These insights are brought to us by Michael Burcin, Founder and Owner of Under Par Consulting. Burcin is a former D-1 golf coach and has worked with hundreds of junior golfers over the course of his career.
Open-minded, family, course management…what do these have in common you ask?
Whether it’s a high ranking, junior or a player that successfully navigates the transition to college golf while enjoying success at higher levels, there are qualities that separate the good from the great.
1. Having an open mind
Having an open mind, may be the most important quality of all great players. Open to coaching learning and being successful in different environments is an important part of being successful in any walk of life.
High school golf does not look like college golf where players are going to get consistent levels of coaching and being open-minded to someone that has experience with higher level players and imparting their knowledge on your game is an important part of being successful at that level.
2. Healthy family relationships
I’m sure we all can name several fellow competitors over the years that had volatile sport relationships with their family. Negative outward reactions on the cart path, the classic phrase of “we struggled today,” or a parents crafted view of their child molded by the success (or lack thereof) on the golf course, are all recipes for early burnout and an ill-tempered player.
The majority of the successful players that I’ve coached and been up against have parents that you won’t see on the driving range before events, they may be having drinks with fellow parents at the turn, or a hug comes before the question of why did you make double on 16, allow for space and a healthy relationship with golf and family.
3. Quickly adjusts and adapts to new conditions
Can you imagine a high school basketball player moving onto play college basketball and the court is 10 feet longer while the basket is 3 feet higher and the ball is also a different size. This is essentially what a junior golfer faces when they move on to college golf greens are faster, firmer, and golf courses can stretch up to 600 yards longer.
This is not the same jr golf setup with center pens and soft greens. Going back to our first point of being open minded, adjusting your style of play and valuing par more than anything else is an important trait in being successful at all levels — including the best players in the world.
The Bottom Line
Yes, scores might get a coach’s attention, but these other qualities are what help players thrive once they’re on a team. I’ve seen plenty of talented juniors fall short because they couldn’t adapt, while others with these traits made huge strides in college.
If you’re serious about playing at the next level, focus just as much on who you are as how you play. This is what truly sets the top recruits apart.