Playing golf at the collegiate level does not necessarily require a player to shoot 5-under par, 2-over par, or even be the star on the high school team. Many high school golfers underestimate their potential when not in the starting five.

“There are high school girls that don’t know they could be competitive even if they can’t quite break 100,” said Sean Fawcett, Head Golf Coach at Ocean County College. “They could be right there.”

Junior colleges offer great academic opportunities at a more affordable cost than the traditional college path. Going to a junior college can also give an athlete a higher chance to see playing time on the team.

“Colleges cost so much,” said Fawcett. “Going to a junior college for two years and saving that money to then get your four-year degree is a huge deal. To do that, plus play golf and have a lot of fun doing it, maybe even learn how to do it, and get better at it is a big plus.”

With national recognition, specifically at the Division I level, it is often underestimated that junior colleges can be a great fit. Coaches at the junior college level tend to find recruiting challenging. Inevitably, there is an untapped group of golfers who could experience college golf but are just completely unaware.

“A lot of kids, even the students that come to the college, are surprised we even have a team,” claimed Fawcett.

As many athletes complete the two years and receive an associate’s degree, the majority will apply to continue their academic and athletic experience at a Division II or III level.

“We try our best to help the kids get into another program,” Fawcett added.

In 2011, two-time Masters Champion Bubba Watson was inducted into the NJCAA Golf Hall of Fame after attending Faulkner State Community College in Alabama before transferring to the University of Georgia and helping lead them to the 1999 NCAA title.

While Watson fits a small percentage of junior college golfers who saw major success, who’s to say it’s not impossible to imitate?

Major stardom isn’t for everyone, though. Getting a higher education, being a part of a team environment, and getting to play golf in college is a win in itself.

» ALSO SEE: Alabama high school football player dies from severe in-game brain injury

That’s exactly where junior college fits in.

With many schools starting or have already started, Fawcett admits it’s not too late to get involved with the team. In New Jersey, there are seven National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) institutions that offer golf.

NJSGA Social Media
For the latest updates and news, visit njsga.org or follow the New Jersey State Golf Association on Facebook, X and Instagram at @NJSGA1900.

The post NJSGA shares array of collegiate golf opportunities appeared first on Coach and Athletic Director.

Last week the Texas Longhorns men’s golf program became the latest NCAA Division I team to earn that crown. They defeated Arizona State, 3-2, in the title match at Grayhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale, AZ.

This is Texas’ fourth national title in program history and first since 2012 when Jordan Spieth and Dylan Frittelli helped lift the Longhorns to their first of the matchplay era.

Parker Coody claimed the first point for Texas with a 6 and 5 win over James Leow. He was followed by his brother, Pierceson, who took down Preston Summerhays 2 and 1. The Coody brothers finished with a 4-2 record in the matchplay portion of this year’s championship.

The Longhorns golf team joined the University of Maryland men’s lacrosse team, which defeated Cornell, 9-7, to cap off a perfect 18-0 season — joining just 12 other teams to go undefeated as national champions.

Maryland dominated for three periods, outscoring the Big Red 9-3 and stifling Cornell on the defensive end thanks to 13 saves from goalie Logan McNaney in the first three periods.

The North Carolina women’s lacrosse team defeated Boston College, 12-11, a day before Maryland, to complete a perfect season of its own. They finished the season 22-0, defeating the same Eagles team that ousted the Tar Heels in the previous two national tournaments.

This was the program’s third national title since 2013.

The Stanford Cardinal women’s golf program won its second national championship in program history with a 3-2 win over Oregon in the title match.

The Cardinal become the first No. 1 seed to win the title since the championship switched to match play in 2015. They also became the first team since Arizona State in 2017 to win the team and individual championship in the same year.

The post NCAA Crowns 4 New National Champions appeared first on Coach and Athletic Director.

People have followed Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady, Patrick Mahomes, and Josh Allen’s viral smack talk on social media but they also have seen some of them using the latest golf technology from Full Swing to prepare for a worldwide stage at The Wynn Golf Club in Las Vegas. Recently, Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen, both members of #TeamFullSwing, took to Instagram to show off their swings while using the new Full Swing KIT Launch Monitor out on the range to track their swing data and propel their training.

A leader in sports technology, Full Swing, has served as the official training technology partner for many TOUR pros for years including Tiger Woods, and has been rapidly expanding to other champion athletes around the globe. For someone like Patrick Mahomes who continues to dive deeper into the game of golf, choosing Full Swing as his trusted golf technology with his in-home simulator and on the range using the KIT launch monitor to prepare him for the Match was a no-brainer.

“I had been eying Full Swing for a while, having seen other pros install them in their houses, I had to get one put in our new house to work on my game,” said Mahomes. “The technology is next level and to have it in the comfort of my own home is pretty sweet.”

While the Full Swing simulator has long been a staple in the homes of players everywhere, the Full Swing KIT is the company’s newest product making waves throughout the golf industry. Most recently seen behind Tiger on the range at the PGA Championship as a crucial piece of his recovery training, the device has gained traction as a result of its more affordable price point ($3,999 or financing as low as $185/month), state-of-the-art technology, accuracy, and ease of use. It has been rapidly adopted on practice ranges around the world by golfers of all skill levels, top instructors, and iconic courses like Pebble Beach – and is now made its way to Las Vegas for Capital One’s The Match.

“More athletes continue to reach out to us as they interact with more pros about how to improve their game faster,” said Jason Fierro, Chief Operating Officer of Full Swing. “Getting calls from Patrick and Josh to install simulators and see them using KIT on the range to prepare for their big moments off the field, lets us know that our products truly are for everyone who values their time and wants to improve their game like the pros.”

For more information on the Full Swing simulator or Full Swing KIT Launch Monitor, or to place an order, visit FullSwingGolf.com.

The post Full Swing Helped NFL QBs Prepare for The Match appeared first on Coach and Athletic Director.

“I take full responsibility,” Palm Desert head coach Kurt Breitfuss said in a Yahoo! News report. “That’s my job, is to know the rules.”

Palm Desert won the Division 1 title with a team score of 8-over 368 at Western Hills Golf Club, two shots better than runner-up Corona del Mar. Breitfuss told Yahoo! News that his team went to the course Sunday to discuss a few holes that Breitfuss felt the team needed to play well. The team hit some shots on the course, and afterward, they went to dinner and discussed the upcoming Monday round.

The activities of the team with the coach in proximity were enough for the CIF-SS to agree that its rules had been violated.

Below is an excerpt from the CIF press release.

Palm Desert High School has self-reported a violation of CIF-SS bylaws and will forfeit the 2022 CIF Southern Section-Ford Division 1 Boys Team Golf title.

CIF-SS bylaws 504.M and 2212 state: In order to provide at least one day of respite from involvement in interscholastic athletics each week, no interscholastic games or practices of any kind are to be held on Sunday.

Page 27 of the CIF Southern Section Boys Golf Playoff Bulletin states the following: No practice or instruction from the school coach of any time (team or individual) may be conducted on Sunday. What constitutes organized practice?

Organized practice shall be interpreted as meaning the association of a coach with the team members for the purpose of learning or practicing the skills of golf.

Corona del Mar will now claim the divisional title. Servite becomes the runner-up.

The post CIF Boys Golf Team Stripped of State Title for Rules Violation appeared first on Coach and Athletic Director.

Construction and renovation will soon begin on a new practice facility and locker room improvements for Women’s Basketball; a new sports medicine facility in the Kenan Football Center for Football; a new practice facility and course improvements at Finley Golf Course for Men’s and Women’s Golf; and a new outdoor stadium and practice courts at the Cone-Kenfield Tennis Center for Men’s and Women’s Tennis.

The four new facility projects have been approved by the UNC Board of Trustees and the UNC System Board of Governors. Fundraising efforts through The Rams Club are underway for all of the projects.

“Our coaches build programs with a commitment to providing the best experience possible for our student-athletes, and having modern, elite facilities is an important part of that process,” UNC Director of Athletics Bubba Cunningham said. “We appreciate the support of the UNC System Board of Governors and UNC Board of Trustees in moving forward with these important enhancements, and we thank our Rams Club members whose generous donations make these upgrades possible. These projects will continue to give Tar Heel student-athletes the tools to grow as leaders, teammates, and competitors.”

Details on the four new projects are as follows:

• Women’s Basketball Practice Facility and Locker Room Enhancements

  The Women’s Basketball program’s new dedicated practice facility will be adjacent to Carmichael Arena, built within the Woollen Gym footprint. It will be easily accessible from the team’s locker room area, allowing student-athletes to utilize the area. It will feature a full-court, teaching station utilizing modern instructional technologies, a state-of-the-art video system, and ample storage and equipment for the team. The locker room and shower areas will also be improved, building on the enhancements to the team meeting area completed in 2019. The project cost is approximately $6 million and is expected to begin later this Spring and be completed during the Fall 2022 semester.

• Football Sports Medicine Facility

  A new sports medicine facility will be built on the northwest corner of the existing Kenan Football Center, providing state-of-the-art space to meet the medical and rehabilitation needs of the 120 football student-athletes. Additionally, the adjacent team lounge will be updated to offer relaxation and study spaces for the team. This project is an initial phase of future improvements to the Kenan Football Center, and is expected to begin in March 2022, and be completed in March 2023. The cost for this phase is $15 million.

• Men’s & Women’s Golf Practice Complex and Finley Golf Course Improvements

  A new practice complex will be built on the current holes 10 and 11 at Finley Golf Course, giving the Men’s and Women’s Golf student-athletes a dedicated space to work on all aspects of their games. The complex will include practice areas for short game, approach shots, putting, driving, and more. Improvements to the full course include the construction of two new holes (with two holes lost to the practice area), the reshaping of other holes, new greens and tee boxes, and a “flip” of the course with the current hole 12 becoming hole 1. The practice range is the first phase of the project, with a new team building designed for Phase 2 of the project. The cost for this phase is $13 million, and it is expected to begin in Fall 2022, and be completed in late Summer 2023.

  » ALSO SEE: Gators Unveil Upgrades at Ring Tennis Complex

• Men’s & Women’s Tennis Facility

  The Tennis project also includes multiple phases. This initial phase will include the construction of a new stadium with state-of-the-art competition and practice courts for student-athletes. Additional amenities include elevated stadium seating, championship lighting, and a modern scoring system. Future phases will include a new team building and improvements to the indoor competition areas. The cost for this initial phase is $17 million, and it is expected to begin in March 2022, and be completed in early Spring 2023.

The post UNC Athletic Facility Announcements Aids Six Programs appeared first on Coach and Athletic Director.