1. Plus handicap

2. International experience in a national team

3. High finish in a major junior event such as the Carris, the McEvoy or the Scottish Strokeplay

and, even then, he may not be offered a full scholarship (tuition, fees, housing, food, books and all golf- related expenses) because all universities are limited to a maximum dollar-equivalent of 4.5 scholarships and the average squad is 8-10 players.

Girls are in a much better position. Far fewer girls, worldwide, play golf and to try to give women a 50-50 share of the scholarship budget (American football eats up 25% of the men s allocation), girls teams are allowed 6 full scholarships, so girls with handicaps below 3 can often get to top places.

But don t despair. There is hope for lots of other golfers - boys with handicaps below 5 and girls below 10 - at many of the 800 or so colleges and universities that field intercollegiate golf teams.

Academic quality in America.

Students, parents and teachers frequently ask about the value of an American degree. It is wise to choose something that is marketable; a student with a degree in philosophy or English may have difficulty in getting a good job no matter which side of the pond he studies, but at the same time, there is no point studying something you hate just so that you can get a job at the end of it.

There are 1500, 4-year, degree-granting colleges and universities in America (as against around 150 in the UK). There are 100 American colleges that would equate academically with the Top 10 from Britain and, then, there would be the next 100 and then the next 100 after that right down to schools that will take just about anyone with the absolute minimum, just as in Britain. If you have good GCSE s and A-levels and a good score on the American entrance exam, the SAT (Scholastic Assessment Test), then you should be able to gain entrance to colleges in the USA that would be on a par with the ones you would normally choose here

Academic requirements.

British students are technically eligible upon completion of GCSE s or Scottish Standard grades, but in practice, colleges do not like taking people on predictions and the earliest that would be practicable would be the following year. And for anyone capable of doing A-levels, this is highly advisable. You should get degree-level credit for your work and most people are much better equipped to be several thousand miles from home competing against 18-24 year olds if they are that little bit older. Please see the minimum guidelines for NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) eligibility (table below) and consult the College Prospects of America website at www.cpoauk.com for further details of the requirements for each of the three sports governing bodies, the NCAA, the NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics) and the NJCAA (National Junior College Athletic Association).

MINIMUM ACADEMIC REQUIREMENTS

Being a good golfer is not enough. You must spend enough time in the classroom to meet the following minimum core requirements as set by the NCAA:

1. An overall C average in at least five GCSE s (or Scottish standard grades), at least four of which much include:

A. English

B. Mathematics

C. Science (any)

D. Social Studies (history, geography, economics, psychology, integrated humanities, sociology, etc.)

E. A fifth academic subject (a second subject from any of the above, or R.E., computer science, or a foreign language, but not drama, art, CDT, or PE which the Americans consider vocational . The BTEC National is considered a transfer qualification, but a GNVQ is not accepted.

2. A/S, A-levels and Highers are not necessary but will satisfy the above requirements and you can have your A-levels assessed for degree level credit.

3. Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT). This is a 3 hour test of GCSE- standard English and maths offered at various centres around the UK on six dates between October and June. The minimum passing score is 820 (out of 1600).

Why should American colleges want British golfers?

Each college and university has a paid coach who recruits players, organises schedules, arranges practice sessions and sometimes (but not always) is a teaching pro. He (and she) will lose their jobs if their teams continually do poorly in their leagues (conferences). If coaches cannot find enough good American golfers, they will look elsewhere and would recruit little green men from Mars if they could get them past admission and immigration officers. British students speak (more or less) the same language and are usually more serious about their academics and their golf than students from some other countries.

In addition, there are huge financial spin-offs from the local business community, old boys and girls (alumni) and corporate giants such as Nike and Ping when their teams are winning their leagues and progressing to regionals and nationals. Successful teams get national coverage in USA Today, Sports Illustrated and other publications, which in turn, raises the profile of some colleges in the eyes of potential American recruits. All in all, the partnership between US colleges and foreign golfers is successful because everybody benefits.

A few words of warning.

If you go beyond the probationary period required and become an Assistant Professional at a golf club, you will no longer be considered an amateur and will not be eligible to compete at any American university or to receive a golf scholarship. Equally, if you sign a contract with any sports agent, even if they do not begin to represent you until after university, you will be considered a professional and the same will apply to you as well.

How good do I need to be?

Girls with handicaps under 10 can get good partial scholarships and, with 5 or 6 , often full scholarships. Boys would need to be below 5 just to get a place and a small amount of money - maybe 20% or 25%. On average, each shot dropped can be worth an extra $1000 or more in scholarship money. Lots of players who go out on partial scholarships and then do well can get more money after a year or two when some of the older players graduate and free up money from the budget.

How much does it cost?

American universities divide fairly equally between public and private institutions. Public (state-funded) universities are usually cheaper and cost between $10,000 and $20,000 per year (average around $15,000 or / 11,000) for tuition, fees, housing, food and books. Private sector schools do not have access to state and federal grants and are, on average, $5,000 to $15,000 more each year (average around $20,000 or / 14,000). Most of the top academic universities such as Harvard and Yale are private colleges and would require Oxbridge academics for admission.

By comparison, 12 of the 15 top men s and 11 of the top 15 women s golfing universities at last year s NCAA National Championships were state sector colleges that would usually require slightly lower grades. And there are a few, like Stanford and Northwestern (private) and North Carolina and Georgia Tech (public) that manage to be best at everything

How to get a scholarship?

You will not get a scholarship if coaches do not know about you. Some high profile players, like Robert Duck and Jamie Els (Augusta State) and Shelly McKevitt (North Carolina) were headhunted by US coaches over here to scout the main junior events. Other players have contacted coaches directly by sending their own CV s. This can sometimes work, but if you are going to go down this route, you need good advice, extensive research and some good luck to make sure that the college you choose offers the academics, the golf and the ambiance that will make you happy over the next four years of your life.

Or, like Luke Donald, Becky Morgan and hundreds of other golfers, you can use the services of College Prospects of America. They are the British branch of America s biggest sports-marketing company and help to match qualified student-athletes with appropriate colleges. They advise about academic requirements, entrance exams, Clearing House procedures, immigration documentation and visas, as well as giving in-depth information about each college that replies

CPOA charges a one-time fee for its marketing service (currently £525) but will give a free, no- obligation assessment to anyone who completes the on-line questionnaire at www.cpoauk.com More general information can also be obtained from CPOA s USA website at www.cpoa.com

Many thanks to Marva at CPOA in the UK for providing this feature - and good luck if you try for a US College place