the complete golfer

Quick Tips for Improving Your Coach Communication Etiquette Email Etiquette Always address the coach by name and begin with a proper greeting. Double-check grammar, spelling, and tone before sending. Make sure any necessary documents are correctly attached. Use an appropriate and professional email address. Break your message into clear, short paragraphs. Reply in a timely manner and keep communication consistent. If you’re not interested in a program, respond politely with a brief, appreciative note. Phone or Video Call Etiquette Sit up straight and stay attentive, enthusiastic, and engaged. Smile—even on a phone call—it changes your tone. Avoid filler words like “um” and “uh.” Come prepared with questions and topics to discuss. Use good manners and express gratitude for the coach’s time. Minimize background noise and distractions. Visit Etiquette (Unofficial or Official Visits) Arrive on time—early is even better. Offer a firm handshake, make eye contact, and smile. [...]

I shared some insight on my Instagram this week about playing one-day tournaments and their importance in the process and your game development. You can watch that video clip below. Yes, 2- and 3-day events are more ideal from a recruiting perspective, especially as you advance in the process and become more competitive. However, do not disregard one-day tournaments, especially when you still need to focus more on game improvement over being in the midst of the recruiting process. Don’t let the wrong criteria get in the way of what is important and how you can get better. Putting your game under competition settings more often will only help you get better at competition golf faster. Practicing and playing on your home course or familiar courses, without any purpose or competition, over and over again, will only help you get better at recreational golf. Watch Here   [...]

Over the next few weeks, I am going to share some coach responses from a recent survey I did to ask coaches their opinions. Please remember that coaches look for different things and have varying opinions, but I tried to compile some of the most common and relevant responses. Question: What is your biggest piece of advice for young ladies going through this process? Be open-minded I would suggest that they not play tournaments strictly with a focus on college placement. It starts to feel like work and generally leads to worse results. Just play the game with passion and let the chips fall where they fall. Stay open. Communicate. Network with players at schools where you want to attend. Enjoy the process and don't forget to be a kid and enjoy your time in HS. Too many show signs of too much stress and not enough [...]

Over the next few weeks, I am going to share some coach responses from a recent survey I did to ask coaches their opinions. Please remember that coaches look for different things and have varying opinions, but I tried to compile some of the most common and relevant responses. Question: What is the biggest red flag you see among the girls and/or the parents? Too much focus on big name schools and parents too involved Big turnoff to me if I sense that a profile is created and managed by a parent (parent email addresses, etc.). It's important to see that the athlete is ready to step out as a young adult without parents hovering. Parents taking over the process. They won't be playing for us. Too much parental involvement. And not enough excitement. Don't be afraid to tell a coach you love their school if you [...]

While this process has a great deal of subjectivity to it, I've come to appreciate data and numbers more over the years. This is a chart compiled of the average scores for the top 5 individuals from a mix of DI and DII  programs (through May 15th of the 2024-2025 season). Typically, collegiate tournaments for mid and top DI plus top DII programs are played from approximately 6000-6200 yards, with lower DI and lower DII played slightly shorter. Also, collegiate tournaments are set up more difficult with pin placements, faster greens, and overall tougher conditions given the time of year that collegiate golf is played (not summer golf weather). And the added pressure of your coach and teammates counting on you heightens the stress level just a bit when you step on that first tee each time. So, a typical rule of thumb isa  2-3 stroke difference [...]