Where college students go for golf

Years ago, when only 96 players in total were invited to nationals, determining how many teams per region would qualify for nationals was very simple. But as the NCCGA has grown from 5 regions in 2009 to 28 in 2016, much has changed in the way the top teams from across the country are selected to represent their region at the NCCGA National Championship.

As we’ve all heard plenty of times, “money makes the world go round.” In an ideal world, golf would be free and grades wouldn’t exist but hey, this is the real world. I might not be able to help you hit it on the green but I can definitely help you keep your #ClubGolf team in the green.

This season the Pacific poses a challenge of the old and the new. Similar to season’s prior, the Battle of the Bay continues in the NCCGA Pacific Region. West Coast powerhouse, Stanford, hopes to bring back yet another Pacific Region title and grab an automatic bid to nationals. Led by president Spencer Savitz, and the returning medalist Chris House, the Stanford team has a solid core line up that is ready to compete with any team in the nation.

Even now—nearly 6 months since the end of the Battle for Bryan—the echoes of a massive revolution continue to reverberate through the Southwest Region. In their debut NCCGA season, the Golf Academy of America-San Diego (GAA-SD) unleashed a golfing blitzkrieg that took the region by storm. GAA-SD claimed both Spring Regional Tournaments in stunning wire-to-wire fashion and amassed an overall lead of 52 strokes over the 2^nd-place team in both competitions, National University.

Despite bad weather, the NCCGA hosted 12 college golf tournaments this past weekend all across the country. Only one was cancelled, North Carolina, due to the weather and Hurricane Joaquin. Three clubs secured a bid to Nationals, while several others took the all important first step by winning the first regional. However, as the song goes "It Ain't Over 'til It's Over". Close margins of victory make the second tournament even more important, as teams chase down an elusive bid to the Fall 2015 NCCGA National Championship at TPC San Antonio. Here's the rundown from this weekend.

The first regional tournament of the Northwest region took place last weekend in Sunnyside, WA at the beautiful Black Rock Creek golf course. Scott Galbraith, the Head Professional, and his staff were very welcoming to our small field. It was the perfect start to the fall season, and set the stage for an exciting regional battle.

The scorecards are all turned in for the NCCGA North Region and the results are official. The 12 teams from 9 Universities met again this past weekend at Lake Arrowhead Golf Course. The teams struggled Saturday at the Lakes course as the prevailing winds refused to let up on the players. Connor Roche from University of Wisconsin-Madison (A) club golf team turned in the lowest score of the day of 75 (+3) helping his team to a slight lead after Saturday’s round.

It was an exciting two days of club golf in the NCCGA South Region, as the Auburn club golf team came from behind to win the team title in the first regional of the semester. Lee House of the Alabama B team won the individual title in a scorecard playoff.

Timber Banks was the location for the second NCCGA Northeast Regional tournament of the fall semester, and presented most likely the toughest test the players from this region has seen in a long time. The conditions the first day were not ideal with 45 degree weather and about 8mph wind. Sean Barron of SUNY Brockport and Alex Rosato of SUNY Cortland went in to the second round tied at 77. They were followed closely by John Smagala with a 79 as well as Chris Carlson and Alexander Brown with 80.

There is a common misconception that golf is an acronym for “gentlemen only, ladies forbidden.” While this is far from true, the statement is not so far off base. The origin of the sport itself has often been attributed to a way for gentlemen to get away from their wives and female friends. Golf has been a male-dominated sport for far longer than women have been allowed to play, and this has made it difficult for women to wedge their way into the game without confronting prejudice today.

College golf club teams have consistently asked our Nextgengolf team over the past several years for support on fundraising. Teams are always looking for a way to raise money to help offset the costs of running a successful club program. Earlier this year, the NCCGA fundraising platform was launched specifically to help out these club teams.

With the fall 2015 NCCGA season quickly approaching, the south region is gearing up some stiff competition. This semester Alabama, Tennessee, Kennesaw State and Auburn Club Golf are all returning the bulk of their starters from last spring.

The NCCGA North Region kicked off its fall session in Grafton, WI at Fire Ridge Golf Club this weekend. The weather was great for the teams, which is a rare occurrence in the North.

The Capitol Region is poised for a very competitive club golf season. Defending champion Georgetown will look to defend its title against a full field. In addition to returning powerhouses Towson and Maryland, the field will be completed with Catholic University of America, Salisbury, and Loyola Maryland.

The Philadelphia Region was founded in the Fall of 2014 when the Metro Region was divided due to an increase in teams joining the NCCGA. An influx of new teams entering the Fall 2015 season makes this one of the most competitive fields in the region's short club golf history.
In the spring 2015 season, the Philadelphia Region was won by Villanova University Club Golf. The University of Delaware missed out by only 8 strokes after coming back from a 15-stroke deficit after the first tournament.