As a college golf coach, I am constantly trying to identify the best talent and more importantly the best all around kid. The first thing I do when finding a talented junior golfer is Google their name. The first thing that typically pops up under their name is their Facebook and Twitter accounts. I will glance through their pages to gain an overall feel for what the kid is all about. This is the first impression a kid has on me as a coach! You can control how you are perceived to college coaches, in most cases perception is reality. So be careful as you are posting things on your social media accounts. Trust me, what you think is “cool” or popular in high school, could effect the rest of your life!

There are many things in life that are out of our control. Social media is definitely one that is in our control. We can control how people think of us. Take this opportunity to present yourself in the most positive manner possible!

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Developing a marketing package for college golf coaches is a very important step in the golf recruiting process. This is your first impression with the golf coaches. You want to make sure to take your time, and have your parents or a mentor look over the letter before sending it to college coaches. Here are some tips to get your started in the college golf recruiting process:

Write Your Golf Cover Letter

Your cover letter will be used to transmit your resume and recruiting video and will be your first formal introduction to coaches.  As such, it should be written to tell your personal story.  Keep it focused and limit it to one page.  Make sure you check and re-check spelling and grammar.  Also, make sure to address each coach as: Coach (Last Name).

Since everyone comes from different backgrounds, this is your time to distinguish yourself from the pack.  Tell the coach where you come from and how you have excelled in the classroom and on the playing field or court.  Focus on your personal qualities and characteristics, in addition to your academic and athletic accomplishments.

Develop Your Golf Resume

One thing that is consistent for any high school athlete planning to play at the college level is the importance of a good athletic resume.  Your resume will provide a college coach an accurate account of your athletic and academic record.  It will be sent to college coaches, along with a cover letter, video, and upcoming tournament/game schedule.

It is important that this resume be well-organized and well-written.  A good tip is to start a resume early – at least by sophomore year and then regularly update it, as necessary.  This will provide you with an opportunity to revise it as you develop.

Try to keep your resume to one page, while providing key information including:

Basic Information including:

• Name
• Address
• Telephone
• Birth date
• Height
• Weight
• Name of High School
• Month and Year of Graduation
• Grade Point Average/Class Rank
• SAT or ACT Scores
• List Other Sports and Extracurricular activities

Physical capabilities, such as:

• Scoring average
• Low tournament score
• Recognition for golf accomplishments

Your tournament results and highlights.  This is the part of the resume where you tell a college coach about your performance in tournaments. You may want to break this down by year, so coaches can see improvement from year to year.  Remember to list:

• Event name and location
• Personal stats
• Number of players in the field
• Course Slope and Rating

If you need help developing a golf recruiting letter and resume, email me

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