[cypressperch]

among other things in Louisiana for thirty years. Golf was played year 'round down there. The best golfers tended to go to the private schools and were members at the best country clubs. But we did have some people who went to college on full scholarships. They were scratch or very close to scratch golfers. A few went to college and "walked on" and were able to play. But there were plenty over the years who shot in the mid to high seventies that got absolutely no interest shown in them. If a person does not have parents with connections at some college (Such connections sometimes pay off.), you are going to have to be really good to get a full scholarship. There are colleges that have golf teams that have no players on scholarship. Some give half scholarships. I knew a golf coach who only recruited golfers who qualified for at least partial academic scholarships to which he added a half golf scholarship. I thought that was a very good way to handle a golf program.

So work at your game and get as good as you can. Even if you do not make a college team, you will not regret having improved. I am somewhat amazed how often on different golf forums, young folks sound as if getting on a college team is fairly easy. We had a pretty good program where I coached, and in a typical good year, you had to shoot below 80 to make the top five. In college they usually play from the tips, so length off the tee is pretty important. Whether right or wrong, I know most college golf coaches pay a lot of attention to driver distance. Courses are usually set up to be as difficult as they can be made, so you better be a good putter and be able to get your ball below the hole most of the time.

There are a lot of parents out there who are sparing no expense to get their kids on college golf teams. Their clubs and other equipment are the best. The go to David Ledbetter's golf academy or something similar. They play junior golf tours that have tournaments all over the country during the summer. They are into weight training, motivational tapes, anything that might give them an edge over everyone else. Believe me, this stuff works. But I would not dare suggest that anyone do all of this stuff unless it was absolutely what the kid involved wanted to do. I have seen kids get burned out with such a program, and the parents get so enraged that it became obvious that the parents, usually one of them, were trying to live unfilled dreams through their children. That should be a crime because it does get abusive. Tiger and his dad are an ideal situation that is really pretty rare. Wasn't it Shawn O'Hare whose dad put him under such extreme pressure to make it in the pros? Spent all his money so that it was all right to have his kid give up every thing else in life. Lots of stuff to consider when you think about it.

The really good golfers that I coached, the ones that made it to college level golf--they were all very accomplished when freshmen in high school. I played some college golf and I was pretty good when I was in junior high, but the kids today are super golfers with the equipment they have today and with the improved instruction and other opportunities. You got to be really good these days.

The very best of luck to you with your golf dreams. Sincerely, Cypressperch