Are you one of the several-hundred thousand college students that have a passion for golf and do not play on your schools varsity team? Do you envy the men and women that compete on the 1,781 varsity teams (per Junior Golf Scorecard) across the country? If your answers to the above questions are “yes” then there are two things I have to say to that:
(1) don’t worry, you’re not alone; and
(2) don’t be jealous, you have the NCCGA!
Since 2006, the National Collegiate Club Golf Association (NCCGA) has provided thousands of non-varsity college golfers with the opportunity to compete, socialize and grow in the game. Throughout the past year, the NCCGA—with the assistance of CollegeGolfPass and now NextGenGolf—has grown (ex-President Matt Weinberger will tell you) from 75 teams to more than 225 competing clubs in the spring semester with the irrefutable potential for continued expansion throughout the years to come.
So whether you’re a freshman looking for an organization to get involved with or it’s your fourth year being a part of the NCCGA, there are 10 things you should know about the largest non-varsity college golf organization in the country:
(1) Whether you’re a competitive or a purely recreational golfer, the NCCGA has a place for you.
(2) The NCCGA National Championship is the premier non-varsity college golf tournaments in the country. If you don’t believe me, check out our articles on our Golfweek.com landing page.
(3) If your school doesn’t have a club golf team, you’re at no disadvantage. Start a club here or compete as an individual in regional tournaments. Don’t worry; you can still qualify for the national tournament as an individual qualifier.
(4) The NCCGA has a National Partnership with Cleveland/Srixon Golf. Want to play the same equipment and be as cool as Keegan Bradley or Graeme McDowell? Now you can be with exclusive prices on Cleveland/Srixon products with an NCCGA membership.
(5) Purely recreational players can save $20 per round on average at more than 500 courses across the country and in your area. Sign up for your Nextgen Collegiate membership here.
(6) The perks for being an NCCGA member are invaluable. Perks include a Nextgen Collegiate membership, hoppin’ deals on Cleveland/Srixon products, team gifts and prizes, and Golfweek coverage.
(7) The NCCGA is highly interactive on both twitter and Facebook. Each of the organization’s 23 regions has a twitter handle, as does each member of the NCCGA Leadership Team. Use the hash tag #GrowGolf in any of your tweets regarding the NCCGA.
(8) The NCCGA is for members of fraternities and sororities, too. The Greek system is home to thousands of non-varsity college golfers and the NCCGA is devoted to providing those members with a platform to stay in the game. Follow the NCCGA Greek twitter handle for more information.
(9) Gain valuable experience through the NCCGA with internship and job opportunities. Whether your expertise is in writing, social media or leadership, there is an opportunity for you. If you’re graduating, the NCCGA’s partners are always looking for experienced college graduates in the golf world. Check out the job and internship opportunities here.
(10) Being a part of the NCCGA and Nextgengolf doesn’t end in college. Nextgen Graduate provides young adult golfers through the age of 29 with opportunities to compete in local tournaments, stay fit with fitness-oriented golf leagues, and to become an official golf course rater in their area. Find out ways to get more involved with Nextgen Graduate here.
**Austin Dillard is the former Director of Communications for the NCCGA and is a leader of the Virginia Tech Club Golf Team. Follow him on Twitter at @AustinGDillard.
