the recruiting process

One of the questions I get asked most often — through social media, during consultations, and at seminars — is simple: "When should I start the process?" Like so many things in recruiting, there's rarely a clean, definitive answer. And honestly, this one is among the trickier ones. While June 15th marks the start of the coach communication phase, there is plenty that can and should be happening before that date ever arrives. The real answer to when isn't always about age — it's more about the strength of a player's resume and where her game currently stands. An 8th or 9th grader shooting in the 70s from 5,800+ yards, ranked among the top players in her recruiting class, with a goal of playing high-level Division I golf? She likely needs to be building her resume and recruiting video, sending intro emails, engaging on social media, and [...]

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 Simply commenting on a recent tournament finish is quickly becoming an outdated move.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 [...]

Create a college golf resume. Sounds simple enough, right? Wrong. After 15 years of working with junior female golfers through the recruiting process, I have seen just about every version of a recruiting resume you can imagine — and I am here to tell you that a bad resume can quietly end your chances with a coach before the conversation ever really begins. I have seen resumes that are nearly impossible to read. Resumes with no tournament scores — which is the single most important thing a coach needs to see. Resumes that are buried behind a broken link or locked behind a file that a coach cannot even open. And resumes that are beautifully designed but missing half the information a coach actually needs to evaluate a recruit. Here is the truth: you may only get one shot to capture a coach's attention. If they cannot [...]

This is Part 2 from a coach survey I conducted, in which I asked college coaches to weigh in on the recruiting process. Every coach is different, but what follows represents some of the most consistent and eye-opening themes from their responses. The question: What are some examples you look for to help identify good golf IQ and players who can compete and get better at the next level? The responses were fascinating — and honestly, every junior golfer and her parents should read this carefully. Play Golf. A Lot of It. One of the most practical pieces of advice came from a coach who said simply: "Players that play a lot of golf have more golf IQ than those that beat balls. My advice is to play as much as they can with all different people — adults, boys, anyone." There is no substitute for on-course [...]