<p>I would think at 11 there’s still time to expose her to lots of things that could help in admissions - my nephew got into Harvard based on his accomplishments in Drama, a friend’s son used his percussion experience as his “hook”. Golf is great, but so darn frustrating even when you LOVE it… My daughter didn’t pick her sport until almost 14 (she didn’t even seem to like sports at 11, and we didn’t see much natural ability) but she quickly became obsessed and began to excel. We are thrilled it will help pay for her college, just wouldn’t have seen it 11… Best of luck to you and your daughter, I hope she finds something she loves and at which she excels!</p>
<p>My DD started golfing in 8th grade. Before that, she had danced ballet for almost 8 years. She is also a top student and I never thought she’d choose a college based on the opportunity to play golf but she did. Three coaches were recruiting her in her junior year offering different packages and she chose the full ride at a small state school. Like SteveMA’s D, she has post grad plans and wanted to be debt free. She was also accepted into their honors program so it was a win-win.</p>
<p>SteveMA, one of our players quit this year because of school. He is also wanting to go to med school and it was way too hard to excel in class and play golf. He rarely made the lineup either. My son switched out of bio sci into business for similar reasons, was just too tough to miss and try to make up chem labs and such. I would really examine the schedules carefully as the missed class time is very tough and if she is there for school primarily then it will be a huge factor in her decision. Best of luck, fun to have options!!</p>
<p>Good advice, momof2010. D’s college coach and advisor were instrumental in helping D register for her first semester of classes. They were able to help put together a schedule that would minimize missed classes. Still, she knows that there will be juggling from time to time.
The honors program that she will be in also awards full scholarships so D chose that over the athletic scholarship. I am concerned about the demands that she’ll be facing but trust that she’ll try to make the best decisions.</p>
<p>lilmom, is she heading into her freshman year of college golf? What level is she going to play?</p>
<p>^she’ll be a freshman in the fall playing on a lower tier D1 team.</p>
<p>momof2010–that is why she is looking for lower tier D1 schools if she goes to that level. The schools she is considering play weekend only tournaments for the most part. Her top D1 choice missed 3 days of classes this year (fall/spring combined). Practice time is flexible as needed as well. There were 3 science majors on the roster this year too. If she wanted to be a pro golfer, she would be looking at this in an entirely different light and probably majoring in business or sports management or something but she isn’t. She just wants this to help pay for college. There are plenty of women’s teams, even at the D1 level, that allow for this to happen. It’s quite different then men’s golf, thankfully. She has had enough teammates play at various levels in college that we have been watching what has been happening to them over the past 6 years. One former teammate was playing at a high level D1 school because she thought she might like to go pro one day, after 2 years of intense training she decided it wasn’t for her and quit. DD doesn’t want that at all.</p>
<p>My son started playing golf seriously his freshman year of high school. Prior to that he played soccer, baseball, volleyball, tennis and basketball. He discovered his passion for golf late. He tried out for the high school team his sophomore year and got cut. He worked on his game over the next year and made the team his junior year. His senior year he was the best player on the team.</p>
<p>He knew he wanted to play golf in college, so focused on D3 teams where he could walk on. He struggled a bit his freshman year, only played in a couple of non-conference tournaments. This is his sophomore year and he’s improved a great deal. He’ll be playing in the NCAA D3 finals with his team in 2 weeks and he’s totally thrilled at the prospect.</p>
<p>I think there are many paths to success in golf - as my son’s path shows, it’s not always necessary to start at a very young age. And the path isn’t always linear either. One of the top recruits to my son’s college hasn’t played nearly as well this year as he did last year in high school.</p>
<p>I will be playing DIII women’s golf at a top LAC next year. I’m not a top golfer by any means- I usually score in the mid 90’s on college courses, and mid 80’s on high school courses. However, halfway decent women golfers with good grades are in high demand. I just filled out a few recruitment forms in September, and was quickly put in contact with several coaches. I had not planned on playing golf in college, but I figured that I might as well give it a try, and am now going to be a student athlete. </p>
<p>Outside of high school and local tournaments, I was not extremely involved in golf on the national level. If your daughter wants to play golf, get her involved with youth tournaments and also The First Tee (if you have a local chapter). The First Tee starts out slow, and there is a long certification process to go onto the next level, but it is worth it once you get to more advanced classes. Through this organization, I’ve had all-expenses paid golf camps in other states, gotten scholarship money, and a bunch of other really cool opportunities.</p>
<p>I definitely agree with what has already been said. I’m a golfer too. But, even if women’s golf seems like an easier route, it’s not. Over the few years, it’s slowly becoming more competitive throughout. And, as it has been stated before, if your daughter doesn’t like it, then don’t push her. I’ve seen a lot of people burn out because of parental pressures, and in the end, it’s not worth the time and effort if she is not the one who wants it.
I would first get her into the game by making it fun and totally based on her decisions. If she doesn’t want to play, don’t push it; if she wants to hit a few balls one random day, encourage her. 
I remember your first question, which was what type of talents and athletic requirements are necessary for golf. Don’t know if it was answered yet, but I’d like to give my two bits. Golf is really a mental game. Going from scores of 100 to the 90 ranges or 90 to 80 mostly requires technical fixes-- swing, strategy etc (all of which can be learned… or bought). But going from 80 to 70 has a lot to do with the mental side of the game: a calm personality and a lot of desire… along with tons of practice and hard work.
But, if she wants to become state-level competitive, you’ll need to put in a lot of time and money. Tournaments, experience, coaches, etc. It’s a nice road and I totally encourage her (and her support team :D) to try.</p>
<p>I’m really glad that I found this thread!</p>
<p>I’m a rising senior who is looking to play women’s golf at a DIII school. I only started playing a year and a half ago. I’m really enjoying the recruiting process, it’s been a great experience for me. During my first high school golf season (Sophomore year) i was shooting in the 110’s. Now I’m about 25 strokes better now 
By my junior year I was in the 90’s and now this summer, I’m shooting in the 80’s in tournaments. My low is a 78 and my handicap is around an 11. I’m a member of the AJGA, but I have yet to play any tournaments (scheduling woes). I didn’t take up golf so I could have a sport to play in college, but it is shaping out nicely that I’ll have something to do besides study in college.</p>
<p>I can speak form the viewpoint of someone who isn’t looking to go DI simply because I don’t want to make a big commitment to playing golf and losing study time. I’ve talked to a few lower tier DI schools, and I could possibly play on their teams, but ultimately, I’d rather have the prestige of going to a more academic small LAC. Women’s golf recuiting is certainly getting more competitive because simply put there are more girls who can shoot the low numbers. There are many girls in my state who can easily shoot under par for 18 on longer courses. One is going to Princeton next year on a golf scholarship. Another is ranked in the top 15 polo golf rankings.</p>
<p>I absolutely love the sport and I would love to answer any questions about DIII schools :)</p>
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<p>Ivy schools do not give athletic scholarships.</p>
<p>And you are right, she’s going there and playing on their golf team.</p>
<p>SteveMa, My daugther is in a very similar situtation as your daughter, except that she is not a top golf in our state (CA). She shoots about mid 80’s and have once broke 80. Any idea whether she’ll have a chance for the lower tier of D1 schools? I checked some of the scores and many of them do shoot in the mid 80’s. In a couple of months, she’ll have to choose which school to apply for, and any light you (or anyone else) can shed would be very helpful.</p>
<p>Hyper- this website is very helpful in determining what schools your daughter could target. [Ping</a> American College Golf Guide](<a href=“http://www.collegegolf.com/collegegolf/]Ping”>http://www.collegegolf.com/collegegolf/)
Use the interactive scoring link and you can gauge where she could possibly play. Make sure you target schools where she could compete for at least the #3 spot, if she is just barely competing with the #5 it won’t make her very recruitable. Also if she is seeking college golf she needs to be contacting coaches NOW.</p>
<p>Thanks momof2010! Anyone has experience with NCSA? Just wonder if it may help since we are so late in the process of recruiting (daughter is a senior).</p>
<p>hyperchocolgirl it’s difficult to compare high school scores vs scores that you see on D1 colleges’ websites. For the most part, college players are playing much more difficult courses than a high school player typically would.</p>
<p>What kind of academic environment does your D want to spend the next 4 years in? My advice would be to target the academics first, then see what the golf team looks like. She could probably walk on to any number of D3 teams, especially in Southern California.</p>
<p>How much does NCSA charge for their services? </p>
<p>golfgirl91 good luck with your college search - sounds like you’ve really worked hard on your golf game.</p>
<p>thanks vballmom! My D wants a good engineering school and academic is her priority.</p>
<p>NCSA has 3 pricing, $700, $1500 or $2500 (I think) depending on what level of services you want.</p>