Availability of College Golf Scholarships
Though football has kicked off in Columbus and football fans across the nation are fired up for the 2010 season, people often forget there are other fall college sports. Golf is often forgotten about, yet there are great opportunities for the aspiring golfer even though there is not much recognition like star football player may receive. With many young golfers gaining success on tour such as Rickie Fowler, Natalie Gulbis and many others in their 20’s, it’s no surprise that golf continues to be a growing sport. Yet as kids grow up it seems that other sports, school events, and other activities take precedence over developing an aspiring golfer’s game throughout middle school and high school.
This is why I believe that women’s college golf scholarships are the most underused scholarships. Division I offers 6 scholarships per team, and Division II offers 5.4 scholarships per team. Many coaches like to keep a roster of about 8 to 10 ladies at the most which provides a good chance for the potential golfer to get a decent chunk of that scholarship money.
Another trend that I tend to see in these high school golfers is that there are girls who were in a similar situation as me when I went out looking for a college. They shoot scores in the high 70’s and low 80’s, see potential in themselves to grow in college, and have tunnel vision for only a Division I golf program that will get them to improve to that next level they are looking for. This is why I would argue that not only are women’s golf scholarships underused but Division II women’s golf scholarships may be the most underused scholarship in college. High school ladies looking to play college golf don’t see that Division II provides the best opportunity to get a scholarship.
Though the payout may be good for many women looking to get involved in golf there is a high level of commitment that comes with any reward. Practice every day and a sometimes demanding schedule that calls for a lot of traveling in the Fall and Spring. Yet playing Division I many times does not promise that the golfer will get to play in many tournaments. In Division II women’s golf the player will most likely get to play in more tournaments, which takes away the added stress that can come with trying to qualify and beat out your fellow teammates for a spot at next weeks tournament which is never fun.
The pros and cons of whether a golfer will decide to play Division I, II, and even III are varied and often depend on skill level. The main point is that there are plenty of opportunities for women to play college golf if the desire and dedication is there.
Thanks for reading!