A few years ago, I attended a seminar hosted by Mike Small, the University of Illinois Men’s Golf Coach. Mike played the Tour a little bit, and he is clearly one of the most accomplished players in the PGA of America. When the seminar broke for lunch, I asked him: “what are the top two things you look for when you are assessing a possible recruit?” His answer on creating a college golfer may surprise you, and yet they are so simple:
- Recruit needs to be able to COMPRESS the golf ball. Many players merely swing at the ball…the best compress it. We all know it when we see it.
- Recruit needs to SCORE…he needs to be able to go low. If you can clearly compress the ball, but you can’t go low, there might be psychological limitation. I will take a kid who can shoot 65, then 75 or a kid who shoots 71 both rounds. To win at the highest level, you need to be able to take it deep under par.
Parents, Are You Creating a College Golfer?
For all the parents out there, who might one day be lobbying for your child’s golf scholarship, this is incredible insight from a coach who might be one of the best in the business.
So your question might be…Golf Course Owner Guy have you ever seen a junior player go on to be a great college player. 20+ years in the business, I’m still waiting to see my first.
