College Golf Seminar explores variety of competitive optionsTrust the process: motto of the Philadelphia 76ers. Own the process: motto of the Golf Association of Philadelphia’s 10th College Golf Seminar, held Nov. 10 at The 1912 Club.
Featured speakers included Cole Berman, a recent Georgetown University graduate and two-time GAP Major Champion; Tim Beck, a representative of the National Collegiate Club Golf Association; John Manos, Rosemont College men’s golf coach and Brad Kane, former La Salle University men’s golf coach and Director of J. Wood Platt Caddie Operations. During his high school years, Berman, a three-time GAP Junior Player of the Year, sent an introductory e-mail to more than 50 coaches, summarizing his scores and showcasing a variety of golf volume. “As you get older, experience becomes a major part of your development as a golfer. The more tournaments you can play, the more situations you can put yourself in, the better you’ll become,” he said. “You’re testing yourself at a wide variety of levels.” Less than 10 percent of high school golfers will move on to the competitive collegiate level, according to Beck. Fortunately, more than 350 colleges participate in the National Collegiate Club Golf Association. An alternative outlet exists. “Club golf can be something that gives folks a reason to maybe think about playing competitive golf still, but not at the Division I, II or III level,” Beck said. Manos, GAP Director of Course Rating, opened his portion of a joint presentation with Kane by dispelling myths regarding golf at the Division III level. He followed by sharing advice parcels he imparts to each recruit. “When you go to a school, you want to make sure it’s somewhere you can play. You don’t want to be sitting the bench just for making the team,” Manos said. “Second, you’re going to spend a lot of time with your coach, whether you like it or not. You need to make sure you can be around them and tolerate them. You need to find a personality, a coaching style that works for you.” Being honest in assessing your own ability, Kane added, is also of importance when pursuing college golf. “This is one of the first major decisions you get to make in your life. It’s great to have mom and dad help you out, but I, as a coach, would always want to make sure that I was communicating directly with the recruit, the student,” he said. “Make sure you’re the one sending the e-mails and making the phone calls. I think that’s really important to remember.” Video presentations, in their entirety, will be made available on the Association’s YouTube channel. The College Golf Seminar aims to educate high school student athletes in pursuit of golf at the collegiate level. Held in alternating years each fall, it is free of charge and open to all GAP members.
Golf Association of Philadelphia
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A Walk Through Time
GAP is the oldest state or regional golf association in the country. It started courtesy of a friendly competition – the Team Matches – and has grown into the preeminent golf association in the country. Along the way, golf history has been made.
