College Golf Recruiting
Recruiting Overview
Keep in mind NCAA bylaws are subject to change and at all times, student-athletes and their parents are encouraged to consult ncaa.org, eligibilitycenter.org and usga.org for all recruiting and amateurism rules questions.
Access the NCAA’s Guide for the College-Bound Student-Athlete for information related to navigating the initial-eligibility process.
1. Rules of Recruiting
Sample NCAA Important Terms
- Contact: A contact happens any time a college coach says more than hello during a face-to-face meeting with you or your parents off the college’s campus.
- Dead Period: A college coach may not have any face-to-face contact with you or your parents on or off the college campus at any time during a dead period. The coach may write and call you or your parents during this time.
- Evaluation: An evaluation happens when a college coach observes you practicing or competing.
- Official visit: During an official visit, the college can pay for transportation to and from the college for you, lodging and meals (Division I allows for up to three meals per day) for you and your parents or guardians, as well as reasonable entertainment expenses including three tickets to a Division I home sports event or five tickets to a Division II home sports event. Before a college may invite you on an official visit, you must provide the college with a copy of your high school transcript and ACT, SAT or PLAN score (test scores are required for Division I only) and register with the NCAA Eligibility Center. Beginning August 1, 2018, Official Visits to Division I campuses can occur as early as September 1 of a prospect’s junior year of high school.
- Recruited: If a college coach calls you more than once, contacts you off campus, pays your expenses to visit the campus, or in Divisions I and II, issues you a National Letter of Intent or a written offer of financial aid, you are considered to be recruited.
- Unofficial visit: Any visit by you and your parents to a college campus paid for by you or your parents. The only expense you may receive from the college is three complimentary admissions to a Division I home athletics contest or five complimentary admissions to a Division II home athletics contest. You may make as many unofficial visits as you like and may take those visits at any time. Beginning September 1 of your junior year of high school, you can talk/meet with a coach and athletic staff member during an unofficial visit anytime other than during a Dead Period.
- Verbal commitment: A verbal commitment is a verbal agreement between a prospective student-athlete and a coach to play sports for a college prior to the PSA signing or being eligible to sign a National Letter of Intent. The commitment is not binding on you or the school and can be made at any time.
- Walk-on: Someone who is not typically recruited by a school to participate in sports and does not receive a scholarship from the school, but who becomes a member of one of the school’s athletics teams.
NCAA Division I Recruiting Calendars
Freshman & Sophomore Year
- Recruiting materials: You may receive brochures for camps, questionnaires, NCAA materials and non-athletics recruiting publications.
- Telephone calls and texts: You may call/text a coach at your expense only. A college coach cannot call/text you or return a voicemail or text prior to September 1 of your junior year of high school.
- Off-campus contact: None allowed.
- Official visit: None allowed.
- Unofficial visit: You may make an unlimited number of unofficial visits but cannot speak with a Division I coach or athletics department staff member, take an athletics specific tour or receive complimentary admissions to home athletic contests during these visits.
Junior Year
- Electronic correspondence (e.g., text messaging, instant messaging, email): All forms of electronic correspondence permissible beginning September 1 of your junior year. Correspondence must be private until you provide a written commitment to the NCAA school.
- Recruiting materials: You may begin receiving recruiting materials September 1 of your junior year.
- Telephone calls: You may call a coach at your own expense and calls/voicemails may be returned beginning September 1 of your junior year.
- College coaches may call you: Beginning September 1 of your junior year. Calls are unlimited.
- Off-campus contact: Allowed starting July 1 after your junior year.
- Official visit: Effective August 1, 2018, official visits are allowable beginning September 1 of your junior year. You may make only one official visit per college and up to a maximum of five official visits.
- Unofficial visit: Except during Dead Periods, you may make an unlimited number of unofficial visits and can speak with a coach or athletics department staff member during these visits as well as receive three complimentary admissions to a Division I home athletic contest beginning September 1 of your junior year.
Senior Year
- Electronic correspondence (e.g. text messaging, instant messaging, email): All forms of electronic correspondence permissible September 1 of your junior year. Correspondence must be private until you provide a written commitment to the NCAA school.
- Recruiting materials: Allowed.
- Telephone calls: You may call a coach at your expense and calls/voicemails may be returned.
- College coaches may call you: Beginning September 1 of your junior year.
- Off-campus contact: Allowed.
- Official visit: You may make only one official visit per college and up to a maximum of five official visits.
- Unofficial visit: Except during Dead Periods, you may make an unlimited number of unofficial visits and can speak with a coach or athletics department staff member during these visits as well as receive three complimentary admissions to a Division I home athletic contests.
- Limitation on off-campus contacts/evaluations: A college coach may have a face-to-face contact off their campus with you or your parents/legal guardians not more than three times. Unlimited number of contacts and evaluations are permissible after you sign a National Letter of Intent, written offer of admission and/or financial aid; OR after the college receives a financial deposit from you.
2. NCAA Eligibility Center Contact Information
Online
eligibilitycenter.org
NCAA.org/playcollegesports
Follow on Twitter @NCAA_EC
Phone
U.S. and Canada except Quebec
(toll free): (877) 262-1492
General NCAA questions:
(317) 917-6222
International callers:
011-317-917-6222
Certification Processing
NCAA Eligibility Center
Certification Processing
P.O. Box 7136
Indianapolis, IN 46207-7136
Overnight Delivery
NCAA Eligibility Center
Certification Processing
1802 Alonzo Watford Sr. Drive
Indianapolis, IN 46202
Relevant websites:
ncaa.org
nationalletter.org
eligibilitycenter.org
3. AJGA College Golf Advisors
John H. Brooks
Red Numbers Golf
rednumbersgolf.com
Email: rednumbersgolf@comcast.net
Phone: (904) 273-4188
Rich Brazeau
secondninegolf.com
Email: rich@secondninegolf.com
Phone: (603) 817-8941
Ted Gleason
Road to College Golf
roadtocollegegolf.com
Email: ted@roadtocollegegolf.com
Phone: (323) 823-4014
Nicky Goetze
nickygoetze.com
Email: connect@nickygoetze.com
Phone: (478) 737-3242
Susan Watkins
eyesongolf.com
Eyes On Golf
Coach, Teacher & Player Consultant
Email: susanwatkins@eyesongolf.com
Phone: (512) 422-9015