How much does a bad attitude affect a golfers chance for a scholarship?

“Positive attitude is the number one thing I look for and a bad one is an instant radar killer. Have one and you’re off my radar immediately.” – DI Women’s Head Coach

“Depends on the coach. Attitude might not affect scholarship but may affect how many options he/she has. A bad attitude usually reflects character, and character is the number one thing we look for in a recruit.” DII Women’s Head Coach

I was recently asked this question on Instagram during a Q and A session so I reached out to a few coach friends of mine to see what they had to say.

A bad attitude is definitely a consistent factor in a coaches “red flag” list. Keep in mind tho that all coaches do have different player styles that they like to see and a competitive attitude can be subjective to a coach’s preference.

But what is NEVER ok to pretty much any coach is true bad attitude such as throwing, slamming or breaking clubs, stomping feet, cursing, yelling, disrespect to other players, parents, staff or volunteers, blatant signs of giving up, etc.. These are all signs that 99.9% of the time will eliminate you as a recruit for any college golf coach.

Frustration with yourself or your game is not necessarily always a “bad attitude”, it can actually be a sign of competitiveness that a lot of coaches like to see among players. Noone likes to make bogeys, have 3 putts, hit it OB or lose the tournament so frustration at some point is going to happen. How you handle that frustration tho is some of the other pieces of the pie that the coach looks for on the positive side of your game that can influence the coaches decision to recruit you or not.