Trust 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.
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
Founded in 1897, the Golf Association of Philadelphia (GAP) is the oldest regional or state golf association in the United States. It serves as the principal ruling body of amateur golf in its region. The Association’s 260 Full Member Clubs and 75,000 individual members are spread across Eastern Pennsylvania and parts of New Jersey and Delaware. As Philadelphia’s Most Trusted Source of Golf Information, the Golf Association of Philadelphia’s mission is to promote, preserve and protect the game of golf.
