Where college students go for golf

Week 1 in the NCCGA is finally here! Hurricane Florence has changed the date of the first North Carolina regional, so the season will kick off with just four tournaments this weekend. The regions playing are extremely competitive, and all four sent multiple teams to Nationals in the spring. The questions is, which one of them will get off to the best start and solidify their position to return to Nationals in Myrtle Beach this season? Here's what the NCCGA Student Leaders had to say about the first round of tournaments. 

Another NCCGA season is upon us, which means a chance for each university to prove themselves and earn a bid to Nationals in Myrtle Beach! Will Grand Canyon repeat as National Champions? Perhaps the Arizona State Sun Devils or the Georgia Bulldogs can bounce back? Either way, we're in for an exciting ride this fall, all culminating at Barefoot Resort November 16-18. Without further ado, here are your NCCGA preseason top 25. 

 (This article was submitted by the UC Club Golf VP who wanted to share his positive experience working with the NCCGA and Imperial for custom team hats)

For the second straight year, the University of Cincinnati Club Golf Team has ordered Imperial hats for our team. The hats are not only comfortable and durable, the ordering and approval processes for the hats are seamless.

Getting an internship in the golf industry is difficult. There are tens of thousands of college students who love golf and want to work in the game. As the CEO of Nextgengolf, it was alarming to me that many students were sending me emails in April, May, and June seeking a summer internship. It’s okay to procrastinate sometimes, but when you are seeking highly competitive jobs or internships timing is key, so I put together this list of golf companies that hire interns.

Golf is one of the toughest sports out there, even for the people who play it professionally. Mishits happen all the time, wiith varying degrees of severity. One of the worst mishits you can have though is a shank, when the ball hits the hozzle of the club and shoots out to the right (for a right-handed golfer). 

What I enjoyed most about high school golf was that every players could create their own experience. Some players could make it exceptionally competitive, while other players could just have fun and not worry about the competition, I fell in the middle of that spectrum, right where I wanted to be. I always want to play well and improve my game, but also want to be able to spend time with the people I play with and have fun on the golf course.  

Perhaps having a coach really does make a difference. It sure worked in favor for the NCCGA’s 2018 Spring National Champions, Grand Canyon University. Heading into Nationals at Norwood Hills Country Club in St. Louis, Missouri, the Antelopes were on top of the national rankings and felt confident in their chances.

Golf Channel presented the show Driven, which took us inside what college golf is all about. The show went behind the scenes of the Oklahoma State Cowboys and their race for the NCAA Division I Golf Championship. The championship took place at Karsten Creek Golf Club, which is OSU’s home course. The show also focuses on their biggest rival, Oklahoma University, who won the championship in 2017. The tournament took place from May 25-30th. with the final match between Oklahoma State and Alabama. Ultimately, OSU was victorious in all five matches. The real question is did the show have an impact on Oklahoma State winning the title?

When I brought out four boxes of 1st tee bars to the 10th tee at the National Championship tournament in St. Louis this past April, I was mostly thinking the 80 power bars were going to make excellent weights for the NCCGA branded
tablecloth on a windy day.  What I found was that before all the groups had even finished making the turn, I had to ditch the runaway table cloth because all the 1st tee bar boxes were empty and I had lost my weights.

Hello all! Many things have happened in my life since I finished my term as President of the NCCGA in 2017. For starters, I wrapped up my 4-year NCCGA career in April and graduated from the University of Maryland with a B.S. in environmental science and policy. I thoroughly enjoyed my undergraduate years, highlighted by many tremendous experiences with the NCCGA and Nextgengolf. Thanks to the opportunities they provide, I was able to continue playing competitive golf in college and made many lifelong friendships along the way.

In the past, large companies dominated the golf ball market. However, in the last couple of years I have become more and more familiar with a brand that produces a golf ball that beats the performance of top brands. The Z-Star golf ball is arguably the best ball on the market today, and Srixon has made their presence felt at the collegiate level. Here are five reasons why the Srixon Z-Star golf ball is the best ball for college players.

NCCGA season might be over, but club teams from around the country are continuing to play team golf over the summer with the Nextgengolf City Tour. These tournaments are a great way to stay competitive over the summer, while giving team members the opportunity to network with local young professionals and have fun playing the game they love. 

NCCGA Nationals is a special event for all of us.  From the staff, to the participants, to the sponsors each season's final event is an amazing experience. Last December, I traveled to Fall Nationals in Las Vegas at Paiute Resort and experienced the next level of the club golf atmosphere. I had to chance to meet Matt Weinberger (COO), Kris Hart (CEO), and the rest of the Nextgengolf to express my appreciation and let them know how special the event is to each club golfer. Soon thereafter I applied for the NCCGA President position and was selected for the position in 2018.

The NCCGA was thrilled to have four women competing at Spring 2018 Nationals in St. Louis. As a co-ed association, the NCCGA strives for inclusion, and having women take part in Nationals is an integral part of that process. 

Melissa Yao and Emma Vickery from the University of California Berkeley team competed in the National Invitational at Bogey Hills Country Club. Yao tied for 61st and Vickery tied for 28th. The girls helped their team place 5th overall in the Invitational, with Emma bringing in the third best score for the Berkeley team.