CONTINUING THE GREAT DEBATE: UK OR USA UNIVERSITY

EDUCATION/GOLF:  REMEMBER TO ASK 

THE SON OR  DAUGHTER WHAT THEY 

WANT TO DO ...

FROM DOMINIC HEWSON

I don’t feel I can read all the comments about university without adding comment from a family mapping out a 16-year-old's future, balancing education and competitive golf. 

Our daughter, Alice, pictured last June in her Junior Vagliano Trophy GB and I team blazer, has had a good junior career, progressing through club and county golf before establishing herself in the England Golf squads.  Throughout, Alice, and ourselves as parents have always prioritised her education as she enjoys school.  Putting school first  is often difficult when key order of merit competitions sit within school time, but it is a choice. 

For some, Higher Education is not the right route, but when a golfer prioritises education, progression to university is a great option. 

 The ability to combine education and great facilities/coaching for four years is fantastic ... to walk away with a degree and to test yourself under the umbrella of university support is invaluable.

So to the question of whether you look at local universities or abroad.

First and foremost, ask the child what he or she wants.  There is no right or wrong answer.  If the player is a home bird or may struggle being 4000+ miles away from home, then there are many great UK universities with golf programmes and maybe the US is not an option.  

However, if the player is looking to play in great weather and to experience different cultures, then a placement abroad offers many pluses.

We looked at three key factors:

1 Level of Competition

2 Weather / Facilities

3 Cost

Firstly, US college golf is seen as a mini-tour for both the men and the women.  Aside from those pursuing a pro career, the majority of the best amateur golfers play college golf.  

Each university will play eight to 12 events in their season, culminating in regional and national finals.  

In short, if you can win and regularly place well in college golf, then you have the potential to do well on tour.  If you can’t compete at this level its very unlikely you will succeed on tour.  

So college golf gives your four years to improve your game and take a realistic view on your potential without the financial burden of turning pro too early. Obviously, the added benefit is a great degree too

Secondly, and perhaps the reason many golfers look to the US over the UK is the weather.  The pull of practising and playing in warm weather for 12 months a year cannot be underestimated.  

We’ve all experienced the rain of the last few months, but we also remember brushing snow off the range, shots pinging off the green because they are frozen.  

It’s my view that weather is as important as facilities, with the southern US being very appealing.  

One more comment on facilities, many of the university facilities have limitless funding, so access to the SAM lab (putting) and Trackman are unlimited, plus it’s the norm for the universities to have several putting greens built from different grasses to replicate the different surfaces a player will experience

Finally, cost. Whilst I accept many of the UK universities have great golf programmes, how many of them are offering four male and six female scholarships to share across their roster.  

US golf scholarships vary enormously, but when you consider a scholarship might include: tuition, books, accommodation, meal plans and medical insurance, I’d say the opportunities for young golfers in the States are amazing.  

Whilst finances shouldn’t be the main consideration for attending a US university, the opportunity to complete a degree with zero debt is something that sets you up for life.

 

My advice as a parent: If you have a young golfer who enjoys school and wants to move into higher education, you have a wealth of opportunities.  Before rushing into any decision, figure out what is the best fit for your child (remember to ask their opinion too) and do some research.  

There are many great options. If you are seriously considering US university, research the university, the coach, the golf programme and quality of the education.  

Once you have a shortlist, I would fully recommend you try and plan a road trip to visit as many locations as you can.  Each is unique and has their own pros and cons which you will only understand by meeting the coach and visiting the facilities.  

A player relocating to the US for four years needs to be happy and settled, so invest some time up-front if you can.

 

Dominic Hewson