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Golf is one of the most popular sports disciplines among American universities. This sport has witnessed the emergence of great stars such as Tiger Woods, a graduate of Stanford University, or the current number 1 in the world, our Spanish compatriot Jon Rahm, who was enrolled at Arizona State, among others.
Currently, about 1,320 colleges and universities offer golf as part of their programs. This is not a typo. In addition, the vast majority are open to both men’s and women’s teams, with the men’s program boasting the most programs, in contrast to other sports. However, not all of them have athletic scholarships available.
When it comes to evaluating an athlete’s performance, golf is one of the sports that uses the most objective criteria. The handicap is a fairly accurate metric and has great relevance for coaches when recruiting their players. However, there are other significant factors to qualify for a golf scholarship, such as:
In addition to getting a golf scholarship, there is the possibility to apply for an academic scholarship taking into account your academic profile, in addition to the sports scholarship. For a new student entering university education, the average grade of the previous 4 years will be taken into account: 9th to 12th grade, while if you are already a university or vocational training student, the average grade of the credits obtained to date will be taken into account.
Depending on your performance in these three factors: sports, academic and English language proficiency, we will obtain the % of golf scholarship you would be eligible for. For example, if the scholarship reaches 70%, this % is calculated on the total expenses of accommodation, tuition, food and, in addition, all those related to sports practice.
NCAA is the largest collegiate athletic association with the largest number of scholarships among its disciplines, as well as the largest athletic facilities. It is composed of 3 different divisions:
Formed by more than 200 large institutions and where the average level of the player is higher, since it represents the previous step to the big professional events. Most of the major universities in the USA belong to this division. To qualify for a scholarship in this division, you must have a high level and versatile profile.
Composed of smaller universities compared to Division I (between 5000 and 10000 students enrolled), these are institutions where education is closer and more specialized. The level of the average player is somewhat lower, but still high. However, it is very common for top Division II universities to be able to beat Division I college teams. To qualify for a basketball scholarship in this division, you must have a high-level athletic profile.
Formed by universities that are more defined in terms of academic programs and for which there are no athletic scholarships, but there are academic scholarships, scholarships to international students and loans. They have competitions, but are not part of such professionalized programs. The level is lower compared to the previous ones, so it is ideal for good students with an acceptable sports profile.
NAIA is a collegiate athletic association made up of more than 300 institutions, which have fewer enrolled students than those belonging to the NCAA and have smaller campuses. However, the requirements are lower and it is made up of universities with high academic and athletic recognition. The level of the average player may be lower when compared to NCAA Division I, although there are very similar cases. In fact, there are some really competitive teams.
Popularly known as Junior College or Community College, these are 2-year academic programs that serve as a stepping stone to college enrollment. At the athletic level, it serves as a showcase for those athletes who found it difficult to be admitted to the NCAA or NAIA.
Once we have reviewed the division and organization of the universities in terms of sports, we must take into account the number of golfers that make up the teams and the scholarships available for each one of them according to their position. American universities show a very remarkable gender equality criterion, especially in terms of the number of scholarships distributed between men’s and women’s teams. This has been made possible thanks to the regulatory efforts made by the popular Title IX.
Avg. Golfers per Team (Men/Women)
Avg. Scholarships Available (Men/Women)
Avg. Scholarship (Men/Women)
NCAA Div. I
Avg. Golfers per Team (Men/Women)
10 / 8
Avg. Scholarships Available (Men/Women)
4.5 / 6
Avg. Scholarship (Men/Women)
16.800$ / 17.650$
NCAA Div. II
Avg. Golfers per Team (Men/Women)
10 / 8
Avg. Scholarships Available (Men/Women)
4.5 / 6
Avg. Scholarship (Men/Women)
6.495$ / 7.843$
NCAA Div. III
Avg. Golfers per Team (Men/Women)
11 / 7
Avg. Scholarships Available (Men/Women)
–
Avg. Scholarship (Men/Women)
–
NAIA
Avg. Golfers per Team (Men/Women)
10 / 7
Avg. Scholarships Available (Men/Women)
5 / 5
Avg. Scholarship (Men/Women)
7.290$ / 7.500$
NJCAA
Avg. Golfers per Team (Men/Women)
8 / 4
Avg. Scholarships Available (Men/Women)
8 / 8
Avg. Scholarship (Men/Women)
2.120$ / 2.495$
The most advisable perspective is to start the process about two years before taking the leap to university education, in order to prepare all the details in the best possible way, something that is really important to opt for the best academic universities. Since this is not always possible and, on many occasions, the process is started less than 12 months in advance, this can serve as an obstacle in terms of the number of options available and the amount of the scholarship.
Want to discover your chances of getting a golf scholarship in the USA? Contact us for a free evaluation.
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