Masters week junior golfers can enter to win a free Arccos Golf automated stat tracking device.

Arccos is the easiest way to improve your game. Pair each sensor just once to each club and Arccos seamlessly captures your round data(without disrupting your game), and gives it to you right in your hand, instantly. Letting you make smarter choices right on the course, so you can have your best game, every game.

Automatically track your stats and have ability to share those stats with your peers, instructors, coaches, etc.

To qualify for the Arccos Golf free giveaway, junior golfers need to do the following:

– follow us on twitter @collegegolfcamp

– Retweet the Arccos Giveaway Ad

– Favorite the Arccos Giveaway Ad

– Email your name, grad year, shipping address to [email protected]

We will announce the winner this Sunday.

College Golf Camps of America (CGC) returned to Hilton Head for its second spring event! Dozens of campers took part in the 2^nd Annual National Junior Golf Prospects Camp that ran from March 20-22, 2015. The exciting three-day event took place at Hampton Hall Golf Club on the Pete Dye course and included a myriad of activities. The camp included instruction on the range as well on the golf course. The instruction continued into the classroom with multiple topics of discussion.

Friday afternoon featured a Par-3 Challenge where campers faced a tough drill from the outset. This session challenged the campers with an array of challenging shots that allowed college coaches to instruct on a variety of shots. The Par-3 is also a great icebreaker for campers with the coaches. With 18 college coaches on hand, young golfers showed their mettle when faced with tough drills. Following the session, there was time for the junior golfers to get to know the coaches on hand with a casual evening mixer. Meanwhile, any parents in attendance had the opportunity to hear about preparing students for college golf with a session called “Road to College Golf” which covered the many topics of NCAA compliance, clearinghouse, SAT/ACT, etc. The night ended with sessions on the transition from junior to college golf for students presented by several college coaches as well as a fluid motion session presented by Steve Yellin of Fluid Motion Factor.

Saturday morning dawned bright and early with sun and heat to match. Campers and coaches joined together on the driving range for small group games and a rackMan
Combine first thing. The panel of college coaches ran the opening session similarly to how college practices are conducted, providing first-hand insight to the life of a college student-athlete. Taking the camp inside, juniors and parents gathered to hear about the expectations of college coaches straight from the source. As the camp reached midday, juniors divided into small groups to sit in roundtable Q&A sessions with college coaches. This provided the juniors an opportunity to ask questions on anything from how to improve their games to what a typical tournament weekend looks like for a college golfer.

Lunch was served to refuel the campers before they retreated to the course for a discussion on playing with freedom from Mississippi State’s coach, Ginger Brown-Lemm before a shotgun start to an 18-hole round of golf. Coach Ginger communicated to the campers just like she was addressing her own players prior to a round. Dinner was followed with another fluid motion session before day two came to a close. Sunday, the third and final day of the camp, started with a discussion by Davidson’s Tim Straub on playing to win before the shotgun start of the second 18-hole round of the weekend. Lunch was followed by a session on Championship golf led by three of the visiting coaches as well as a “Practice to Learn” talk with the IJGA’s Mental Training guru, Matt Cuccaro. The camp concluded with a great opportunity to learn with a Q/A session with college coaches.

Camps like CGC are incredibly beneficial to our junior golfers, especially those aspiring to play college golf and learn how to improve their games. Campers leave with written evaluations from the college coaches. This is an extremely unique piece of the puzzle for improvement. Campers spend the weekend receiving instruction and playing golf in front of great college coaches while talking to them about elevating their games to the next level. Though the two rounds of golf do not recognize a winner, one of the biggest benefits is the ability to have on-the-course observation and feedback from college coaches from all over the country. Having the ability to receive instruction and guidance from college coaches is paramount. The elite panel of coaches working the camps provides junior golfers with direct information on key topics regarding college golf in general.

College Golf Camps was developed in conjunction with NCAA golf coaches. It is the first privately operated multi-college Junior Golf Camp in the world. The programs
allow college coaches to interact, instruct, evaluate and clinician junior golfers from across the globe.

*college golf camps are open to any junior golfer limited only by age, gender and total number of campers.

*this news story was written with the support of Leah Blasko, IJGA

Junior golf was one of the most fun times of my golf career. I was fortunate to play all cross the country in junior golf but some of my most memorable moments were in high school golf. I was never on a good team until my senior year so we just really enjoyed the time we spent together and had great times on and off the course without having too much pressure to play great golf. Also, I played some really good golf in high school so it was a good lesson for me-my best golf is when I am having fun. Golf is such an individual sport that it makes you really appreciate the times you are able to be on a team. Unfortunately, we never won a state title but my senior year we finished second at state and two of my best friends were on that team.

Off the course, the most memorable moment was when I signed my letter of intent to play at Oklahoma State University. So much hard work and dedication had paid off for such a large goal of mine since I was in grade school. My parents, family, and friends had sacrificed so much over the years for me to have that opportunity and it was such a cool day to see all the people that showed up to support me.

It was the beginning of a great opportunity and I was excited to work hard and become a great cowboy but that one day was a chance for me to soak in everything and enjoy the fruits of my labor.

I am now a professional golfer trying to make the web.com and PGA tour and I still look back on my junior golf days and much of the golfer I am now is due to the things I learned in junior golf. Had there been a college golf camp near me I would’ve utilized that to my advantage in becoming a better player before I got to college. Having the ability to spend time with college coaches and former college players would have been extremely benefitting to my career and my development as well. You can never learn enough and especially from people that have experience with what you are striving to do.

I am currently on week two of a four week road trip so wish me luck and I look forward to checking in again soon.

Fairways and greens,

Talor Gooch

College Golf Camps has incorporated the use of TrackMan Combine to help identify strengths and weaknesses with junior golfers. The TrackMan Combine is quickly becoming the standard benchmarking tool when evaluating junior golfers. This assessment allows you to compare your game to your peers, college players, LPGA and PGA tour players.

The Combine consists of 60 shots. Players hit six shots to nine different targets at 60, 70, 80, 90, 100, 120, 140, 160, 180 yards, plus six drives. Each yardage is scored so that the player knows their strengths and weakness. A practice and improvement plan can then be developed based on the results.

Learn More at TrackMan TV

Junior Golf Mentor – Casey Grice

My first memorable junior golf moment takes me back to June 2007 – the summer before my sophomore year of high school. This tournament was my 1^st AJGA open event. I was so excited and I wanted my equipment to be in perfect condition for the week of the tournament so I had all of my clubs regripped the week before. On hole #1 – the rain comes – a torrential downpour that did not let up and quickly my new grips were soaked. I have never owned a pair of rain gloves at this point (that has changed) and I cannot hold onto my clubs AT ALL. In fact, the rain seemed to have caused an oily substance to seep out of the grips. I tried to grip down, hold the shaft, wrap a towel around the grip, not wear my glove, swing easy – nothing worked. My golf clubs sailed into trees, down the fairway, you name it – the clubs would not stay in my hands. Finally, I tap in on the 18^th hole with a humbling 105 and my highest competitive round of golf – not how I pictured my first AJGA open event. The heavy rains caused the cancellation of the tournament the next day after 9 holes but I did come back and card a 40 for my last nine holes on a flooded course with new grips.

Lessons learned from this experience:

· Never take yourself and situations too seriously – learn to laugh

· Always be prepared

· Never, ever give up!

A second memorable moment shows a more positive side of my golf achievements. Not even a year later after the 105 debacle, my high school golf team qualified for the state tournament for the first time. In front of family and friends we are able to represent not only our high school but also our hometown at the Texas State Championship. My team posted a top 5 finish and I won the Texas 5A Girls State Championship as a sophomore. It was also my first time to ever shoot in the 60’s in a competitive event. I know that the perseverance I had to make it through the 105 and then get back to work played a major role in elevating my game to the next level. There were so many moments in junior golf that have shaped me into the golfer I am today. These memories were formed through both high and low moments but all of them include great friends, coaches and family – I am very thankful for my junior golf experience and I see how important the process and my response to those experiences have helped shape me into the golfer and person I am today.

College Golf Camps would have been a great opportunity for me had they been available. Connecting with college coaches was hard at first especially since I did not qualify for the bigger junior golf tournaments until the summer before my junior year of high school. Coaches want to see junior golfers play and through trial and error we learned ways that worked for our family. College golf camps give junior golfers today that connection and starting point without the trial and error. Having a way to network with over 18 different college coaches at one camp is a huge asset during those critical years. In addition, the ability to play with competitive female golfers from around the country and to assess and compare my current skills with theirs would have been a very useful and motivational tool for me as well.

As I write this blog, I am actually in Mesa, AZ preparing for my first two tournaments on the Symetra Tour. I will be competing in Arizona this week and California next week. I am very excited to get the season started! After these two events, I will be back home in Texas before the next swing of events in Florida during March. Follow along for results and more blogs to come in the future!

Judgment Matters was started by Dawn Woodard in 2012 with the idea that she could apply her experience as a competitive golfer and her knowledge as a Certified Judgment Index Consultant, to help golfers and athletes in general develop a better understanding of how their decision making processes impact their performance in competition. This thinking led her to believe she could apply what she has learned to help golfers at all levels, as well as help coaches and instructors work with their players to maximize their ability to help them improve.

Dawn is the President of Judgment Matters. She is a three time USGA Women’s Mid-Amateur Medalist, two time USGA Women’s Mid-Amateur Quarter finalist, three time USGA Women’s State Team Participant, two time Carolina’s Women’s Match Play Champion, recipient of the 2012,2013, and 2014 Tuft’s Award for Player of the Year in the Carolinas, five time South Carolina Women’s Match Play Champion, and five time South Carolina Women’s Stroke Play Champion. Her clients include several men’s and women’s collegiate teams, tour players on the Symetra Tour and the LPGA, and many other competitive amateur golfers, including several past USGA Champions. She also works with instructors and sports psychologists and has done presentations and seminars as part of the continuing education program within the PGA sections.

www.judgmentmatters.org

Casey Grice who is currently playing on the Symetra Tour has joined the College Golf Camps – Junior Golf Mentors program. Casey Spent three years at University of North Carolina where she graduated with a degree in Exercise and Sport Science. She also won the inaugural ANNIKA Academy Elite Athlete Award in 2014.

Casey will help add another layer for junior golfers. When her schedule allows she will be attending CGC events to help junior golf families wade their way through the challenges of junior golf.

Learn more about Casey at www.caseygrice.com

College Golf Camps®Becomes Silver Partner of The First Tee

College Golf Camps of America, LLC is proud to announce that we have become a Silver Partner of The First Tee, a youth development organization that helps young, people develop character through the game of golf. Through the partnership, The First Tee chapters will have the opportunity to collaborate directly with College Golf Camps®to assist in providing extraordinary junior golf camp experience.

Developed in 2013, College Golf Camps of America (CGC) is the first privately operated multi-college junior golf prospect camp in the world. Under NCAA guidelines, CGC has contracted nearly 100 college golf coaches and provide a never seen before platform of opportunity. These junior golf prospect camps allow college coaches to instruct, evaluate, clinician and interact with junior golfers from all over the world.

CGC offers a number of junior golf prospect camps around the country.

“The First Tee offers a wonderful platform for all junior golfers to learn valuable life lessons through the game of golf. We’re pleased to collaborate with The First Tee with junior golf camps.” says College Golf Camps™, President Nick Rook. “CGC has established a new opportunity to all junior golf families looking for exposure to college golf. There is no other junior golf camp where junior golfers have the opportunity to learn from 18 major college coaches.”

About The First Tee

The First Tee (www.thefirsttee.org) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit youth development organization whose mission is to impact the lives of young people by providing educational programs that build character, instill life-enhancing values and promote healthy choices through the game of golf. With its home office at World Golf Village in St. Augustine, Fla., The First Tee reaches young people on golf courses, in elementary schools and at other youth-serving locations.

Since its inception in 1997, The First Tee has introduced the game of golf and its values to more than 10.5 million young people in all 50 United States and select International locations. The First Tee’s Founding Partners are LPGA, the Masters Tournament, PGA of America, PGA TOUR and the USGA. Shell Oil Company is The First Tee’s Founding Corporate Partner and Johnson & Johnson is its Legacy Partner. Former President George W. Bush serves as honorary chair.

To learn more about The First Tee, visit www.thefirsttee.org

*All CGC Junior Golf Prospect Camps are open to any and all entrants limited only by number, gender and age. The camp does not select participants on an invitation-only basis or reserve spots for specific prospects. CGC operates on a first-come, first-serve basis for all College Golf Camps™.

Meet Joe College. Joe College is the foremost expert in Junior Golf Camps. Joe College will be presenting new and exciting concepts within junior golf camps. Please see his introductory video.