Ways to Make a Genuine Connection in Your Intro Email

In over 15 years of working in this industry, one thing has never changed: your emails to coaches must be specific and personalized. What has changed is the level of genuine insight and uniqueness that’s now required — because as the years have gone on, more and more recruits are getting help from people like me or tapping into the wealth of educational resources available, like this very article.

Simply commenting on a recent tournament finish is quickly becoming an outdated move. At best, it feels generic; at worst, it feels like you didn’t really try. Finding deeper, more specific ways to show a coach you’ve truly done your homework — and that you’re a real fit for their program — will give you a meaningful edge over the recruits who are still only doing half the work.

About the Program

  • National ranking — Reference where the program finished in the Clippd rankings or their conference standings, and connect it to your competitive goals.
  • Statistical benchmarking — This is especially powerful in golf because the numbers are so direct. Look up the team’s scoring averages and compare them to your own competitive average. Coaches respect recruits who have done this math.
  • Tournament schedule — If their schedule includes parts of the country you regularly compete in or on courses you know, that’s worth mentioning specifically.

About the Coach

  • Their playing background — Many college golf coaches played collegiately or professionally. If a coach played at a program you have connections to, competed on tour, or has a background in club/teaching pro work, referencing that shows genuine interest in them as a mentor.
  • Coaching philosophy on development — Golf is highly individual within a team context, so how a coach develops players technically and mentally matters a lot. If they’ve given interviews, been quoted in golf publications, or spoken at clinics about their approach, reference it:
  • Their social media — Golf coaches who are active on Instagram or Twitter  (X) often post on-course practice content, travel to tournaments, player milestone moments, and team culture clips. Mentioning something specific — a drill they posted, a tournament recap, how they celebrated a player’s PR — signals you’re already invested in the program day-to-day.

About the Fit

  • Player development evidence — Golf has great data to support this. If you can see that a player entered the program at a 78 average and left as an All-Conference scorer at 73, that’s a coaching story worth naming. Platforms like Clippd make this research very doable.
  • Course or regional fit — If the school is in a region where you’ve played tournaments and have results, mention it. Coaches love knowing you can compete in their conditions and on similar courses.
  • Academic + golf balance — Golf at the college level demands an enormous time commitment. If a school has a reputation for strong academic demands, or the team is known for having a strong academic reputation, that’s a genuine and specific reason to call out.

A Note on Clippd

Do your homework on Clippd.com — it’s publicly available and has team scoring averages, individual player averages, tournament results, and historical data. A recruit who references specific numbers from Clippd in their email immediately separates themselves from the pack. Coaches know exactly how much work that takes, and they notice.

Brandi Jackson is the RecruitPKB College Consultant and the founder of Brandi Jackson Golf, where her mission is simple: Helping Young Women Find Their College Golf Home.

To learn more, click here to schedule your free 30-minute Intro To The Process Recruit PKB Consultation, or reach out directly at brandi@brandijacksongolf.com.