People in Jobs | Qualifications | College/Uni Courses
Scholarships | Work Experience

There are now a number of universities and colleges offering golf scholarships or bursaries to help you train and participate in golf to the highest level, while you continue your education. This means you are able to keep your options open in terms of future careers, yet still develop your golfing skills.

Some of the scholarships are available for golf-related courses, such as those available at Myerscough College. The vast majority however are available when you study for non-golf degrees.

Golf Scholarships in the U.K. - which colleges and universities in the U.K. offer golf scholarships?
To give you a really good insight into what life is like on a golf scholarship in the U.K. Rookiegolf brings you an interview with Julie Ross, the top golfer in the ladies' game in the North East.

Golf Scholarships in America - what's involved in choosing to study in America through a Golf Scholarship? Also, a report by Kate Burton, who took the American Golf Scholarship route. This report gives a lot of useful information and a valuable insight into what's involved in American college life.

GOLF SCHOLARSHIPS IN THE U.K.

As a young golfer you may not want to give up your amateur status and follow the route to being a professional, but you may still want to develop your golf while pursuing your education.

Trying to develop as a young talented golfer in the UK is a challenging process.

You have some tough decisions to make and they have to be made at a young age:

• Do you give up your education in order to qualify
  as an assistant professional and try to work your way through the system?

• Do you concentrate solely on your education
  and hope that you can pick up your golf at a later stage?

• Or do you try to get one of the highly sought after College Scholarships in the United States – leaving your family and friends as you try and fulfill your dream abroad?

There is a solution……….one which enables you to keep your options open……

A golf scholarship in the UK which allows you to study for a University degree, while providing you with the opportunity to fulfill your golf ambition.

To give you a really good insight into what life is like on a golf scholarship in the U.K. Rookiegolf brings you an interview with Julie Ross, the top golfer in the ladies' game in the North East.

About Julie Ross
Julie Ross is studying for a degree at the Newcastle Business School and is one of the University of Northumbria's inaugural golf scholars. The top golfer in the ladies' game in the North East, Julie has enjoyed great success throughout her junior career. A golf scholarship with the University of Northumbria is helping Julie with the difficult transition to the senior game and has already seen Julie achieve success at regional and national level.


My Experiences through the British Golf Scholarship System

Finding a University
When I was looking to come to University I think the most important aspect was the quality of the degree programme. I felt that the whole point of going to University was to get a good education so I made that the focus for my decision. Once I had done a little more research on what universities had to offer I found that several also offered some sort of support programme for golfers. I knew that scholarships were one way of progressing my career in the USA but hadn't been aware that there were similar programmes in the UK. Two in particular caught my attention, Stirling had a strong reputation in turning out top quality golfers, that included a number of former Curtis Cup players. More locally Northumbria at Newcastle had just launched a really exciting partnership with Mark James the Ryder Cup Captain.

I found it was important to find the right people to talk to when trying to find out information about Universities. You don't realise how large most Universities are with students, staff and the number of programmes on offer. The academic departments provide all the information about the degree programmes but they are dealing with thousands of applicants so they lack the personal touch and often can't answer all the other questions that you have about University and student life. I met some of the members of the sport staff at Northumbria when they attended the Annual County presentations. They provided me with a more personal perspective on University life, they also told me about the new scholarship programme they were setting up. Dealing with the staff at the University's Athletic Union gave me far more useful information than I could have got from attending an open day or reading all the information that the course sent through.

I was invited to a day over the summer holiday which gave me chance to meet more of the staff involved in the programme, some of the golfers already at the University and Mark James. The day gave us a chance to ask Mark questions about his experiences as a tour golfer, and when we went out to play 18 holes with the current team he came and joined us for few holes. It was a really good chance to find out more about the plans for the scholarship programme and meet some of those that were involved. The staff were really approachable and it encouraged me that I could go to a University that had an excellent academic and sporting reputation, and where I would recognise some friendly faces that knew what I was trying to achieve.

How it works
The scholarship works to a fairly strict weekly programme although there is a strong emphasis on managing your own time and taking responsibility for your own development. This isn't a bad thing though because it teaches you skills that are relevant when you might be looking for jobs at a later stage.

The team practices are taken by the University's coach Steve McNally. My own coach takes me for the individual sessions, although the others who don't have a coach locally use Steve. It has been really good because the University coaching uses a lot of technique video analysis, this has enabled me to work on my own ideas but use both coaches to provide feedback. It has definitely helped the two coaches working together as opposed to getting told different things.

The competition programme is changing this year it will mean that the team of 6, will play 10 league matches home and away, from October to November and then from February to March. A knockout competition then runs from March to June to establish the British Universities Team Champion. The format is 18 holes matchplay in a mixed team. The Individual Championships take place in June, they involve 36 holes strokeplay with the top 32 qualifying for the matchplay knockout rounds. This year I got to the semi-finals where I came up against Anne Laing from Aberdeen who was in the Curtis Cup Squad. On top of this there is a weekend league that includes the squad and scholarship golfers, played around local courses in the area over the winter and the 72 hole Student Masters Competition in April. My individual season is planned during the winter and support is available to fulfill this programme. This year my main targets are the English and British Ladies Championships.

The support that you get through the programme is really useful, the emphasis is on you to make the most of the opportunities available but it is well worth making the extra effort. The University has some of the best fitness training facilities in the region and the staff are very good at both constructing programmes and motivating you to carry them out. As part of the scholarship programme you receive an issue of Team Northumbria kit and we also received a waterproof jacket, 10 dozen balls of our choice, shoes and gloves. There is expert physiotherapy and sports massage on offer to help you recover from the tweaks and strains of the demanding programme and finally there is support to the academic course with close links between the scholarship co-ordinator and our academic tutors.

There are some exciting opportunities being developed for next year, with a Warm Weather Training week featuring closely amongst these. There are also placement opportunities, this year one of the lads has been at the K-Club working up to the European Tour Event there, another has just finished his course and is returning to Gleneagles, where he did a placement in 1999, as an assistant professional.

I am going to be spending a year out in industry next year, as part of my course. I will be going to the USA to do this, so that I can get the best of both worlds, gaining valuable experience both in the work place and on the golf course.

Any Regrets
Obviously there are always some drawbacks, the weather is always going to prove a difficulty. But this is balanced by the fact that I have been settled and relaxed at an important time for both my golf and education. I was able to concentrate on my A levels rather than worry about getting out to the States. I always know that time is on my side, I plan to go back to the USA after I finish my degree, I feel at that time I will be better prepared for life abroad and the challenges on the golf course.

The programme itself is in it's inaugural year at Northumbria, there have been obvious problems and hiccups on the way, but the staff have been understanding and they are determined to make sure that they offer everything, if not more, than I could get elsewhere. It is certainly an exciting time at Northumbria and I am looking forward to the next three years. One things for sure I know I will get 100% support to achieve my ambitions of coming one of the top golfers in the country.

For more information contact:
Sam Foggo,
Senior Sports Development Officer
Tel: 0191 227 3884
email: Samantha.foggo@northumbria.ac.uk

Athletic Union Office
Sports Centre
Ellison Place
University of Northumbria
Newcastle upon Tyne
NE1 8ST

Other Golf Scholarships available in the U.K.

The University of Northumbria is just one of the growing number of universities and colleges now offering bursaries or scholarships to assist undergraduates who display outstanding ability in their sport. Funding is provided to help support training and allow players to participate in golf at the highest level. The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews combines with many of the universities to make golf bursaries available.

Following this route means you have a wider range of options:

You can gain a qualification for a career in whatever area you choose and continue to play amateur golf
You can study for a golf related career and continue to play as an amateur
You can, if you wish, follow the professional route at a later stage,and still have your qualification as a back-up if you are not successful.

The following is a list of universities/colleges offering golf bursaries or scholarships:

University of Aberdeen
Buckinghamshire Chilterns University College
Cardiff University
University of Central Lancashire
DeMontfort University (Bedford college)
University of Dundee
University of Edinburgh
University of Exeter
University of Glasgow
Heriot-Watt University
Loughborough University
University of Newcastle upon Tyne
Royal Holloway, University of London
Stirling University
University of St Andrews
University of Strathclyde
University of Surrey
University of Wales, Swansea
University of Teeside
Trinity and All Saints, University of Leeds
University of Ulster
University of York
University of Northumbria at Newcastle

COMING SOON………

rookiegolf.com will be bringing you further details of all these golf scholarships, together with contact information. Keep surfing.

Bursaries availabe through ELGA

The Angela Uzielli Bursary is administered by the English Ladies' Golf Association, who have provided the following information:

Guidelines for The Angela Uzielli Bursaries
Hugh and Catherine Stevenson, friends of the Uzielli family, have very kindly provided the founding capital for new Bursaries to be known as "the Angela Uzielli Bursaries".
The Bursaries will be awarded to promising girl golfers who wish to further their education at University or College, after school academic year 12, and at the same time continue to develop their golfing skills. They should be of English nationality. The Bursaries were originally intended to provide financial assistance for educational expenses of girls in further education. However, under the present Rules of Amateur Status, this is not permitted. The Bursaries will therefore be used to reimburse golfing expenses, until such time as the Rules permit otherwise. The awards will be administered through the ELGA Trust.
It is intended that the income from the capital will fund up to four Bursaries at any one time, of up to £1250 - £1500 each per annum.
The first two Bursaries will be awarded for the academic year starting in September 2000. The Bursaries will be awarded to students who have a financial need and will continue for the duration of their academic course. However, they will be reviewed annually and the students will need to show that their enthusiasm and commitment to their golf have been satisfactory before the next year's funds are released. For the inaugural year, application forms will be forwarded to all County Junior Organisers in June 2000 and they should send them to any promising girl who is starting University or College and has a place for September 2000.

For further information about this bursary, or an application form, you will need to contact your Junior Organiser.

GOLF SCHOLARSHIPS IN AMERICA

Over the past 15 years a number of young golfers have gone to America to complete their education, lured by the golfing opportunities provided by the college scene over there.

Some are spectacularly successful. Englishman Luke Donald, playing his first season as a professional in 2002 was the No.1 ranked player in United States college golf whilst studying. Luke is not alone in moving to the States in order to improve his game and to ultimately play on the US Tour.

However, for every young golfer achieving success, there are several who return, disillusioned by both the golf and teaching standards. Some return without a qualification, others do not survive the two or four years required for a degree. Some are homesick or cannot adapt to the different lifestyle.

It is not all glamour, and it’s not for everyone.

You need to consider very carefully what is best for you.

To give you an insight into the American college scene, here is a report from someone who did successfully make the adaptation.

Rookiegolf would like to thank the Ladies’ Golf Union for permission to include this article:

SELECTING A UNIVERSITY IN AMERICA

by Kate Burton

When I was studying for my A levels at the age of 18, I was always thinking about my next move after leaving school. I knew I wanted to go to University but was undecided as to whether to stay in England or venture to America.

In England, the level of education is far higher and an English Degree is taken more seriously than an American one. However, the golfing opportunities in the States are enormous, and at 18 all I wanted to do was play golf.

For me, after 4 years I would have obtained a Degree, enormous amounts of competitive golf in an ideal climate and the invaluable experience of having lived abroad and become a mature, independent young woman.

My mind was set on America. I did not go through a company and pay a large amount of money for them to find me a suitable University. I phoned the American Embassy and the Fulbright Commission who sent me through a list of all the US Universities who offered women’s golf scholarships. I then compiled a CV that detailed my academic achievements (you need 5 GCSEs, including maths and english, a science and a language). If you have A levels it is a bonus because you are awarded 6 hours for each A level (to gain a degree you need 120 hours). I recommend that one doesn’t go until the age of 18, it’s a long way to go and a long time to be away from your family and I guarantee you will be homesick!!

Also in my CV I gave as much golf information as I could. Americans like to see numbers so if you have shot a score of 73 or better always put it down (just leave out the scores that aren’t quite that good!) Also mention well known players if you have beaten them. Really promote yourself, Americans like that.

Accompanied with a photo I sent 40 CVs to various Universities in the US. After about 2-3 weeks I received 10 – 12 phone calls and numerous letters and prospectuses. In my opinion the most important thing about selecting a University is having a good, qualified and positive golf coach. Some coaches hardly know a thing about the golf swing and when you are on your own in a foreign country, it’s very easy to listen to the wrong people.

Find out about the climate, too hot or too cold, the practice facilities, their tournament schedule, their ranking and their academic standard. Some Universities don’t offer particular courses so make sure they have your course.

I was invited to visit 3 Universities which was all paid for. I went to Kentucky, Louisiana and Florida and each University paid 1/3 of the total amount – flights, accommodation, food, etc. I was not allowed to pay for anything, NCAA rules. The most bizarre point though about the week was that I was not allowed to even swing a golf club! – against NCAA rules for a coach to see you swing or play on a recruiting trip

HOW COLLEGE WORKS – Typical Week

A coach can require you to practice 20 hours per week. There are approximately 4 – 5 tournaments each semester. 2 semesters each school year – August to December and January to April.

For each tournament you leave on a Wednesday, fly or drive to destination.

Thursday - practice day

Friday 18 ) 54 hole tournament

Saturday 18 ) 5 girls on a team

Sunday 18 ) each day the best 4 scores count

You receive an enormous amount of equipment – 2 pairs golf shoes, waterproofs, 5 pairs shorts, 5 tops, 3 sweaters, a dozen balls and two gloves for each tournament and much more.

To gain a full scholarship, you really need to be off a handicap of 2 or better. Also you need to have achieved a good standard of amateur golf, International girls for example.

INTERESTING POINTS ABOUT COLLEGE

There have to be the same amount of girl scholarships as there are for the boys. Some Universities don’t have a male golf team because they have so many football players and baseball players! (NCAA rule).

You are continually assessed in classes and most exams are multiple choice. The work is not hard but you continually have to study for there are exams for each subject at the end of every month.

MY REGRETS

I listened to my golf coach which did not help my swing! If you have a pro at home keep in good contact with him/her on the phone, through letters or on video tape. You have plenty of time to practice and if you don’t concentrate on the right things then bad habits will creep in. Be yourself – I was too affected by the Americans at first and let the pressure get to me. They like to whoop things up a little.

It is the most amazing experience spending 4 years playing golf all over America. You meet so many people and build friendships for a lifetime. You mature quickly and become very independent and tolerant and extremely well travelled (e.g. in 4 years I have flown just under 90 times!) It’s a great oportunity to improve your golf for you can play all year round.

KATE BURTON

Rookiegolf would like to thank The Ladies’ Golf Union for permission to include this report for you.

COMING SOON:

Rookiegolf will be bringing you further details on where to obtain information on golf scholarships in America. We’ll also bring you interviews with some of the junior golfers who have gone over there on scholarships.

People in Jobs | Qualifications | College/Uni Courses
Scholarships | Work Experience