Playing college golf in the US allows students to showcase their abilities, grow their profiles, hone their skills in highly competitive tournaments, and even earn exemptions into some pro events.
Those benefits help ensure it is one of the best ways to find a pathway into the professional game. However, only a small percentage of golfers are given the opportunity.
Some of the more recent figures were published in a National High School Golf Association report explaining that, in 2021, there were around 223,000 high school golfers in the US.
While that is a healthy number, the chances of going on to compete in college golf are significantly smaller, with only around 20,000 in the college system.
That number includes both men and women playing at different levels of collegiate competition, including NCAA Divisions I, II, III, NAIA, and NJCAA schools.
Of course, once a player has secured a college place, doors can quickly open. For example, many of the game’s greats, including Stanford alumnus Tiger Woods and former Arizona State University student Phil Mickelson, made it to the professional game via their careers in college golf. That remains as true today as it did back then, with the likes of Ludvig Aberg and Rose Zhang having come through the college ranks to become successful professionals in recent times.
However, not all college golf programs are equal, with some, such as the NAIA and NJCAA, often acting as stepping stones to higher levels. On the other hand, others offer clear pathways to the professional game, including via the PGA Tour University.
The top level of college golf in the US is the NCAA Division I. As well as featuring the highest level of competition, that is where future stars of the game are likely to grow their profiles and reputations, as well as find opportunities to experience professional events before making the leap to a paid career in the game.
Given the potentially life-changing opportunities offered by the NCAA Division I, there is a limit on the number of college golfers who make it that far, and in 2021, only 2,941 men played at that level, with even fewer in the women’s game, at 2,220.
Therefore, while reaching the NCAA Division I is the holy grail of college golf, the figures show that only around one in 43 of golfers who played in high schoiol will make it to that level.
