Chris Noble, Author at High School Golf

Top 10 Ranked Girls High School Golf Teams –…

April 3, 2019
by Chris Noble

Reading Time: 2 minutes

The girls spring high school golf season is upon us! As we get ready to kick off the spring regional and state championship season, let’s take a look at the top 10 ranked high school girl’s golf teams from last year’s spring season.

Girls:

Austin Westlake High School – Texas – 6A

Austin Westlake High School won the 6A state championship with rounds of 290 and 299 for a 13-over-par two day total.

Lake Travis High School – Texas – 6A

Lake Travis High School finished tied for second at the 6A state championship with rounds of 309 and 295.

The Woodlands High School – Texas – 6A

The Woodlands High School finished tied for second at the 6A state championship with rounds of 303 and 301.

Houston Memorial High School – Texas – 6A

Houston Memorial High School finished fourth at the 6A state championship with rounds of 294 and 314.

Southlake Carroll High School – Texas – 6A

Southlake Carroll High School finished fifth at the 6A state championship with rounds of 303-307.

Lacassine High School – Louisiana – Division 2

Lacassine High School captured the Division 2 state championship with a 20-over-par two day total at Les Vieux Chenes Golf Course.

Auburn High School – Alabama – 7A

Auburn High School captured the 7A state championship with a 13-over-par two day total at Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail at The Shoals.

Hoover High School – Alabama – 7A

Hoover High school finished second at the 7A state championship with a 14-over-par two day total at Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail At The Shoals.

Montgomery High School – Texas – 6A

Montgomery High school places sixth at the 6A state championship with rounds of 312-310 at Legacy Hills Golf Club.

Northside High School – Alabama – 5A

Northside High School captured the 5A state championship with an 18-over par two day total at Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail At The Shoals – Schoolmaster Course.

Stay up-to-date on all the regional and state high school golf tournaments this spring with the NHSGA.

April 1, 2019

Top 10 Ranked Boys High School Golf Team –…

Reading Time: 2 minutes

The spring high school golf season is upon us! As we get ready to showcase over 200 state tournaments this spring, let’s take a moment to introduce the top-ranked teams from last year’s spring season.

Boys:

Gaffney High School – South Carolina – 5A

Gaffney High School captured the NHSGA’s #1 national ranking with rounds of 280-269 to finish at 27 under par for the championship. Can Gaffney regain their number one ranking this spring?

Highland Park High School – Texas – 5A

Highland Park High School fired two rounds of 286-278 to finish at 12-under-par for the state championship, besting their nearest competitor by more than 30 strokes!

Mountain Brook High School – Alabama – 7A

Mountain Brook High School finished at 32-under-par for the state championship, firing rounds of 269-275.

Westlake High School – Texas – 6A

Westlake High School edged out the competition last spring with rounds of 283-290 for a 3-under par total.

Oklahoma Christian School – Oklahoma – 3A

Oklahoma Christian School captured the 3A state championship with rounds of 276-277 for a seven-under-par total.

Vandergrift High School – Texas – 6A

Vandergrift High School finished second at the Texas 6A state championship with rounds of 294-287 for a 5-over-par total.

Houston Memorial High School – Texas – 6A

Houston Memorial High School finished third at the Texas 6A state championship with rounds of 293-289 for a 6-over-par total.

Columbus High School – Georgia – 4A

Columbus High School captured the 4A state championship with a ten-under-par round of 278.

Christian Heritage High School – Oklahoma – 3A

Christian Heritage High School finished second at the 3A championship with rounds of 285-278 for a 2-under-par total.

Christ Church High School – South Carolina – 2A

Christ Church High School captured the 2A state championship with a round of 287 for a 1-under-par-total.

Be sure to stay up-to-date on all state and regional high school golf tournaments this spring through the NHSGA!

Posted By: Chris Noble

March 25, 2019

High School Golf National Invitational

Reading Time: 3 minutes

On June 27th and 28th, the National High School Golf Association will host the inaugural High School Golf National Invitational in Orlando Florida. The event will showcase 348 of the top high school golfers from across the country in a 36-hole stroke play format. This event will provide high school golfers the love and recognition that they so rightly deserve. Public or private. Division 1A or 6A. This event will bring together the strongest ever field in high school golf.

Support and sponsors

We are proud to have the support and sponsorship of both the American Junior Golf Association (AJGA) along with the Junior Golf Scoreboard (JGS). The AJGA has graciously offered to host the pre-tournament dinner on Wednesday evening for players to kick off the Invitational. Junior Golf Scoreboard will recognize the Invitational on their rankings, which is the foremost ranking system of college coaches since 1998.

We will be hosting a college golf recruiting seminar on Wednesday morning in conjunction with the Junior Golf Hub. This event will provide players, coaches, and families an opportunity to become more aware of the steps needed to take if their son or daughter wishes to play golf in college.

States Represented

The high school golf season is split up into two seasons: fall and spring. From the invitations that were sent out to teams and individuals from last fall, 20 out of the 21 states that sponsor a boys state championship and 20 out of the 25 states that sponsor a girls state championship will be represented in Orlando this June. Be sure to check out the current field of teams and individuals scheduled to compete.

Why the Invitational is good for golf

High school golf is typically viewed as an afterthought rather than a forethought within the golf industry. Our goal with the Invitational and our continued high school golf rankings is that high school golf will be taken seriously by college coaches, junior tours and anyone else involved with the landscape. So many young golfers cannot afford to play in the national tours and events, and our goal is to provide a championship caliber event at an affordable price.

Additional opportunities to compete in college

There are 222,000 high school golfers who compete nationally. Only 7% of those golfers will go onto receive a golf scholarship and varsity spot in college. A goal of ours is to educate all participants and families on the National Collegiate Club Golf Association (NCCGA). The NCCGA is the governing body for non-varsity college golf in the United States, running competitive, social, weekend, co-ed golf tournaments for college students across the country. NCCGA is where over 10,000 college-aged golfers represent their schools and compete!

Future venues and outlook

We are ecstatic to host the inaugural event at Walt Disney World and Falcon’s Fire Golf Club in Orlando this June! Looking forward, we have the opportunity to bring the Invitational to a variety of top quality courses and facilities throughout the U.S. that will offer something for everyone in the family to enjoy. Our goal is to run a world-class championship event that will provide opportunities for participants to continue competing in college and making lasting memories for the entire family.

Have questions regarding the National Invitational? Email chris@highschoolgolf.org for more details!

Posted By: Chris Noble

March 19, 2019

LGBTQ+ resources for golf coaches

Reading Time: 3 minutes

High school golf teams are made up of players from different races, cultures, ethnicities and financial or social standing. However, sexual orientation and gender identity are frequently overlooked by coaches and administrators. LGBTQ youth and golfers are present within the game. Coaches don’t always know the best way to address and open up dialogue on having LGBTQ players on their team. A goal for any coach should be to create a welcoming environment for all players, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity. Below are resources to help high school golf coaches create a more inclusive and welcoming environment to LGBTQ golfers.

Understanding the terminology

LGBTQ is an umbrella term that stands for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer or (Questioning). LGBT and LGBTQ are acronyms that are continuously evolving to identify and include other members of the LGBTQ community.

Creating an inclusive philosophy

Before the start of the golf season, sit your team down for a discussion. The most important point to convey to your team members is that all are welcome on your team. State the fact that regardless of race, background, sexual orientation or gender identity – all are invited to compete. In reaching this goal, the You Can Play Project can serve as a great resource. The You Can Play Project works to ensure the safety and inclusion of all in sports – including LGBTQ athletes, coaches, and fans.

Ending homophobic and transphobic humor and slurs

The language used by other team members and coaching staff should remain in line with an all-inclusive philosophy. Be mindful of when other team members use insensitive homophobic or transphobic language specifically targeted toward a member of the LGBTQ community. Language like this can put other team members down and give a negative stigma toward being part of the LGBTQ community. Ending homophobic and transphobic language can help every team member feel welcome and safe, especially one who is not yet out or comfortable with their sexual identity.

Coaches do not always know how to create welcoming spaces to transgender athletes and golfers. Golf coaches are tasked with inviting and encouraging all athletes to reach their full poential on and off the course.

Mindful of heterosexual language

No two players on your team are alike. The game of golf has an ever-present expectation that the people who play are cis-gender and heterosexual. An example would be asking your boys’ team members if they have a girlfriend or for the girls’ team members if they have a boyfriend. A simple way to create more inclusivity and to avoid team members feeling isolated on your team is to ask if a player of yours has a partner or significant other. Keeping your language non-specific around sexuality or gender identity will allow all of your players to feel that they are valued on the team.

Opening up the conversation

In reality, this topic applies to each and every one of us, we all know someone who is LGBTQ, they just may have not come out yet. Understand that it is ok not to have all the answers when it comes to these issues. Asking your players, “How can we create a more welcoming environment to LGBTQ golfers on our team?” is a great start. Keep this an open dialogue and ongoing conversation with your players and parents. Outsports is a sports news website focusing on LGBT issues and personalities in amateur and professional sports. Junior golfers and coaches alike can read coming out stories of high school, college, and even professional athletes. Transathlete is a resource where golfers, coaches, and parents can find information on trans inclusion in sports at various levels of play.

Becoming an ally

Realize the influence that you have on all of your golfers and understand how many look up to and respect you. If one of your players comes to you with a question or statement on their sexuality or gender identity, listen. You don’t have to say much, rather, be an outlet for them to speak their mind and reassure them they have your full support no matter what. To be an ally simply means that you support and work toward inclusion for LGBTQ players, coaches or fans.

If you are a coach that wants to learn of ways to create a more inclusive and welcoming environment for LGBTQ golfers, I would be happy to connect with you on ideas: chris@highschoolgolf.org. Together, we can continue to make the game of golf more welcoming to all.

Posted By: Chris Noble

March 14, 2019

Best short game drills for a high school golf…

Reading Time: 3 minutes

A high school golf practice can take place on a driving range, chipping and putting green or on the golf course. Coaches have noted to us that one of the most important topics to them is learning more about practice ideas and drills for their team. Golf teams can save more strokes from 60 yards in than any other area of the game. Below you will find drills that can help all of your team members sharpen their short game skills. Read more “Best short game drills for a high school golf team” →

Posted By: Chris Noble

March 1, 2019

Getting a college coach to respond to your emails

Reading Time: 2 minutes

If you are a high school golfer, chances are you have sent tens if not hundreds of emails to college coaches. However, for many of you, the number of emails you send does not always equal the number of replies you get. Check out some of the tips below to help ensure your emails to coaches are read and receive a reply.

Subject Line

This is possibly the most important piece of your email to a coach. College coaches receive hundreds of emails every day from interested athletes, make your subject line stand out. Remember, this is the first thing a coach sees when opening your email. Focus on putting tangible information such as stats, tournament averages, rankings or academic achievements.

Example of a good subject line:

Name – Graduation Year/State – Tourn. Scoring Avg. – GPA or ACT/SAT Score – Video

Length of email

Less is more! Your introduction email should only be about 3 paragraphs in length. The first paragraph is a quick introduction to yourself talking a bit on your golf game and academics. The second paragraph focuses on answering the question, why do you want to go to that school and why would you be a good fit for their golf team? The third and final paragraph opens up the dialogue by thanking the coach for their time and asking questions that require a response from them.

Swing video

Emails that do not include a link to a swing video are much less likely to be opened or viewed by a college golf coach. Keep in mind that you can make your own swing video and link back to it in your golf resume. It’s important to have a swing video if a coach has never seen you play before and wants to get an idea of your fundamentals and overall game.

Punctuation & Grammar

Nothing looks worse to a coach than an email filled with poor grammar or improper punctuation. Lean on your parents or teachers at school to help proofread your emails before sending out to a coach. Using resources such as Grammarly can help if you don’t have an adult to read your emails.

Time of day

The best time of the day to email a college coach is between the hours of 4:00 – 8:00 p.m local time. Coaches are typically winding their day down, finished with practice and cleaning up emails for the evening. Avoid sending emails on Monday, rather, try your best to send mid-week since coaches won’t be playing catch-up from the weekend.

Season

The two best seasons to send college golf coaches emails are in the winter and the summer. Golf coaches are their busiest in the spring and fall season, so be strategic if you choose to email when they are in season. Take a few minutes and review their schedule, avoiding sending an email on a day they are at or coming back from a tournament.

To be successful when contact a college golf coach, keep your emails short and to the point. Be sure to do your homework on a school or program to show your interest is genuine, and strategic on timing when sending off your emails.

Posted By: Chris Noble

February 7, 2019

How to create a swing video for your golf…

Reading Time: 2 minutes

One of the most important parts of a college golf resume is your swing video. College coaches can’t always watch you play in person, so it’s important to showcase all parts of your game in a 1-3 minute long video.

Posted By: Chris Noble

January 30, 2019

Best Junior Golf Academies in the U.S.

Reading Time: 3 minutes

Junior golf academies can be found throughout the U.S. and are a great option for high school golfers to get instruction from top PGA and LPGA professionals. In addition to great instruction, a junior golfer can experience teamwork, living in a community, and personal development while at an academy. Below you will find some of the top junior golf academies in the U.S. Read more “Best Junior Golf Academies in the U.S.” →

Posted By: Chris Noble

January 24, 2019

High School Golf Seasons by State

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High school golf is in 49 out of the 50 states and takes place during the fall or spring season. A question we get quite often is what are the differences between the fall and spring high school golf season and which states compete when? Read more “High School Golf Seasons by State” →

Posted By: Chris Noble

January 3, 2019

How to compete in AJGA junior tournaments

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The American Junior Golf Association (AJGA) is one of the foremost junior golf tours in the country and many regard their tournaments as the PGA or LPGA Tour of junior golf. AJGA events are typically 54 holes and course setups that mimic what you will find at the collegiate level. If you are planning to compete in an AJGA event this year, let’s take a look at how you can compete and play in their tournaments.

Posted By: Chris Noble