back. That really got to me and my grades actually dropped a hair. So keep your grades up and then you can go anywhere you want.

Things must have changed in the last 4 or 5 years because I had three friends with under 3.0 gpa's who got golf scholarships to unc, nc state and ohio state.

[wholeinwon]

Yeah I know 2 people who were under 3.0 GPA's who have gone to D-1 schools in the past 5 years, so not sure what that is about.

[ZealousGolfer]

Go to Ping's website and check out their college golf guide. They have a "score conversion" formula to show you how you would play in D1, D2, D3, and NAIA courses based on the field strength a course.

 

They have a sample(free) which may be helpful.

[jdhallissey]

I was trying to get back out west. Maybe that had something to do with it too. I dunno, but don't get your head down if you don't hear back from a coach. Just put a schedule together and pick a time like every thursday call the same coach and talk with him or if you get his v-mail leave him a mesage.