Recruiting Timelines
To understand the complex college golf recruiting process, it’s important to start with the basics. When do colleges start recruiting? When will coaches reach out to me, and when should I reach out to coaches? What does the NCAA allow? And am I already too late? Here are 5 facts to help understand college golf recruiting timelines:
1: Every level of golf starts recruiting at a different time.
The stronger the golf program, the earlier the coaches start their process. At the high D-I level (Stanford, Oklahoma State, Wake Forest) coaches build prospect lists of 8th graders. Their recruiting starts in earnest before your sophomore year, and they often have their recruiting class finalized during your junior year. If this is your goal, you need to start ASAP. The non-elite D-I’s (Georgetown, Cal Poly, Harvard) begin a little later, diving in at the start of your sophomore year, while wrapping up their recruiting class at the beginning of senior year. The elite D-II and D-III programs (University of Indianapolis, Emory, Carnegie Mellon) also follow this general timeline. Finally, the non-elite D-II’s & D-III’s, NAIA schools, and NJCAA schools (Chapman, Keiser University, Ranger College) start even later. They don’t begin recruiting until your junior year and continue filling their class past your graduation date.
2: Even if coaches aren’t allowed to reply, they’re still working.
NCAA rules stipulate that coaches cannot return calls or emails prior to June 15 after your sophomore year of high school. But remember: many colleges start working on their prospect lists well before that, so you can – and should – start reaching out before then. That way, by the time coaches can reach out to you, they’ve read any emails you’ve sent and are well acquainted with you as a person and a player. Coaches are always filing away information.
3: The process starts with you.
Many golfers assume that coaches will reach out to them. But golf coaches are busy with their teams, and don’t have big recruiting staffs like other sports. Therefore, it’s important that you begin the process by reaching out to the coach. If you’re not one of the top 300 players in the country, the process will need to be initiated by you. Remember, if you’re a junior or senior, coaches can already reach out to you. If they haven’t, it doesn’t necessarily mean you can’t play college golf, but it does mean that you must become more aggressive. Coaches appreciate golfers reaching out. It shows you’re interested and invested in the process. You may be surprised at how receptive coaches are after you reach out, where you may not have heard from them before. Take matters into your own hands.
4: It’s never too late to start.
College golf is not only played at Stanford and UCLA. There are options all over the country, and at every level of golf. Tour pros like Bubba Watson started at a community college, so there’s no shame in starting (and finishing) at a non-D-I level. If you’re a junior or senior, explore D-II, D-III, NAIA, and NJCAA options. Those coaches start recruiting later and are often more open-minded about which students they offer. Many of those schools also offer financial scholarships.
5: It’s never too early to begin.
There are numerous benefits to starting as a freshman (or even earlier). Remember, the top schools are already assembling prospect lists, so it enables you to stay on their timeline. You can take advantage of that early start to visit schools and give yourself an idea of what you’d like in a college. You will have more time to form a connection with coaches, as you’ll be emailing them and speaking with them for years before having to commit. Because of the increased competitiveness in college golf the last few years, starting early can give you a leg up on your peers. Finally, working on recruiting early in your high school career will save you from much of that work and stress later in high school. As a student-athlete, you have additional responsibility, and starting the process early and taking it seriously will go a long way toward making you the best recruit possible.
