Golf Camps Post
by John Infante, Athnet
athleticscholarships.net

Does the NCAA Allow Showcase or Prospect Golf Camps?

In only extremely rare cases does the NCAA actually prohibit prospective student-athletes from participating in events. None of these apply to golf. As long as you compete as an amateur golfer, participating in showcase camps will not affect your eligibility.

When people ask if the NCAA allows showcase camps, the more important question is whether the NCAA allows college coaches to attend the camps. Sports like football and basketball have a number of restrictions about what types of events at which coaches can evaluate prospects. There is a strict recruiting calendar with quiet and dead periods where coaches cannot recruit off-campus. There are limits on the total number of days a staff can evaluate or visit prospects off-campus. And there are limits on the type of events coaches in these sports can attend, particularly nonscholastic events not sponsored by a high school association.

Golf has none of these rules. The recruiting calendar in golf is more or less wide open, with only two short dead periods surrounding the signing period. Golf coaches can be on the road as often as they want. And there are none of the same limits or prohibitions on evaluating at nonscholastic events. In short, college golf coaches have few of the restrictions that might prevent them from evaluating or even teaching at showcase camps.

Why Are Showcase or Prospect Camps a Good Idea?

While golf coaches might not have some of the same limits as their colleagues in the revenue sports, they also do not have the same resources. A larger staff and recruiting budget make it possible for coaches in these sports to target individual prospects and travel to many different locations to see recruits.

In most other sports, coaches are looking to get a good bang-for-their-buck in each recruiting trip. They may only be able to afford so many plane trips and hotel rooms, so each has to count. Showcase camps, which bring together many prospects from all around the country, are some of the best values for coaches. That attracts more coaches from a wider area, which increases your chances of being noticed by the right program.

Camps also provide an additional benefit for prospects by allowing more interaction with coaches. At a tournament, coaches are simply evaluating and may talk with prospects after the competition. But at a camp, college coaches have the opportunity to instruct prospects. This gives recruits a chance to demonstrate how coachable they are as well as to getting a preview of a coach’s teaching style. Like how showcases bring together many prospects, showcase camps bring together many coaches, making it easier to compare different styles.

Showcase and Prospect camps offer an excellent opportunity to make major progress in your recruitment. They are an excellent chance to get noticed by multiple programs. And they offer the ability to compare coaches side-by-side to see if one suits your playing style better than the other.