I often get asked by my players if they should still email college coaches after a poor tournament. The answer depends on where they are in the recruiting process.

If you’re in regular communication with coaches:
Yes—absolutely follow up. Own your rounds and be honest about how you played. Don’t make excuses. Instead, share what you did well, what needs improvement, and how you plan to work on it. If conditions were difficult, it’s okay to mention that, but don’t make it the main focus. Coaches expect bad rounds. What matters is your confidence, accountability, and commitment to getting better.

If you’re still building interest or communication is limited:
If you’re mainly sending updates to generate interest—or coaches aren’t yet allowed to respond—it’s not necessary to report every single tournament. If you have another event coming up soon, it’s fine to wait and then send one update that includes both results.

Most importantly:
Don’t try to hide from bad rounds.

The experience you’re gaining, the lessons you’re learning, and the growth that comes from adversity are what truly matter. Coaches have access to Junior Golf Scoreboard, tournament websites, and Google—they can easily find your results. So make it easier for them. Share your updates and give them the insight they want, instead of leaving them to wonder what happened and why.

Growth, honesty, and resilience stand out more than perfect scorecards.