Great Golf Tips Scholarships
Obtaining a golf scholarship can be a long and convoluted process. Blaine Lynch, the former Head Golf Recruiting Coach for NCSA Recruiting, believes that high school golfers should focus on three important factors to secure a scholarship offer at any level.
What are the top three factors that coaches and institutions examine when awarding scholarships?
1. Academics
GPA, exam results, and general academic success. A solid GPA is critical when colleges and coaches are deciding who to offer.
2. Athletics
High school tournaments are not the most reliable predictors of success. Coaches desire their players to compete in high-quality summer events like the USGA, State Association, and AJGA tournaments. Tournament experience is critical, and the tournament scoring average is the most essential statistic. “College coaches do not care what your handicap is“.
3. Character
Scores are not the end of the story; some coaches are ready to take a chance on a fantastic golf swing combined with a good mindset and a strong work ethic.
1. Tom LoCasale Developing Character Through Golf Scholarship
Tom LoCasale embodied the good in the world and enriched the lives of those around him.
Tom thought that a happy, healthy, and productive existence stemmed from a set of talents, and he was constantly striving to improve himself. Tom’s golf practice helped him develop patience, perseverance, and character. He volunteered with the First Tee for many years, teaching young people about the game of golf and its inherent values.
This scholarship seeks to honor Tom LoCasale’s life by supporting students who have learned valuable life skills through the sport of golf.
Eligibility Requirements
2. Hulede Collegiate Golf Scholarship
Golf is frequently regarded as a white-dominated sport, with many minority players failing to break into the field due to a lack of access rather than a lack of ability.
Golf provides an opportunity to make relationships and network, which can lead to a variety of opportunities in the future, including athletic and career advancements.
Making golf more accessible to minority players can lead to new opportunities both on and off the field.
This award aims to help student-athletes who succeed at golf, community service, and extracurricular activities.
Eligibility Requirements
3. Skybrook Men’s Golf Association Scholarship
The Men’s Golf Association at Skybrook Golf Club in Huntersville, North Carolina, is a 90-plus-member organization that values community service.
The Skybrook Men’s Golf Association Scholarship aims to assist student golfers in achieving their educational goals by easing the financial burdens associated with higher education. Financial support can significantly impact a student’s ability to attend college.
Any North Carolina high school student with financial need who plays golf is eligible to apply for this award. Students from the Charlotte metropolitan area will be given preference.
Eligibility Requirements
4. Samuel D. Hartley Memorial Scholarship
Samuel D. Hartley served in the United States Air Force from 1959 to 1963, and he was instrumental in generating the video and prints of missile locations during the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis. He then went on to study at York College and worked in a variety of positions throughout his career. Sam spent 12 years as a sales representative and district manager for Equitable Life Assurance Society, 15 years as a manufacturing representative for Garland Roofing Co. of Cleveland, Ohio, and five years with the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue.
Eligibility Requirements
5. Scholarship for Women Golfers
Golf has always been a male-dominated sport, with few options for female athletes to receive support.
In certain circumstances, a lack of support and opportunity has led to fewer women participating in their favorite sports. PrimePutt wants women golfers to be recognized and supported for their talent and love of the sport, allowing them to continue playing throughout their lives. The Scholarship for Women Golfers will benefit a female-identified student who enjoys golf.
Female-identifying high school seniors, and undergraduate and graduate students who play golf in any capacity, whether competitively or recreationally, are eligible to apply. To apply, explain why you enjoy golf and what problems you’ve faced as a female golfer.
Eligibility Requirements
6. Cat Zingano Overcoming Loss Scholarship
“The best motivation in life is knowing what you’re fighting for.” – Cat Zingano
When Cat was in her early twenties and in college, her mother was stricken with stage 4 brain cancer. Her worsening health was extremely tough for Cat’s family, and when she died in 2005, Cat had a lot to deal with, making it difficult for her to focus on her education. Cat gave birth to her kid less than a year later. Cat needed help raising a newborn and going to school after recently losing her mother, and she is extremely appreciative of all of the support and resources that were made available to her.
7. Sandra West ALS Foundation Scholarship
ALS is a debilitating neurological illness that frequently affects not just the affected person but their entire family.
ALS frequently results in severe financial constraints due to medical bills, home renovations, and the requirement for assistive technology. College students whose parents have ALS confront very difficult problems as they try to reconcile their academic goals with the duties and financial demands associated with their parent’s health.
The Sandra West ALS Foundation Scholarship recognizes a wonderful spiritual woman, loving wife, mother, daughter, sister, and friend who is suffering from the difficult diagnosis of ALS.
Eligibility Requirements
8. A Heroes Family Scholarship
First responders hold civilization together.
Every day, courageous individuals in these disciplines struggle to safeguard our planet, rights, and lives, whether they are police officers, firefighters, emergency medical professionals, or military personnel.
Being a first responder typically entails hazards. To safeguard our planet and lives, first responders frequently put themselves at risk. Unfortunately, we lose many brave first responders each day. Following these disasters, wives, children, and friends are left behind and must move forward despite the pain of loss.
The A Heroes Family Scholarship exists to provide financial support to a student who has lost a parent or spouse to an on-duty incident involving a first responder. This includes individuals in law enforcement, firefighting, and the military.
The fellowship is open to students in any field of study who are pursuing a two- or four-year degree, such as a typical college program, trade or vocational school, or professional certificate program.
9. First-Generation College Students Scholarship
A college degree is a watershed moment in life, especially for those who are attending as the first generation in their family.
First-generation college students are trailblazers. They are frequently academically well-prepared and gifted. They serve as role models for younger siblings and relatives in their family, carrying their parents’ and grandparents’ hopes on their shoulders.
The First-Generation College Individuals Scholarship is intended to support and encourage these individuals as they embark on the most significant educational milestones of their lives. This $500 scholarship will help high school seniors or current undergraduate students who are the first in their families to attend college or university pay for tuition or student loans.
Eligibility Requirements
10. Scholarship for Golfers
For many people, golf is more than just a leisure activity.
It challenges players, promotes critical thinking, and gets them outside and moving. Although it appears to be a simple game, true mastery demands focus and expertise. Beyond the game itself, it draws together players from various backgrounds and walks of life to form a community and network of people who can rely on one another when necessary. To honor the game of golf and those who play it, the Scholarship for Golfers will award a student who plays in any capacity, whether for their school or simply as a hobby.
Students at all educational levels can apply if they play golf in some manner. To apply, write about your golf experience, including how you began, how you continue to play, and why golf is important to you.
Eligibility Requirements
About golf scholarships
Golf is a physically hard sport that also requires critical thought. Sixty-seven percent of golfers hold a college degree, and many of them aim to further their education. Golf scholarships can truly help you pay for your higher education while still participating in your favorite activity.
What is a golf scholarship?
A form of athletic scholarship provided to student-athletes who excel in their sport is the golf scholarship. With the help of this kind of sports scholarship, student-athletes can play college-level golf while funding their education.
The number of scholarships that can be given out is limited by associations such as the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). Golf is accepted as an equivalent sport by the NCAA, nevertheless, for scholarships. This means that coaches are not restricted to a certain number of scholarship recipients; rather, the NCAA scholarship limit sets a maximum cash amount for scholarships awarded to each club. College coaches can distribute a certain amount of scholarship money among the players on their team in partial scholarships.
Can you get a golf scholarship?
The maximum athletic scholarship restriction set by the NCAA makes it extremely difficult for golfers to obtain a scholarship, as relatively few players can do so. To afford the remaining tuition that sports scholarships do not cover, a lot of student-athletes apply to other scholarship programs.
College coaches, on the other hand, are the ones who give sports scholarships to student-athletes and decide how much each athlete will receive. You are qualified for a collegiate golf scholarship if you meet the requirements and have the necessary athletic skills. In light of this, some factors can help you optimize your chances of receiving a golf scholarship.
How to get a golf scholarship
Most golf scholarships need you to be recruited into the organization of your choice before you can apply. Stay in touch with college coaches and be aware of the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA), National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), and NCAA recruiting seasons.
Student-athletes are evaluated by coaches and recruiters based on their academic and athletic abilities. This aids in their assessment of your skills both on and off the golf course.
Recruiters will keep an eye on a student-athlete’s eligibility for credit. Academic merit is taken into consideration even though exceeding requirements for exceptional academic standing is not enforced, as there are minimum academic requirements to be eligible for athletic scholarships.
- Athletes must pass all 16 NCAA-approved core courses during their high school careers to fulfill the requirement for core courses.
- Core Course GPA: The NCAA will determine an athlete’s GPA only based on their core courses, without reviewing their full high school record.
- NCAA Sliding Scale: To assess an athlete’s eligibility, the NCAA takes into account both their GPA and their SAT/ACT results.
When it comes to earning a position on the golf team, preparation is everything.
Coaches will review a student athlete’s game scores when recruiting. Make sure your scores are comparable to those of your rivals. To demonstrate your form and technique, it will also be helpful to put all of your best golf highlights into a professional reel and résumé. Coaches will be able to see your potential and what you can offer the team from this.
Coaches will take into account more factors than just your swings, though. In addition to evaluating you as an individual, they will also consider your character and how well you interact with others. For a student-athlete with a poor record, coaches will not devote much time to them. Rather, they’ll simply go on to the next less problematic player, so you want to make sure you demonstrate good sportsmanship and collaboration.
Compare your academic standing, athletic record, and golf scores to those of other athletes who have previously been recruited by colleges that interest you. You will have a better understanding of the type of team members the coaches are trying to fill their rosters with.
What does it take to get a golf scholarship?
You’ll already have a significant advantage if you play the sport in high school. It’s important to remember your greatest scores and to maintain consistency. There are precise scores you must average to even be considered for qualification if you want to compete in a particular NCAA division.
Men must average Under Par to Low 70s and women must average Under Par to Mid 70s to be eligible for NCAA Division I. Men must average in the Par to High 70s and women in the Mid 70s to Low 80s to be eligible for NCAA Division II. Men must shoot in the low 80s and women in the 90s to be eligible for NCAA Division III competition. These figures are more significant the more prestigious the golf programs are at their level.
Since Division III colleges typically qualify for higher divisions, it is more difficult for them to fill their rosters with enough golfers. College football is a possibility for student-athletes as long as they can shoot well and maintain a solid GPA. Even while Division III universities don’t provide golf scholarships, they can be excellent locations to start if you want to work your way up to Division I and II teams, where scholarships are available.
Maintaining stellar grades and aiming for noteworthy academic accomplishments will help you stand out from the competition. Seek methods for enhancing your trustworthiness. Make connections with other golfers, coaches, recruiters, and leaders of athletic departments. Engaging in competitions and golf camps and showcasing leadership qualities both on and off the golf course are beneficial.
For any assistance with golf scholarship administration, applicants should speak with their undergraduate financial aid office and college coaches.
Golf scholarships for high school students
A common goal for prospective golfers is to compete at the collegiate level. Every year, 223,021 high school kids participate in golf. Merely 19,143 high school pupils make it to the varsity golf team out of the total. By applying for scholarships early, high school golfers can get a head start on saving money for college and investing in their future in the sport.
Golf scholarships are available for seniors in high school who will graduate:
- Hulede Collegiate Golf Scholarship
- Tom LoCasale Developing Character Through Golf Scholarship
- Michael J. L. Suojanen Memorial Athletics Scholarship
- Lisa McGinley Scholarship Fund
- Sports in Action Scholarship
Golf scholarships for college students
There is still money available through privately sponsored financial aid if you are not selected for the scholarship monies this time around by your coach, or if you are not selected for the limited number of NCAA-supported athletic scholarships. Undergraduates can apply for a variety of sport-specific scholarship grants on bold.org.
We’ve gone ahead and assembled these elite scholarships just for student-athletes who want to play collegiate golf:
- Ron Johnston Student-Athlete Scholarship
- Hulede Collegiate Golf Scholarship
- FOS Sports Industry Professional Scholarship
- Lisa McGinley Scholarship Fund
- Sports in Action Scholarship
Golf scholarships for women
Women seem to like playing golf, both in high school and in college. There was a 10.9% increase in high school girls’ golf participation between 2013 and 2018. In the NCAA, female student-athletes are also more likely than male student-athletes to get athletic scholarships, and these scholarships typically come with larger awards. Members of the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) provide female student-athletes additional access to financial aid, significant educational funds, and more exclusive scholarship awards.
A women’s golf team in NCAA Division I is limited to six scholarship recipients, each of whom receives $18,827 annually on average.
A Division II women’s golf team in the NCAA is limited to 5.4 scholarship recipients per year or $7,896 per player.
The NCAA does not award scholarships for participation in Division III sports.
Similar to the NCAA, the NAIA and the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) have golf scholarship programs. Five scholarships are available to NAIA women’s golf teams, with each player receiving an average of $7,733 per year. An NJCAA women’s golf team may have up to eight scholarships, each worth $2,627 annually on average per player.
Golf scholarships for men
Golf demographics continue to favor men over women, with 77.5% of players in the United States being men and only 22.5% being women, although female involvement in the sport is continuously growing. Still, this increases the level of competition for men’s golf scholarships.
For men’s golf teams in NCAA Division I, there is a 4.5 scholarship cap, with each player receiving an average of $18,015 annually.
Men’s golf teams in NCAA Division II are limited to 3.6 scholarship recipients per year or $6,495 per player.
The NCAA does not award scholarships for participation in Division III sports.
An NAIA men’s golf team may only have five scholarship recipients, each of whom will get an average of $7,836 annually. An NJCAA men’s golf team may have up to eight scholarships, each at an average of $2,137 per year per participant.
In what ways have the last two years altered the landscape of scholarships?
The coaches’ increased availability to student-athletes is the largest modification to the recruitment process. In the US alone, there are roughly 75,000 women and 150,000 men competing at the high school level to attend college. More than ever before, coaches have an abundance of opportunities to connect with people and a wealth of recruiting resources at their disposal. Significantly altered is the offer procedure as well. These days, coaches are making offers earlier and earlier. As long as coaches can identify elite talent early on, this trend will continue.
Are there different types of scholarships?
Scholarships for academics and athletes are available. The number of scholarships offered varies by school. Beyond athletic scholarships, there is a chance to be eligible for academic scholarships for a set sum. The options for scholarships largely rely on the school division. D3 schools, for instance, are not allowed to pay athletes. D2 universities are only able to provide 3.6 scholarships for men and 5.4 scholarships for women. The value of scholarships varies for men and women.
What colleges offer golf scholarships?
The number of scholarships that can be given to each level and school is governed by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). Consequently, athletic scholarships are only available at NCAA Division I and II universities. Typically, a university’s competitive scholarship programs under the athletic department are where golf scholarships are offered.
The following are a few NAIA and NCAA Division colleges that provide golf scholarships:
- UCLA (NCAA D1)
- Stanford University (NCAA D1)
- Georgia Tech (NCAA D1)
- Duke University (NCAA D1)
- Florida Southern College (NCAA D2)
- Rollins College (NCAA D2)
- Oklahoma City University (NAIA)
There are very few universities in the nation with golf teams, including all of the aforementioned sports teams. Pennsylvania has the most schools with golf teams overall (104), followed by California (101), New York (82), Texas (63), and Illinois (tied).
How hard is it to get a golf scholarship?
A golf scholarship is often divided into full and partial scholarships. Equivalency sports offer few full-ride scholarships. In golf, university scholarships are distributed to players as partial scholarships at the discretion of the college coaches.
Depending on a student athlete’s performance before scholarship disbursement, some players on the roster may receive larger awards. Some may not receive any scholarships at all. As a result, relying solely on athletic scholarships provided by your institution is not advisable.
Can you combine athletic scholarships and financial aid?
It is feasible to combine cash received through athletic scholarships and privately sponsored financial aid. Student-athletes might consider applying for both athletic and academic scholarships to help cover expenses. Students can eventually convert partial scholarships into full rides by stacking endowed scholarships, merit scholarships, academic scholarships, and other similar awards.
Student-athletes should also fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for need-based financial aid.
How good do you have to be to get a scholarship?
Depending on the program, yes. You must be able to shoot even par and break even par to be considered for a scholarship if you want to play at the D1 level. The mid-to low-70s are crucial for a scholarship for the majority of programs. Generally speaking, you should be shooting in the 70s.
Women who shoot in the seventies in events stand a very strong chance of being awarded a scholarship to a D1 university. Scholarships for women are available if you aim for the mid-to high-80s.
What is the number 1 misconception people have about golf scholarships?
The most common misperception is that programs like D3 and NAIA are not competitive. D1 and D2 are not the final word. In the National Championship, for instance, the NAIA National Champion shot -16. There is no disputing that degree of rivalry. Some individuals are stuck at being D1 players. At the D1 level, only the top 1-2% compete.
To play at 50% of your alternatives, you are eliminating 465 programs if you remove the D3 and NAIA programs. Don’t rule out a division level until you’ve received an offer from a university offering more! Fortunately, for many kids wishing to attend D1 schools, there is still the NCCGA. These D1 colleges have competitive club golf teams, which may also be varsity programs at smaller universities.
What guidance would you most recommend to a high school student who wants to apply for a golf scholarship?
Be sensible. Take the initiative. You’re eager for coaches to discover you. You must locate them and introduce yourself to them.
More About Blaine Lynch, Former Head Golf Recruiting Coach for NCSA Recruiting
From Neenah, Wisconsin, is Blaine. In high school, he participated in three sports: basketball, soccer, and golf. He was recruited to play for several Midwest programs. At Carroll University (a DIII institution in Waukesha, Wisconsin), Blaine played collegiate golf. He won two team conference championships, three first-team all-conference awards, four letter winners, and national qualifiers. Blaine is a resource for more than 1800 families each year and is an authority on the topic of college golf recruiting.
What do I have to do to apply for golf scholarships?
While applying for scholarships is competitive, you may have better luck applying for ones with fewer eligibility conditions. These sport-specific scholarships are easily accessible through your Bold profile. Use the filters to sift through the available scholarships by category, or select one of the golf scholarships listed above.
Once you’ve found a scholarship that interests you, browse through the description to learn more about the eligibility conditions, application deadline, selection criteria, and required paperwork. You may even be required to write an essay on a certain topic.
What colleges offer golf scholarships?
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) determines how many scholarships can be offered to each level and institution. As a result, only NCAA Division I and II universities provide athletic scholarships. A golf scholarship is typically awarded through a university’s competitive scholarship programs administered by the athletic department. Some NAIA and NCAA Division colleges that provide golf scholarships are:
UCLA (NCAA Division 1) Stanford University (NCAA Division 1) Georgia Tech (NCAA Division 1) Duke University (NCAA Division 1) Florida Southern College (NCAA Division 2) Rollins College (NCAA Division 2) Oklahoma City University ( NAIA) All of the sporting teams listed above are among the few institutions in the country that have golf teams. The states having the most golf teams are Pennsylvania (104), California (101), New York (82), and Texas and Illinois (63).
How hard is it to get a golf scholarship?
A golf scholarship is often divided into full and partial scholarships. Equivalency sports offer few full-ride scholarships. In golf, university scholarships are distributed to players as partial scholarships at the discretion of the college coaches. Depending on a student athlete’s performance before scholarship disbursement, some players on the roster may receive larger awards. Some may not receive any scholarships at all. As a result, relying solely on athletic scholarships provided by your institution is not advisable.
Can you combine athletic scholarships and financial aid?
It is possible to combine funds from both athletic scholarships and privately funded financial aid. Student-athletes should consider applying for both athletic and academic scholarships to cover costs. By stacking endowed scholarships, merit scholarships, academic scholarships, and other similar awards, students can eventually turn their partial scholarships into full rides.
