Does anyone know what is wrong with the men's golf program?

411dawg

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Sep 5, 2012
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I asked about this a few years ago, and some thought we were trending up. We just finished last at the sec tournament. The men's program just does not seem to be competitive. What is keeping us from getting better players? I'm sure there are a few on the board that may have a little interest in golf.
 

coach66

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Mar 5, 2009
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Yips? Seriously, I think things are about to change. We are putting our

Money into golf with Old Waverly changes and we should see better results.
 

BrunswickDawg

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Aug 22, 2012
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Not excusing the last place finish - but conditions here were brutal with constant 20 mph winds and gusts into the 30s. Seaside is a pretty tough layout on its own, but when it is windy you might as well be in Scotland. Dru Love (son of Davis Love III) plays for Bama - grew up on Seaside. He shot 70 as an amateur at the PGA event held there back in November and shot a 78 on Saturday.
 

Daddy Rabbit Dawg

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There's no easy answer, but mstateglfer is on the right path. Like any college sport, recruiting is crucial to its success...even more so in golf than football, baseball or basketball. I say those three because most people are more familiar with them. In golf, the player needs to be able to perform the day they walk on campus. College coaching in golf is not the teaching exercise it is in most other sports (from a physical standpoint). Mental and decision making is where college coaching is most beneficial. The reason is because almost all college golfers have their own teachers, and rarely are they the players college coach.
 

411dawg

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There's no easy answer, but mstateglfer is on the right path. Like any college sport, recruiting is crucial to its success...even more so in golf than football, baseball or basketball. I say those three because most people are more familiar with them. In golf, the player needs to be able to perform the day they walk on campus. College coaching in golf is not the teaching exercise it is in most other sports (from a physical standpoint). Mental and decision making is where college coaching is most beneficial. The reason is because almost all college golfers have their own teachers, and rarely are they the players college coach.


There is no doubt that you have to get the talent. Mstateglfer mentioned connections. It seems to me that there should be some natural connections through the PGM program. There are a lot of clubs in the southeast with State grads on staff. I would think there would be some way to use those connections to recruit some of the better players. It is certainly a different recruiting arena from other sports.
 

DAWG61

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Not signing equal talent as the rest of the SEC. Maybe that's because high school golf or USJGA is **** in Mississippi.
 

CochiseCowbell

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I just realized your moniker is golfer & not girlfriend. I know, it doesn't make any sense, but that's how my mind always read it. Now, back to the currently scheduled thread.
 

codeDawg

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Not signing equal talent as the rest of the SEC. Maybe that's because high school golf or USJGA is **** in Mississippi.

This is it. Great athletes don't just pick up some clubs and become scratch golfers as JRs. We have to recruit out of state and are beginning to have success there. Waverly will help tremendously.
 

Csdog

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This is it. Great athletes don't just pick up some clubs and become scratch golfers as JRs. We have to recruit out of state and are beginning to have success there. Waverly will help tremendously.
. We need a new coach . Awful record. We will finish near or at the bottom until we make a change
 

mstateglfr

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Feb 24, 2008
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Not signing equal talent as the rest of the SEC. Maybe that's because high school golf or USJGA is **** in Mississippi.

Golf shouldnt be a locally recruited sport. If players in the school's state have legitimate talent to play, perfect thats gravy, but local talent shouldnt be relied on. If more than 1/3 of the UofIllini teams have been from Illinois over the last 7 years(the time when they have been dominant), I would be surprised.
UTexas isnt even relying on local talent right now.
Vandy isnt depending on Tennessean talent.

Some schools, like OKState and UOK have more local players than expected, but they also recruit nationally(and internationally).

MSU should not depend on in state players.
 

mstateglfr

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I just realized your moniker is golfer & not girlfriend. I know, it doesn't make any sense, but that's how my mind always read it. Now, back to the currently scheduled thread.

Ha, yeah ive gotten that a couple times thru the years. Im a guy and as long as i stay out of prison, im nobody's girlfriend.
 

Daddy Rabbit Dawg

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Not signing equal talent as the rest of the SEC. Maybe that's because high school golf or USJGA is **** in Mississippi.[/QUOTE

That's not entirely true about the talent not being there. Here's a recent list of the top MS players:

2015 - Davis Riley, ranked #5 in the country as junior golfer. Playing at Alabama
2016 - Andy Ogletree, rannked #38 in the country. Committed to Georgia Tech.
2017 - Wilson Furr, ranked #8 in the country. Committed to Alabama
2017 - Charlie Miller, ranked #170 in the country. Committed to Ole Miss
2017 - Hunter Hammett, ranked #285 in the country. Committed to MSU
2018 - CJ Easley, ranked #269 in the country. Committed to Auburn
2019 - Simms Abney, ranked #336 in the country. Uncommitted

MSU has arguably the best facilities of any of those schools with the opening of the new practice facility and access to Old Waverly and Mossy Oak. Hunter Hammett is an MSU legacy. Wilson Furr comes from an MSU family as well. Something besides lack of in-state talent is the problem.
 

Daddy Rabbit Dawg

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Golf shouldnt be a locally recruited sport. If players in the school's state have legitimate talent to play, perfect thats gravy, but local talent shouldnt be relied on. If more than 1/3 of the UofIllini teams have been from Illinois over the last 7 years(the time when they have been dominant), I would be surprised.
UTexas isnt even relying on local talent right now.
Vandy isnt depending on Tennessean talent.

Some schools, like OKState and UOK have more local players than expected, but they also recruit nationally(and internationally).

MSU should not depend on in state players.

We currently have only 3 players from MS. We're definitely not depending on them right now. We've missed big time on some great talent the last few years and continue to do so.
 

BiscuitEater

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Golf shouldnt be a locally recruited sport. If players in the school's state have legitimate talent to play, perfect thats gravy, but local talent shouldnt be relied on. MSU should not depend on in state players.[/QUOTE]

Current MSU Roster has 3 from Mississippi, 4from other states & 5 international players ..

Three from Mississippi .. Madison, Tupelo, & Brookhaven, MS (Co-lin CC)
One each from Alabama, Georgia, Texas (Oklahoma State) & California
Two from Australia .. Gold Coast, QLD & Mildura, Victoria, Australia
One each from Harare, Zimbabwe .. Kingston, Jamaica and Munich, Germany
 
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I asked about this a few years ago, and some thought we were trending up. We just finished last at the sec tournament. The men's program just does not seem to be competitive. What is keeping us from getting better players? I'm sure there are a few on the board that may have a little interest in golf.

I made a pretty decent contribution to the golf program a couple years back. Met with Clay personally. Just decided to do it on my own because they were building the new facilities and I wanted to help out.

With the PGA program, and Waverly, i don't see why we couldn't be competitive.

I received a team only cap, a personalized golf bag, and a couple of other thing a few days later, thanking me for my donation.

Since them, they have never contacted to me again to see if I would like to donate again, or help in anyway. No follow up at all.

I would think if some guy just shows up with a check and wants to help out with a secondary sport, then maybe you ought to follow up on that.

Hope they moved the coaches' offices out of the Hump. Pretty cramped quarters.
 

Rayburn8

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Because they recruit golfers for academic standing before skill. You have to have a 4.0 to play golf here because they use it to balance out the athletic departments GPA. Source: One friend who made the team and one who was told he had the talent but grades weren't good enough.
 

coach66

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Mar 5, 2009
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I was told by someone this week that we just aren't putting in much effort to be

good. We give preference to alumni kids in some cases and don't cast a wide enough net. Just what I was told.
 

Csdog

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good. We give preference to alumni kids in some cases and don't cast a wide enough net. Just what I was told.
That is exactly correct. That is why we need to get another coach. We are going nowhere as it is
 

Atldog.sixpack

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I heard that he is the reason why we are in such bad shape. Was told he was the Hevesy of golf when it came to recruiting.

His two years here recruiting and helping us turn things around and get to golf's version of the Big Dance are the reason for our decline? Got it.
 

mstateglfr

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Feb 24, 2008
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We currently have only 3 players from MS. We're definitely not depending on them right now. We've missed big time on some great talent the last few years and continue to do so.

Agreed that big talent has been missed. When there is local talent that is legitimately great, of course MSU should go after them. I was simply saying that in state recruiting shouldnt be how golf programs are built and maintained. This is a general statement in response to dawg61's view that junior golf in mississippi is terrible.
 

mstateglfr

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Feb 24, 2008
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Golf shouldnt be a locally recruited sport. If players in the school's state have legitimate talent to play, perfect thats gravy, but local talent shouldnt be relied on. MSU should not depend on in state players.[/QUOTE]

Current MSU Roster has 3 from Mississippi, 4from other states & 5 international players ..

Three from Mississippi .. Madison, Tupelo, & Brookhaven, MS (Co-lin CC)
One each from Alabama, Georgia, Texas (Oklahoma State) & California
Two from Australia .. Gold Coast, QLD & Mildura, Victoria, Australia
One each from Harare, Zimbabwe .. Kingston, Jamaica and Munich, Germany

Yes, I was responding to dawg61's post which made it sound like we should recruit in state but that mississippi junior golf is terrible.

1- its not terrible as there is solid talent at the top.
2- relying on in state talent will hold a program back as year to year will be more volatile.
3- just because we have international players doesnt mean MSU is doing what I suggested. casting a wide net AND targeting good talent are both important. I didnt think it was necessary to specify that good national/international talent is needed versus just signing any random golfers.
 

411dawg

Member
Sep 5, 2012
176
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I made a pretty decent contribution to the golf program a couple years back. Met with Clay personally. Just decided to do it on my own because they were building the new facilities and I wanted to help out.

With the PGA program, and Waverly, i don't see why we couldn't be competitive.

I received a team only cap, a personalized golf bag, and a couple of other thing a few days later, thanking me for my donation.

Since them, they have never contacted to me again to see if I would like to donate again, or help in anyway. No follow up at all.

I would think if some guy just shows up with a check and wants to help out with a secondary sport, then maybe you ought to follow up on that.

Hope they moved the coaches' offices out of the Hump. Pretty cramped quarters.

It just seems like there is not a lot of concern in being any better.