Exclusive Golf Scholarships to Apply for in 2024

About golf scholarships

Golf is as much a sport of critical thinking as it is physically demanding. Many golf players seek to become more educated, and 67% of golf players have a college degree. Continuing the sport you love and paying for higher education can actually go hand-in-hand through scholarships for golfers.

What is a golf scholarship?

Golf scholarships are a type of athletic scholarship available for student-athletes who excel at the sport. This type of sports scholarship offers award money for student-athletes to fund their college education while playing college-level golf.

Organizations like the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) put a limit on how many scholarships can be awarded. However, the NCAA recognizes golf as an equivalency sport for scholarship purposes. This means that the dollar amount value for scholarships per team is capped by the NCAA scholarship limit, but coaches are not limited to an actual number of scholarship recipients. From a given amount of scholarship money, college coaches can split the total amount into partial scholarships amongst their roster of players.

You can find more information about athletic scholarships in this guide.

Can you get a golf scholarship?

Getting a golf scholarship is very competitive, with very few players managing to receive one due in part to the maximum athletic scholarship limit put in place by the NCAA. Many student-athletes turn to other scholarship programs to pay the remaining tuition that sports scholarships do not cover.

However, college coaches are the ones who offer athletic scholarships to student-athletes and determine the award amounts per athlete. With the right qualifications and athletic ability, you are eligible for a college golf scholarship. With this in mind, there are several variables that can help maximize your potential golf scholarship award.

How to get a golf scholarship

To be eligible for most golf scholarships, you first have to be recruited into the organization you're interested in. Keep in contact with college coaches and stay on track for the recruiting periods for the NCAA, National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), and the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA).

Coaches and recruiters examine student-athletes for their academic and athletic merit. This helps them determine your capabilities on and off the golf course.

Recruiters will monitor a student athlete's academic eligibility. Although going above and beyond for exceptional academic standing isn't enforced, academic merit is still considered since there are minimum academic requirements in order to be eligible for athletic scholarships.

• Core Course Requirement: an athlete must complete 16 NCAA-approved core courses throughout high school with passing grades.
• Core Course GPA: Rather than looking over an athlete's entire high school transcript, the NCAA will calculate a GPA based on core courses alone.
• NCAA Sliding Scale: the NCAA combines an athlete's GPA and SAT/ACT scores to determine their eligibility.

Preparation is key when it comes to securing that spot on the golf team roster.

When recruiting, coaches will be looking at a student athlete's game scores. Be sure that your scores are at least on par with your competitors. It will also be useful to compile all your best golf highlights in a professional reel and resume to showcase your form and technique. This will show coaches your potential and what you can bring to the team.

However, your swings won't be the only thing coaches consider. They will also be looking at your character and how well you play with others rather than just as an individual. Coaches won't spend time on a student-athlete with a bad track record. Instead, they'll just move on to the next player who is less likely to cause problems, so you want to make sure you display a good understanding of teamwork and sportsmanship.

See how your golf scores, academic grades, and athletic resume compare to those of other athletes already recruited to the universities you're interested in. You'll be able to get an idea of what kind of team player the coaches are looking to add to their rosters.

What does it take to get a golf scholarship?

Playing the sport in high school already gives you a major head start. You'll want to keep a record of your best scores and stay consistent. If you are looking to pursue a specific NCAA division, there are certain scores you'll have to be averaging to even qualify.

To qualify for NCAA Division I, men should be averaging Under Par to Low 70s, and women should be averaging Under Par to Mid 70s. To qualify for NCAA Division II, men should be averaging Par to High 70s, and women should be averaging Mid 70s to Low 80s. To qualify for NCAA Division III, men must be able to shoot in the Low 80s, and women must be able to shoot in the 90s. The higher the status of the golf programs in their division is, these numbers become increasingly important.

Division III schools have a harder time filling in their rosters with enough golf players since they tend to qualify for higher divisions. As long as you can shoot the scores and have good academic standing, student-athletes will have an opportunity to play in college. While Division III colleges do not offer any scholarships for playing golf, they can be great places to start and build your way up to Division I and II teams where it is possible to earn scholarships.

It is important to maintain outstanding academic records and strive for notable academic achievements to set you apart from other recruits. Look for ways to build your credibility. Start networking with coaches, recruiters, athletic department heads, and other golfers. It helps to actively participate in tournaments and golf camps & demonstrate leadership potential on and off the golf course.

Scholarship applicants should talk to their college coaches and undergraduate financial aid office for any needed golf scholarship administration guidance.

Golf scholarships for high school students

Many aspiring golf players dream of playing at the college level. 223,021 high school students play golf each year. Of that total, only 19,143 of those high school students reach varsity golf. High school golfers can get a head start on collecting college funds and investing in their future in the sport by applying for scholarships early.

The following list has golf scholarships for graduating high school seniors:

1. Hulede Collegiate Golf Scholarship
2. Tom LoCasale Developing Character Through Golf Scholarship
3. Michael J. L. Suojanen Memorial Athletics Scholarship
4. Lisa McGinley Scholarship Fund
5. Sports in Action Scholarship

Golf scholarships for college students

If you miss out on the limited athletic scholarships funded by the NCAA or your coach doesn't choose you for the scholarship funds this time around, there is still money available through privately funded financial aid. Bold.org is full of sport-specific scholarship awards that undergraduates can apply for.

We've taken the liberty of compiling these exclusive scholarships for student-athletes pursuing college golf:

1. Ron Johnston Student Athlete Scholarship
2. Hulede Collegiate Golf Scholarship
3. FOS Sports Industry Professional Scholarship
4. Lisa McGinley Scholarship Fund
5. Sports in Action Scholarship

Golf scholarships for women

Golf appears to be a favorable sport for women, both in high school and college. Between 2013-and 2018, there was a 10.9% increase in participation in golf for high school girls. Female student-athletes also have more opportunities to get athletic scholarships within the NCAA than male student-athletes and with higher award amounts. Female student-athletes who are members of the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) also have access to more exclusive scholarship awards, financial aid, and valuable college cash.

The scholarship limit for an NCAA Division I women’s golf team is 6, with an average of $18,827 per player per year.

The scholarship limit for an NCAA Division II women’s golf team is 5.4, with an average of $7,896 per player per year.

Division III sports do not receive scholarship money to be distributed from the NCAA.

The NAIA and the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) also offer scholarship programs for golf in the same way as the NCAA. The scholarship limit for an NAIA women’s golf team is 5, with an average of $7,733 per player per year. The scholarship limit for an NJCAA women’s golf team is 8, with an average of $2,627 per player per year.

Golf scholarships for men

While women's participation continues to grow in the sport, golf demographics still lean toward a male majority, with 77.5% of golfers in the U.S. being men and only 22.5% being women. However, this makes men's golf scholarships even more competitive.

The scholarship limit for NCAA Division I men’s golf teams is 4.5, with an average of $18,015 per player per year.

The scholarship limit for NCAA Division II men’s golf teams is 3.6, with an average of $6,495 per player per year.

Division III sports do not receive scholarship money to be distributed from the NCAA.

The scholarship limit for an NAIA men’s golf team is 5, with an average of $7,836 per player per year. The scholarship limit for an NJCAA men’s golf team is 8, with an average of $2,137 per player per year.

Frequently asked questions about golf scholarships

What colleges offer golf scholarships?

The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) regulates how many scholarships can be awarded to every division and institution. Therefore, only NCAA Division I and II universities offer athletic scholarships. A golf scholarship will usually be offered through a university's competitive scholarship programs under the athletic department.

Some NAIA and NCAA Division colleges that offer golf scholarships include:

• UCLA (NCAA D1)
• Stanford University (NCAA D1)
• Georgia Tech (NCAA D1)
• Duke University (NCAA D1)
• Florida Southern College (NCAA D2)
• Rollins College (NCAA D2)
• Oklahoma City University (NAIA)

All of the athletic teams above are only a select few schools in the country with golf teams. The top states with the highest total number of schools with golf teams are Pennsylvania with 104, California with 101, New York with 82, and Texas and Illinois tied with 63.

How hard is it to get a golf scholarship?

A golf scholarship is usually offered between full and partial scholarships. It is relatively rare to get full-ride scholarships in equivalency sports. For golf, specifically, university scholarships are delegated amongst players at the college coaches' discretion as partial scholarships.

Depending on a student athlete's performance leading up to the scholarship disbursement, some players on the roster may receive higher award amounts than others. Some may not receive a scholarship at all. Therefore, it isn't wise to depend entirely on athletic scholarships directly from your school.

Can you combine athletic scholarships and financial aid?

It is possible to combine funds you receive from both athletic scholarships and privately funded financial aid. Student-athletes should consider applying for both athletic and academic scholarships to cover costs. By stacking endowed scholarships, merit scholarships, academic scholarships, and other such awards, students can eventually turn their partial scholarships into full rides.

Student-athletes should also complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for need-based financial aid.

However, earning one type may affect your chances of earning the other. The NCAA also has various regulations about mixing these funds together and what they can go towards. Be sure to review their rules and plan ahead if you choose to combine financial aid.

Talk to the financial aid office and athletic department at the school you plan to attend for more guidance on managing your finances.

How many golf scholarships are there?

While a sports team may have an athletic scholarship limit in place by organizations like the NCAA, NAIA, and the NJCAA, golf as an equivalency sport allows the award amount to be split in any proportion according to the team coaches.

In this case, the problem is not only the number of scholarships being awarded but the amounts. Typically, the amount awarded is not enough to cover all the costs of attending the standard four-year college. However, you can make up the difference with additional scholarships.

Numerous scholarship programs for golf exist outside of these organizations if you know where to look. Consider looking for sport-specific scholarships on scholarship platforms such as Bold.org.

The Bill Dickey Scholarship Association is a nonprofit organization with a mission to provide young people of color with scholarships and premier opportunities in competitive golf and the business world.

For graduates or student-athletes that show athletic and academic excellence, and are at least in their final year of competitive college sports, the NCAA postgraduate scholarship is an option. This college scholarship offers one-time awards of $10,000 per graduate student three times a year with every sports season. For every sports season, a total of 42 scholarships will be distributed (21 scholarships each for male and female student-athletes) for use in an accredited graduate program. This is a great opportunity for golf players who seek to pursue post-graduate education.

Check out the qualifications and nomination process here.

How do I know I'm eligible for a scholarship?

Eligibility is simple to check on Bold.org. Each scholarship will have a clear list of all eligibility requirements in the description. If your profile matches those requirements, then you'll be eligible to apply. If your profile information does not match the list of requirements, Bold.org may block you from applying for that scholarship. That's why it's important to fully complete your profile information.

What do I have to do to apply for golf scholarships?

While applying for scholarships involves some competition, you may have better luck applying for ones that have limited eligibility requirements. On your Bold profile, it is easy to find and apply for these sport-specific scholarships. Use the filters to sort through the site's available scholarships by category, or click on one of the golf scholarships listed above.

Once you find a scholarship you're interested in, you can read through the description to find useful information like the eligibility requirements, the application deadline, selection criteria, and required materials. You may even have to submit an essay based on a given topic.

To apply, simply click the 'Apply Now' button once you've completed the application materials.