Are we ever going to have a good golf program??

[Dawg61]

NCAA title is down to last 4 teams in match play. Duke vs Alabama and OK State vs Auburn. Our next door neighbor state has 2 of the final 4 teams. No reason we can't compete better in golf. I know most don't care but it'd be nice to actually get to watch MSU play in one of these final matches they are showing on NBC golf today and it'd be nice to finally get a MSU player to make the PGA tour. Seems like just about every other SEC school has someone to root for on the PGA tour but MSU.

[Turfdawg67]

Doesn't make sense especially when we are one of the few universities that offer a Pro Golf Mgt degree.

[thf24]

Doesn't make since especially when we are one of the few universities that offer a Pro Golf Mgt degree.

I've been told on here before that the PGM program has no effect on the golf team recruiting or performance, positive or negative. I've heard otherwise from someone in the PGM program, though there could easily be bias and a little ego at work there.

[OneArmSteve]

Obviously not PGA tour, but Chad Ramey is on the Web.com tour

https://www.pgatour.com/players/player.47983.chad-ramey.html

And although you were probably referring to men's golf, we do have Ally McDonald on the LPGA tour.

http://www.lpga.com/players/ally-mcdonald/98440/overview

But, to your point, you would think with the addition of the new course at Waverly that recruiting top notch players would pick up.

[IMissJack]

Doesn't make since especially when we are one of the few universities that offer a Pro Golf Mgt degree.

Most of the top golfers that move the needle on a program never intend to use a degree probably.

[JNC23]

College golfers aren’t the people interested in PGM for the most part. Dusty Smith, the new men’s coach, is a step in the right direction. But a kid from Tupelo was just a finalist for the Byron Nelson award and was first team all SEC at Missouri. Didn’t even get an offer from the previous staff. Starts with keeping the MS a talent at home and we haven’t been committed to that for a bit.

[AROB44]

I know most don't care


Pretty much sums it up for me. No need to spend precious $$$ on this.

[Dawg61]

I've been told on here before that the PGM program has no effect on the golf team recruiting or performance, positive or negative. I've heard otherwise from someone in the PGM program, though there could easily be bias and a little ego at work there.

Most of the PGM players aren't scratch golfers but instead are right above that line. Think +2 to +6 category. That's +2 to +6 at standard setup for a tournament meaning the pins are in the middle and the tee boxes are moved up on some holes. SEC play and NCAA D1 courses are played under much more difficult settings so if you're good enough to play scratch/D1 than you want to play college golf and if MSU doesn't sign that player they will play at another D1 program instead of opting for the PGM degree and trying to walk-on. It's not a golf factory that MSU can poach many players from. Not saying some haven't played on the team because it can and has happened before but MSU has to sign future Pros not future country club pros.

[thf24]

Most of the PGM players aren't scratch golfers but instead are right above that line. Think +2 to +6 category. That's +2 to +6 at standard setup for a tournament meaning the pins are in the middle and the tee boxes are moved up on some holes. SEC play and NCAA D1 courses are played under much more difficult settings so if you're good enough to play scratch/D1 than you want to play college golf and if MSU doesn't sign that player they will play at another D1 program instead of opting for the PGM degree and trying to walk-on. It's not a golf factory that MSU can poach many players from. Not saying some haven't played on the team because it can and has happened before but MSU has to sign future Pros not future country club pros.

I don't think time allows both for playing on the team and going through PGM even if someone wanted to do both. What I was told several years ago by someone in PGM is that PGM pulls State attendees away from the team; though as I said, that's most likely ego and a little delusion talking, knowing this individual. A few too many things don't add up about that statement.

[Tbonewannabe]

We just within the last year or so finished the facility upgrade. As far as our home course, it is almost as nice as anywhere. Auburn has a course that has a PGA event every year but most colleges don't have a course like Old Waverly. I saw a thread somewhere, might have been here, that talked about the former golf coach was more worried about his amateur title than recruiting.

[Dawg61]

I don't think time allows both for playing on the team and going through PGM even if someone wanted to do both. What I was told several years ago by someone in PGM is that PGM pulls State attendees away from the team; though as I said, that's most likely ego and a little delusion talking, knowing this individual. A few too many things don't add up about that statement.

Biggest hurdle would be the 8 semesters of internships a PGM major has to complete before graduating. Outside of that the requirements during actual semesters on campus aren't time consuming.

[Dawg61]

We just within the last year or so finished the facility upgrade. As far as our home course, it is almost as nice as anywhere. Auburn has a course that has a PGA event every year but most colleges don't have a course like Old Waverly. I saw a thread somewhere, might have been here, that talked about the former golf coach was more worried about his amateur title than recruiting.

Did Old Waverly let MSU build a facility for the teams on the course as an extension to the club house and do they let the MSU players play there whenever they want? That's a sweet gig if so.

[Coursesuper]

There is a new facility at the new Mossy Oak golf club. We are now on par with the rest of our league. There was a real problem with the men?s team that has been solved, the women?s coach is a good coach and hard worker. But we are way behind with funding when compared to the rest of the SEC. Alabama has a couple of benefactors pushing that program and it?s paying big dividends.

And the PGM program pays zero benefits to our golf program. They are being trained to be club pros not to play golf st the highest level.

[Anonymous]

Kind of ridiculous that we don't. But honestly we don't recruit big fish at all, and haven't killed it in local recruiting either.

Hayden Buckley from Tupelo has killed it at Missou and I'm pretty sure we didn't even offer him a spot.

Hopefully the relatively new facility and the addition of the Mossy Oak course will help. I'm not sure who we hired this time but the coach is more important in golf than most realize. All of these kids have their own swing coaches, but the team coach still needs to be a competent teaching pro and someone with enough competitive experience to help them game plan and manage a round. Golf is a sport where a little money can go a long way, just don't expect to see a return on it.

[Coursesuper]

Kind of ridiculous that we don't. But honestly we don't recruit big fish at all, and haven't killed it in local recruiting either.

Hayden Buckley from Tupelo has killed it at Missou and I'm pretty sure we didn't even offer him a spot.

Hopefully the relatively new facility and the addition of the Mossy Oak course will help. I'm not sure who we hired this time but the coach is more important in golf than most realize. All of these kids have their own swing coaches, but the team coach still needs to be a competent teaching pro and someone with enough competitive experience to help them game plan and manage a round. Golf is a sport where a little money can go a long way, just don't expect to see a return on it.

That we didn’t offer the Buckley kid is a joke. He would have come to State in a minute, hell his dad is from Starkville.

[ScottH]

Dusty will make a difference. He said with our facilities there is no reason we can't compete nationally.

Give him 2 years. Hell he only needs 6 players. See tennis results.

Was hired too late last year to impact recruiting. Golf commits many times are like baseball in early age of the commitment.

[JNC23]

That we didn’t offer the Buckley kid is a joke. He would have come to State in a minute, hell his dad is from Starkville.

Just pitiful. Also, Davis Riley just made the putt to clinch Bama’s spot in the national championship match — he’s from hattiesburg. There are 2 or 3 kids from the metro area that have been committed to Bama since their freshman year. It’s hard to be mad about us not beating out perennial powers for these kids but it starts with dominating in-state recruiting when the talent is there and we haven’t done that at all.

[Cooterpoot]

We have a golf program?

[sleepy dawg]

Our PGM program might not be the reason we should be a good golf program, but it should absolutely be used as a tool to help get there and should have been a long time ago. There are way too many constructive ways the 2 programs could be used to benefit the other while drawing the occasional crossover that can take advantage of both.

[Daddy Rabbit Dawg]

The PGM program is just a type of business degree and has zero impact on playing college competitive golf. I'd say the last PGM degree kids that played on the golf team were 20 years ago and they were walk-ons that were never recruited. Speaking to Hayden Buckley. Hayden was not an accomplished junior golfer and the reason took a chance on him was because the head pro at Tupelo CC played for the current Missouri coach at Austin Peay and convinced him to take a shot. What no one, except those of us that know him personally, didn't know was that Hayden is a gifted athlete and student that takes pride in out working everyone else.

[sleepy dawg]

The PGM program is just a type of business degree and has zero impact on playing college competitive golf. I'd say the last PGM degree kids that played on the golf team were 20 years ago and they were walk-ons that were never recruited. Speaking to Hayden Buckley. Hayden was not an accomplished junior golfer and the reason took a chance on him was because the head pro at Tupelo CC played for the current Missouri coach at Austin Peay and convinced him to take a shot. What no one, except those of us that know him personally, didn't know was that Hayden is a gifted athlete and student that takes pride in out working everyone else.

I'll be the first to admit I don't know jack shit about the PGM program or even golf for that matter. However, it just seems like common sense to me that there is overlap in their fields that inevitably cross paths. If we have a bunch of aspiring future Club leaders our team golf courses should be some of the best damn kept courses around. They should be working with the golf team and coaches to see what needs to be worked on and improved at all times. Creating relationships that could pay dividends later in their careers. Many of those players may be looking for a club to join one day.

[Turfdawg67]

Most of the top golfers that move the needle on a program never intend to use a degree probably.

Agreed, so wouldn't you at least declare a "golf" type major. It's basically a marketing degree where you have to play a lot of golf! Seems like that'd attract a lot of guys not really looking at architecture, accounting, engineering, etc... but are good at golf. A vast majority of ppl don't even know such a degree exists, maybe we should promote it more?

[Turfdawg67]

I'll be the first to admit I don't know jack shit about the PGM program or even golf for that matter. However, it just seems like common sense to me that there is overlap in their fields that inevitably cross paths. If we have a bunch of aspiring future Club leaders our team golf courses should be some of the best damn kept courses around. They should be working with the golf team and coaches to see what needs to be worked on and improved at all times. Creating relationships that could pay dividends later in their careers. Many of those players may be looking for a club to join one day.

It basically means you're getting a degree to be a club pro and run a clubhouse.

[Coursesuper]

I'll be the first to admit I don't know jack shit about the PGM program or even golf for that matter. However, it just seems like common sense to me that there is overlap in their fields that inevitably cross paths. If we have a bunch of aspiring future Club leaders our team golf courses should be some of the best damn kept courses around. They should be working with the golf team and coaches to see what needs to be worked on and improved at all times. Creating relationships that could pay dividends later in their careers. Many of those players may be looking for a club to join one day.

That seems to make sense to someone who doesn't understand the golf biz, but it's just not that way. The world of the PGA tour where a lot of these college guys are trying to get to and the world of the club pro are worlds apart. There is not much overlap.

[Turfdawg67]

That seems to make sense to someone who doesn't understand the golf biz, but it's just not that way. The world of the PGA tour where a lot of these college guys are trying to get to and the world of the club pro are worlds apart. There is not much overlap.

We are both in the golf business but I will humbly disagree. Sure they are worlds apart as far as money, fame, even desire... but you have to be pretty good at golf (or at least years ago this was true) to get this degree. So IF you are good at golf, have aspirations of making the tour, but wanted to go to college first... why wouldn't you pursue a PGM degree and have the club pro / GM option to fall back on?

[Dawg61]

I'll be the first to admit I don't know jack shit about the PGM program or even golf for that matter. However, it just seems like common sense to me that there is overlap in their fields that inevitably cross paths. If we have a bunch of aspiring future Club leaders our team golf courses should be some of the best damn kept courses around. They should be working with the golf team and coaches to see what needs to be worked on and improved at all times. Creating relationships that could pay dividends later in their careers. Many of those players may be looking for a club to join one day.

You're confusing TGM and PGM here but MSU does have both programs. TGM or turf grass management is the course superintendent. He is in charge of keeping the golf course in great shape. The PGM major is the club pro in charge of everything in the club house and giving lessons to members. Both programs are nationally recognized so when it comes time for the students to do their 8 semesters of internships big time golf courses from all over the country come to do interviews and offer the students the internships. These courses are all over the country from California to New York and everywhere in between. They covet offering these internships because it fills a long term need for them in a couple years every year. Sure there's always a couple PGM and TGM majors that decide to work for the MSU course or Old Waverly but they don't offer but a couple positions every year and most of the students prefer to go work at the US Open type courses or a top 100 course close to where they grew up at.

[Dawg61]

We are both in the golf business but I will humbly disagree. Sure they are worlds apart as far as money, fame, even desire... but you have to be pretty good at golf (or at least years ago this was true) to get this degree. So IF you are good at golf, have aspirations of making the tour, but wanted to go to college first... why wouldn't you pursue a PGM degree and have the club pro / GM option to fall back on?

I already told you. There's an 8 semester internship requirement that puts a big hurdle in the way. The golf coach probably doesn't want to deal with that and the PGM program doesn't want to have to grant special circumstances to just that student.

[Turfdawg67]

I already told you. There's an 8 semester internship requirement that puts a big hurdle in the way. The golf coach probably doesn't want to deal with that and the PGM program doesn't want to have to grant special circumstances to just that student.

You already told me?? Oh, okay... well that and $5.00 will get me a cup of 17'n java in the morning.

[JNC23]

I already told you. There's an 8 semester internship requirement that puts a big hurdle in the way. The golf coach probably doesn't want to deal with that and the PGM program doesn't want to have to grant special circumstances to just that student.

Not sure where you?re getting 8 semesters but the Standard for PGM majors is doing an internship after each year of undergrad at a course during the summer + one internship during a full semester to fulfill graduation requirements. But your point is correct ? that no college golfer has the time to compete and get a PGM degree. And many don?t have the desire to get that degree.

[4suredog]

Also, as mentioned earlier, there is a massive gap in a player who shoots 75 every day and a player who shoots 70. So yes, being pretty good and shooting 75 will get you a pgm degree. And 95% of the golfers in the world would give up their first born to shoot 75. However, shooting 75 in the SEC and major college golf won't even make the caddie squad....