What Does it Take to Earn a Golf Scholarship in the States
Golf is one of the preeminent college sports in the United States, forging the pathway to the professional tours for the leading players in the game. We witnessed the University of Alabama’s Nick Dunlap winning the American Express event in 2024 while still at college, becoming the first amateur in 33 years to win on the PGA Tour. Rose Zhang was victorious on her professional debut, just weeks after being a student-athlete at Stanford University.
For elite level golfers, college golf is a well proven track, for those with aspirations to compete at the highest level of the amateur game. The lure of playing in the sunshine, practicing at world-class facilities, having the opportunities to test their skills on some of the best courses in the country and sport the colours of America’s biggest college brand names holds huge appeal.
To tee off your golf scholarship journey, our summary guide will help you understand the recruitment process and outline what it takes to be recruited as a college golfer, covering both men’s and women’s golf. We’ll also address the frequently asked questions, to better position you to navigate the exciting journey ahead.
Scoring Average Requirements
To be considered for college golf, your scoring average is now regarded as one of the critical factors. Here's a breakdown of what coaches typically look for across the different divisions of college golf in the States:
NCAA Division I: For men, a scoring average of 70-75 is ideal, while women should aim for 72-76.
NCAA Division II: Men should target 72-78, and women should aim for 75-801.
NCAA Division III and NAIA: Men should have a scoring average of 75-85, and women should aim for 78-85.
These averages are based on tournament scores, not just general play scores, so participating in competitive events is essential.
Recruitment Tips
Start Early: Begin researching colleges and their golf programs early in your high school career. This will give you a sense of the level of play required and the academic standards of each university.
Play in the Right Tournaments: Compete in as many national and regional tournaments as possible to gain exposure and ranking points. Coaches will look at results from major national tournaments, WAGR and EGR counting events, and will regularly search rankings.
Be Proactive: Working with an agency such as FirstPoint USA will help you connect with coaches and reach out to them with a well-crafted introductory email that includes your golf resume, academic achievements, and tournament scores. Follow up regularly to keep them updated on your progress.
Showcase Your Skills: Often the best way to showcase your golfing ability is to send college coaches a swing video compilation. Many coaches won’t have the budget to travel to international tournaments, so some highlights showing different aspects of your game can be a great way of communicating with a coach. A good highlights video will show a wide variety of swings with different clubs and scenarios, such as driving, fairway wood, long iron, mid iron, short iron, pitching, bunker play and different lengths of putting.
Maintain Good Grades: Academic performance is crucial. While working hard on the range and in the gym is hugely important to golfing development, coaches will also want to ensure you can handle the rigors of college coursework while competing at a high level. Keep up your studying and work towards gaining the best exam results you can.
Which are the best universities in the US for golf?
There are more than 1,300 institutions across the United States who feature golf within their athletic programs, with 294 DI programs in men’s golf and 238 programs in DI for women’s golf. Among the best known and most successful names in college golf is Stanford University, which counts 14-time Major champion Tiger Woods among its famous alumni, as well as the aforementioned Rose Zhang who was the world’s number one female amateur golfer while representing the Cardinals.
Leading the way in college golf facilities is arguably Arizona State University, whose Thunderbirds complex was designed by Sun Devils alum Phil Mickelson. European Ryder Cup hero Jon Rahm and recently announced Solheim Cup captain Anna Nordqvist both but their teeth at ASU, and Mickelson’s brother Tim was the team’s head coach.
The University of Alabama, where two-time PGA champion Justin Thomas attended, completed the multi-million dollar renovation of their Crimson Reserve complex in 2024 making it one of the finest practice facilities in the country, while the likes of Duke, Vanderbilt and Virginia all rank consistently in the top-10 while having incredible facilities for players to develop their games.
Division 1 isn’t the be all and end all of college golf and there are a multitude of fantastic programs at DII, DIII and NAIA. Dan Bradbury, now a two-time winner on the DP World Tour in just three seasons as a professional, attended NCAA DII Lincoln Memorial University – winning a record 9 events – before transferring to Florida State University for his final year.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What are the most important factors coaches consider during recruitment?
A: Coaches look at your scoring average, tournament results, academic performance, and personal qualities such as work ethic and attitude.
Q: When should I start contacting college coaches?
A: Ideally, you should begin the process from the age of 15 – 16.
Q: How can I improve my chances of getting a scholarship?
A: We recommend you focus on maintaining a strong academic record to achieve your best grades possible, compete in high-level regional and national tournaments, and be proactive in communicating with coaches.
FirstPoint USA Golf Alum
We have supported hundreds of aspiring golfers to realise their dream of playing college in the United States, and our in-house golf experts can help you pursue your journey. FirstPoint is proud to boast 2016 Masters Champion Danny Willett as one of our athletes, who attended Jacksonville State University en route to becoming world amateur No.1, a GB& Walker Cup player and an incredible professional career.
Two-time PGA Tour winner Russell Know – originally from Inverness in Scotland – is also a FirstPoint athlete, developing his game at Jacksonville University before progressing to enjoy a hugely successful career at the top of the game, the pinnacle of which has been winning the HSBC Champions event in China.
And in Callum Macaulay, who we helped secure a place at the No.1 ranked University of Mississippi, we boast a former World Amateur Team Championship winner, who went onto become a Scottish Amateur Champion and European Tour player, before returning to FirstPoint to help the next generation of talented young golfers pursue their dreams.
If you’re considering the US as the next step of your golfing journey, please get in touch and we’d be delighted to assist you.
