Do you remember this shot for the 2015 NCAA Championships? Well, she stuck it to about 3 feet….and now she joins our team!!

College Golf Camps is beyond pumped to add yet another great college golfer to our junior golf mentor program. Hayley Davis has a great story to tell. She enjoyed had an amazing career at Baylor. Now she starts her next challenge in professional golf. Enjoy the read below.

When I was 9 years old, I went to the driving range for the first time in my life. I did not realize then that I was starting a journey that would lead me to another country and to college and now to professional golf.

Growing up in England, I played for my county team when I was 12 and represented England for the first time when I was 14. During those years I really started to fall in love with the game of golf. I worked
hard, practicing at Ferndown Golf Club for hours on end. My coach Scott Godfrey would work with me and teach me the fundamentals. My favorite parts of the game then were putting and chipping playing games with my friends.

As I continued to get better and work hard, I was fortunate to represent Great Britain and Ireland three times. Representing your country is in my opinion the highest honor and I was lucky to play with such a great group of friends and teammates.

Being at a college in America was something I had always thought about doing. When I was around 17 years old I talked with my parents and my coach about my options. I was not ready to turn professional yet, and going to college in America was a great opportunity to continue my academics and further my golf career. When I visited Baylor University, I fell in love with the campus and the people and knew it was where I wanted to attend college.

My four years at Baylor were full of ups and downs, and all of it helped me grow as a person and become a better player. Competing for a NCAA national championship was the best and most amazing experience of my life…the atmosphere, the emotions, the whole week was unlike any other. Just being with your teammates and competing for one another really brought out the best in my game. It was a great feeling to see that all the hard work and long practices can really pay off. My team and I really were in it together, and everyday in practice you are preparing yourself in the hopes that one day you will have these putts and shots for the win! And even better, doing it for the National Championship was the best end to my amateur career I could imagine.
Playing a collegiate sport teaches you many things, not only in golf and sports, but in life in general. I learned how to be better at time management and how to balance my life in school and golf. I learned how to work in a team but also at times be able to motivate myself and achieve under pressure. It helped me learn what its like to be a leader and have young players look to me for guidance and advice. And of course it was a lot of fun!

Cheers,

Hayley Davis, sic’em bears

Today is the day! The accepted entries have been posted for the Doral Publix event. Congratulations to those who will be playing in this prestigious tournament!

I remember year after year awaiting the acceptance letter for my entry into this significant tournament. I competed in this event over 10 times with my first appearance when I was six years old.

The Doral Publix tournament draws golf coaches from all over the country to see top talent compete and showcase their skills. This made the event extremely competitive and gave me the desire to perform on a high level. The most helpful for my path to a collegiate golf career was in high school with a top ten finish in the girls 16 – 18 division. My most memorable was when my dad was my caddy at seven years old playing Doral’s Executive Green course.

I am originally from Miami, FL so I had played the green course many times. Even though I was young, my dad and I had constructed a game plan for my upcoming opportunity to defend my title as the 7 and under champion. I had won the year previously; I was six years old and posted rounds of 54-54 for a 108 total. The following year my goal was to break 100 and of course, keep my title.

Not only was I able to reach my goal of breaking 100 but, I was able to take home the trophy with rounds of 37-38 for a 76 win!

Playing in the Doral Publix year after year, gave me the experience of playing on a national stage even at a very young age. I was able to showcase my skills in front of the coaches watching the event and interact with players from all over the world.

Until next time, fairways and greens, Geaux Tigers!!

Rebecca Butler, formerly Kuhn

I first picked up a golf club at the tender age of three. At this time, golf to me was riding in the cart with my dad and Saturday morning clinics at Melreese Golf course, with the Dade Amateur Golf Association. Saturday quickly became my favorite day of the week, where I was able to hit as many golf balls as I wanted. My parents watched over my sister and I along with the instructors who helped me learn how to take a proper grip, stance and set up. I now know how lucky I am I started golf so young.

As I got older, clinics and lessons became more frequent. I begged to quit other sports and activities to focus on golf. I had an excuse for everything, and by the time I was eight I was a one sport specific athlete.

As the years pass, my game evolved and my competitiveness grew. I started playing in local events the DAGA hosted across Miami-Dade County. Once I was successful in my flight I would move up. Eventually my parents were carting my sister and I to tournaments all across South Florida to compete with the best. The Okeeheelee Junior Golf Foundation had a 12-13 year old division, which played 12 holes. At 12 years old, the tournament committee agreed to allow me to play in the 18-hole division. I was ecstatic.

It was with the OJGF that I had one of my most memorable rounds of my life. It came down to the 18^th hole, and I knew I was on track for an 80. I kept calm and after a drive down the middle and an excellent approach shot that left me a 12-foot putt for birdie, it dawned on me, I could break 80! Guess what, I did and still have the golf ball to prove it.

Start simple, and keep golf fun! Follow the pace and interest of your junior golfer as you navigate various levels of competition. This is an important step and rung in the latter to eventually participate in in National Tournaments where most college coaches are in attendance.

Hope to see you at a camp and Geaux Tigers!!

Fairways and Greens,

Rebecca Butler, formerly Kuhn

College Golf Camps, Camp Director

College Golf Camps of America is beyond excited to announce our first all girl’s camp featuring Stacy Lewis. CGC – Stacy Lewis will be January 16th – 18th, 2015 in West Palm Beach, Florida.

Stacy Lewis embraces the essence of the “late-bloomer” as it relates to junior and college golf. Stacy played 4 years at the University of Arkansas and graduated with a double-major in finance. She also won 12 college tournaments and the 2007 individual NCAA championship.

Lewis was never the highly ranked junior golfer. Of course, she had huge challenges physically, which she has overcome. She is the “All-American” girl when it comes to junior golf. Kelley Hester, current Head Golf Coach at Furman University coached Stacy while at University of Arkansas, says “Stacy is the ultimate “cinderella story”. She climbed the ranks of college golf as a relatively unknown in junior golf to become one of the top female golfers in the world. As Stacy’s college coach, it has been fun to watch her continue to challenge herself and succeed at all levels. Every little girl dreaming to play on tour should hear her story and learn from her experience.”

A portion of the proceeds from Stacy’s camp will benefit a charity commensurate with her passion.

“It is a great honor to partner with College Golf Camps to start their first ever all girl’s camp. I am very passionate about women in sport and providing a platform for us to stand alone. I look forward to sharing my college experience and the things that I have learned since with the campers. I can’t wait to see everyone in West Palm Beach in January!” – Stacy Lewis, LPGA

“To say that we are excited to have Stacy Lewis on board is the understatement of the year. Stacy is the epitome of why we exist. College Golf Camps attempts to provide junior golfers and families with opportunities never seen before. Stacy’s accomplishments are truly amazing, her passion to succeed is remarkable.” says Nick Rook, CGC’s President/Founder “Having Stacy involved in our first girl’s only camp only furthers our mission to advance the opportunities for junior golfers to achieve their dreams.”

Your time in junior golf is running out and it’s time to start making some decisions. At College Golf camps, we can help you with that! Check out our list of decisions you should make for future in college golf and beyond!

Let’s list out the decisions you need to make as a family with your junior golfer.

– Who is your instructor?

– Should I have a mental coach?

– Should I have a strength coach?

– What tournaments should you play in?

– How many tournaments should I play in?

– What equipment should I be using?

– Which tour should you play on?

– What is the NCAA?

– What is the NCAA clearinghouse?

– What is the SAT/ACT?

– When should I take the SAT/ACT?

– How do I gain exposure to college golf?

– How do I get the opportunity to interact with college golf coaches?

– How can I showcase my skill-set to coaches?

– How can I compete in front of coaches?

– How do these rankings work?

Need help answering these questions? Let the real experts at College Golf Camps help you with that! College Golf Camps provides a exceptional educational opportunity for junior golfers to learn from college golf coaches, experience the competitive spirit with college golf coaches and interact with college golf coaches with the goal of improving as a golfer. And we know our stuff. Contact us today at 469-444-9200 or email us at juniorgolf@collegegolfcamps.com

Rick Allen is the founder of Informed Athlete. Rick has over 25 years of NCAA experience in rules, transfers, academics, etc.

We are proud to say he is apart of our team here at CGC. “Rick’s experience in NCAA rules is exceptional. Any student-athlete or family of a student-athlete would greatly benefit from speaking with Rick.” says CGC President, Nick Rook.

Recently Rick wrote a blog on NCAA eligibility requirements for student-athletes. Rick’s website is www.informedathlete.com here you will find volumes of NCAA information that will surely benefit your family.

Are you confident that your son or daughter meets, or will meet, the new NCAA Division I eligibility requirements for Fall 2016 incoming freshman?

If you’re a high school athlete or parent of a high school athlete who will graduate in 2016 or after, it’s important to know that the NCAA Division I eligibility requirements are changing!

What happens if an athlete is not certified as a “Qualifier” for Division I freshman eligibility? If your athlete doesn’t meet the NCAA Division I requirements for freshman eligibility because they didn’t take the required core courses, or don’t have the necessary GPA, or ACT or SAT test score, the consequences are:

• Your athlete cannot receive an athletic scholarship during their freshman unless the requirements for “Academic Redshirt” are met

• Your athlete will NOT be eligible to compete during their freshman year.

• Your athlete will not be eligible to practice with the team or attend weight training with their team.

If your athlete goes to a JUCO their freshman year as a non-qualifier:

• They will NOT be eligible to transfer to a Division I program after just one year.

• Your athlete will also have more extensive academic requirements at the JUCO

Don’t be on the outside looking in!
The hardest thing I had to do when I worked on campus was tell an athlete they weren’t eligible to play their sport because they hadn’t met the core course requirements for eligibility.

This is why we created Informed Athlete’s Freshman Eligibility & Transcript Review service, so we can help high school athletes and parents be better informed and prepared without unpleasant surprises!

With Informed Athlete’s Freshman Eligibility and Transcript Review, we will:

• Explain the freshman eligibility requirements and how they affect you.

• Compare the courses completed with your high school’s “core course” listing.

• Provide an assessment of the subjects that need to be completed to satisfy initial (freshman) eligibility requirements.

• Review your son or daughter’s ACT or SAT test scores, and determine the GPA that will be needed for eligibility, and
• Suggest steps and discuss a plan of action that may be available to satisfy the eligibility requirements.

One of the unique aspects of College Golf Camps of America is the written evaluations and feedback that each junior golfer receives from college golf coaches.

Parents do you feel like Lewis & Clark on the Oregon Trail? Not really knowing where you are going, you just know that you are going.

Where else can junior golfers receive such a great tool? College Golf Camps provides 10 aspects every junior golfer needs to know from college golf coaches.

Imagine a college golf coach writing feedback about your game in it’s current state and then discussing it. Of course, these evaluations are subjective. Our college golf coaches write evaluations based on the following aspects of junior golfers:

1. Body language

2. Mental focus

3. Pre-shot routine

4. Set-up

5. Putting skills

6. Short game skills

7. Ball striking

8. Biggest strength

9. Area for improvement

10. General thoughts on the junior golf camper

These aspects of junior golf are paramount. Each camper receives at 3 of these evaluations at all of our junior golf camps.

Parents and junior golfers are trying to navigate a trail much like Lewis & Clark navigated the Oregon trail. They didn’t know exactly where they were going. They were going by a hope and pray. And listened to what “locals” said.

So would you drive from Orlando to New York today without Google maps or GPS? Of course not!!

College Golf Camps can be extremely helpful navigating the junior golf landscape. Attending one of our junior golf camps can change the trajectory of your opportunities because of the education and instruction our college golf coaches provide.

You can receive a clear cut map at College Golf Camps. Register Today!!

College Golf Camps is open to any junior golfer limited only by age, gender and total campers

Know a junior golfer that would benefit/enjoy learning and interacting from the best college golf coaches in the country? Or would you like more information? Awesome! Email us juniorgolf at collegegolfcamps.com or fill out our form to find out more about our junior golf camps.

College Golf Camps provides an amazing educational opportunity for junior golfers to learn from college golf coaches, experience the competitive spirit with college golf coaches and interact with college golf coaches with the goal of improving as a golfer.

CCG provides:

• Place special emphasis on a particular sport or sports, and provide specialized instruction or practice and may include competition;
• Involve activities designed to improve overall skills and general knowledge in the sport; or
• Offer a diversified experience without emphasis on instruction, practice or competition in any particular sport