Enjoy a unique golf experience at our historic course. Warm up in our state of the art Golf simulator, have lunch before or after 9 holes with professional golfer and golf coach Josh McCumber. Hear stories about playing in the US Open, going to PGA TOUR qualifying school, growing up with a PGA TOUR champion uncle while also getting expert tips to help you with your game. Click here to email Josh for details and to sign up as a single or with one or two friends. ​

I wrote a blog post last year after I played the U.S. Open qualifier at Lake Jovita, it was my first competitive round in over two years and the post was titled Why Playing Competitive Golf Makes Me A Better Coach.  I firmly believe it as I've played a few more competitive rounds since then.  I've always prided myself on being a coach from the players perspective looking at it from the players eyes what the player feels what the player sees and when you play in competition and you play in tournament golf it really helps you relate and remember that this game is not perfect, there are lots of challenges emotionally and mentally to play this game at a very high-level and compete with the worlds best. It reminds me when I compete what the best players are focused on and what they work their tails off to do. 

As we play competitive golf keep in mind a couple of key thoughts and key goals when you play your next round. The best players in the world spend a lot of energy in getting themselves as relaxed as possible, actually better said in the zone that allows them to be creative to use their imaginations, trust their instincts and make good decisions in the heat of the moment. 

Look at golf as an opportunity to challenge yourself. The more competitive golf you can play, the more you put yourself in uncomfortable situations the better you will perform in those situations going forward. Growth happens when we stop doing what makes us comfortable. 

I played the Florida Open qualifier July 1. I hadn't prepared much but wanted to challenge myself to do the things I preach to my players. I found a way to shoot even par on the back nine for a 76. Somehow it made it into a playoff.  It was such a fun experience. I felt my adrenaline rushing and experienced things I hadn't in a while. Even though I didn't get the spot and am 2nd alternate, I can't wait for the next time to be in that spot. I will continue to focus on the things I can control. I will take some deep breaths, use my imagination to feel and picture the shot I want to hit and use the rest of my energy to make a trusted and free golf swing. If we can do these things on every shot, we will be successful every time we play regardless of the outcome. 

Play the game...enjoy the walk!

http://youtu.be/Nw0_NUuGOFg

SFA Golf Director, Josh McCumber, interviews University of Florida Men’s Golf Coach JC Deacon. In the interview Coach Deacon discusses what they look for in golf recruits, and what recruits can do to give themselves an advantage by standing out.

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Bowen Sargent has coached the University of Virginia Men’s golf team for 10 seasons and he played professionally for 9 years. He was kind enough to sit down with SFA’s director of golf, Josh McCumber, and share his knowledge about the recruiting process.

SFA: At SFA, we try to explain to our clients that the recruiting process is like being on three year job interview; is that how you view the recruiting process?

BS: To some extent yes. As coaches, we certainly want to see a “body of work” over a period of time to better indicate what we’ll get when they enter college.

SFA: What advice do you have for the parents of high school student athletes about the recruiting process?

BS: I would recommend starting early in the recruiting process. Often recruits are left behind because they don’t know how quickly the process unfolds. I would also put more value into the coaching staff and recognize that what a program has to offer will compliment or make their child better. I think this piece is lost in the process a lot of times.

Also, I would advise any recruit that has been contacted directly prior to September 1 of their junior year is being recruited illegally. I wouldn’t want my kid playing for someone willing to cheat. After all this is a game of integrity and I think the recruiting process should be treated with the same respect.

SFA: Assuming that they have the academics and golf level to attend your school, when should junior players begin to contact you or send you their resume?

BS: Given the new change in NCAA rules, I think no later than your sophomore year, preferably by their freshman year. This will allow potential student athletes (PSA’s) to visit schools in their sophomore year and make a decision soon thereafter which seems to be the current timeframe for a commitment.

SFA: How important is it for potential recruits to build strong relationships with you and the players on your team?

BS: Building a relationship with a potential coach is vital. I think this is a piece of the recruiting process that is often missed. The coach will be with you for four years and will help shape your athletic, academic and social life.

SFA: What are your coaching philosophies?

BS: I feel my job is to motivate and encourage my student-athletes to achieve the most of their academic and athletic skills. So I want to see each student athlete graduate from the University of Virginia having achieved their full potential thus setting them up for a successful future whether it’s in golf or business.

SFA: What should athletes do or not do while taking their unofficial and official visits?

BS: I would encourage PSA’s to come prepared for a visit. Think about what you want from a college athletic program and ask good questions to make the most of the visit. Talk with former student athletes who played for or against that coach/school, and see what they think of that coach.

SFA: What would you like to see more of from high school athletes?

BS: If I were a recruit and knew what I know now I would go to college tournaments and see what actually happens at college events. I’d see how coaches prepare and develop their young men.  I think attending a college tournament tells you a lot about how a team is prepared and how they are coached.

On the academic side, I’d like to see more PSA’s taking the SAT/ACT in their freshman and sophomore year.

SFA: Why do you think so many college student athletes quit and transfer?

BS: Great question, no doubt it’s because the PSA didn’t do his homework before making a decision. As I mentioned previously, the recruiting process is about getting the most out of your college experience and finding the college and athletic program that’s the best fit for you! All too often, PSA’s get too consumed with the material side of the recruiting process whether it is rankings or facilities, etc… In the end, it’s people and knowledge that make you better. So a recruit’s relationship with a coach is vital.  Be leery of any program that has a lot of transfers or kids dropping off the team. Do your homework with rosters and check the history of the athletic programs.

Playing tournament golf is an art. It's not easy or for the faint of heart. It truly must be approached as a creative endeavor. It requires a lot of right brain mastery.

When approaching the game at the tournament level we have to prepare for everything. You've heard the saying "prepare for the worst and expect the best." It's 100% accurate and how you accomplish that mindset is by being an artist. You commit to the process and then let the results unfold.

Performers are masters at that craft. They rehearse and prepare and know the songs backwards and forwards. Invariably mistakes will be made along the way. What do the best performers do? They keep going like nothing happened. That's how you play tournament golf. You keep going like nothing happened. You will make mistakes. How do you deal with the mistakes? Do you take your medicine and keep plugging away?

The art of great tournament golf is also summed up in how well you finish rounds. Lots of things will happen to you through out the week. How well are you able to focus, calm your emotions and get the ball in the hole. At the end of the day it's always about getting the ball in the hole. Do what you have to do to get the ball in the hole. Do what you have to do to hit it in the fairway and put it on the green. If you miss a green, be gritty and find a way to hole the chip or chip it close. We always remember how we finish rounds. It's the key to playing great tournament golf.

The more you embrace tournament golf, understand the nuances and the fact you will make mistakes only helps you deal with adversity head on, the hallmark of a champion. The greatest artists don't worry about messing up, they just keep going like nothing happened! Remember to play the game and enjoy the walk.

I am constantly searching YouTube for good tips on becoming a better player. It is great learning the nuances of the game from the greats and major champion winners. I came across a great video of Lee Trevino talking about hitting pitch shots and wedges.  In the video he will also explain why Steve Stricker is such a good wedge player.  Enjoy the video and let me know your thoughts in the comments below.  Play the game and enjoy the walk!

Yesterday was a really fun day attempting to qualify for the U.S. Open.  9 years ago, I qualified for my 1st U.S. Open at Pinehurst.  I fell short of advancing to the sectional but in the process I remembered why playing tournament golf is so valuable.  I have been on the golf course a lot in tournament settings lately, just haven't played in them myself.  I have been coaching players on how they can perform at their optimal when the outcome means something to them and their future.  No matter how many times I tell my players how to approach a situation or how to handle adversity, if I'm not competing some, I am not giving them the best advice.  Playing tournament golf brings out a different level of anxiety, a different amount of tension.  Being able to think clearly, staying calm and relaxed is a skill that must be learned.  It's why Jack Nicklaus was so successful.  He said the four things that make a winner are the following: 

1. Be able to think clearly under pressure
   
2. Be patient
3. Be self-centered, focusing on yourself and the golf course
4. Be able to do 1-3 really well when it's not going well and you do not have your A game.

When competing myself, I am able to attempt to do the above.  It isn't easy when you are the one hitting shots.  It is pretty easy to say to a player what kind of shot was that you just hit?  What was your target? What were you thinking there? Emotions are a crazy thing.  Everyone responds to stress differently.  Competition reiterates to me every time the importance of a great routine that allows you to swing with great rhythm and tempo.  At the end of the day the most important is your attitude.  Can you adopt an attitude of confidence and playing with no consequences when the stakes are high?  I challenge all coaches to not lose sight of competing themselves so they can practice what they preach.  It will go a long way into getting your players to listen and buy in to what you want them doing under those conditions. Play the game...enjoy the walk.