Every day we here at Nextgengolf see the impact club golf and the NCCGA have on students across the country. Whether it's a talented golfer that chose not to play varsity, or a recreational player discovering his love of the game, club golf has provided an outlet for students to continue playing competitively during their college years.
But the competition isn't what sets club golf apart from varsity golf. Here are 5 reasons we believe club golf is more fun than varsity college golf.
1) No morning workouts or missed classes
Play golf when you want to. If you've got a big test next week, don't sweat it. Club golf allows flexibility in the lives of our club golfers in a much different way than playing varsity college golf. It's also the reason we schedule NCCGA regional tournaments on weekends, and do everything we can to keep them centrally located. The last thing we want is you having to choose between academics and a golf tournament. We don't believe you should have to choose.2) Have the time to be in greek life
A number of our club golfers are fraternity and sorority members, some of which are in leadership positions within their house. The schedule of playing varsity college golf is typically not realistic given the amount of social commitments required.
3) Weekend tournaments. Premium Courses. Good People.
Many Division 1 varsity college golf tournaments occur during the middle of the week and require many missed classes. The 2016 NCAA D1 Championship alone took five days to complete. NCCGA tournaments are held on Saturday afternoons and Sunday mornings making it super convenient. Also, there are only two weekend tournaments each semester in addition to a national championship (also on a weekend).
We have also been fortunate to book top tier golf courses for our regional tournaments and National Championships. This list includes TPC San Antonio, Barefoot Resort, Sea Island, Hot Springs CC, Dancing Rabbit GC, Paa-Ko Ridge, Palouse Ridge, and many others.
But perhaps the best part of item #3: the people. You get to meet amazing people all playing the game of golf, all students in a similar situation as you. Bonds you'll keep for the rest of your life.
4) For the love of the game above all else
Club golf teams are can be a lot of work to set-up, are mostly student-funded (though more schools are supporting than ever before), scores can be over par, but one thing is for sure. Everyone is here for the love of the game. Many of the golfers playing club golf aren't gonna go pro. But that's not why they play. They play because they love golf, and want to play as long as they can with other people that love the game.
5) Golf jobs and internship opportunities
We are always trying to help connect our student club golfers to the golf industry. We've had great success working with the AJGA, and many other organizations, in helping our students land coveted internship spots. Our students have interened at places like the AJGA, USGA, US Open, HJGT, Bandon Dunes Resort, and many more. We always keep our golf jobs board stocked with the latest positions available.
