ATHLETIC SCHOLARSHIPS: Yes we have them, but they are for a portion of tuition only. That means that you would be responsible for a significant portion of the cost of your college education. As an example, most out-of-state and international members of our men's team pay from $4,200 - $10,000 (including room and board) per year.  Members of the women's team usually pay a little less because there is more scholarship money available because of Title IX (gender equity). Of course, New Mexico high school graduates are entitled to the Lottery Scholarship which pays for your tuition (if you maintain a 2.5 GPA). In this case, any athletic scholarship money can go toward your housing costs. I understand that everyone wants a "full-ride," but they are essentially non-existent in golf, particularly at competitive four-year schools. In our case, the NCAA allows a maximum of 3.6 full scholarships for men and the women's team gets 5.4. If there are 12 members on a team - you can do the math. 

ACADEMIC SCHOLARSHIPS: Of course, we have the above-mentioned Lottery scholarships for New Mexico High School graduates and many other scholarships for New Mexico residents available through WNMU if you apply early (before March 15)! For out-of-state kids, there is a "Competitive Scholarship" if your ACT score is 20 or better (950 SAT) and your High School GPA is 3.5. You may also qualify for the competitive scholarship with an ACT score of 23 (1070 SAT) and at 3.0 high school GPA. This scholarship awards the recipient an out of state-tuition waiver (you pay in-state tuition). There are no other scholarships for out-of-state students.

WHAT'S THE SCHOLARSHIP SITUATION FOR 2004-05?  The men's team will add two or three players to the team for next year and one must be from New Mexico. The other players will most likely qualify for the "competitive scholarship" that I mention above (3.0 GPA with a 1070 SAT or 23 ACT; or 3.5 GPA with a 950 or 20 ACT score). If I take a player that does not qualify for the Competitive, Arizona , Colorado, or El Paso out-of-state tuition waivers, then he must be an excellent player that can step in and play right away -- essentially a par golfer that has a proven history of being able to get under par in tournament competition. The women's team will add two or three players, but their are no restrictions to test scores or GPAs, provided they are declared eligible by the NCAA Clearinghouse. Both teams are highly competitive, so if you are eligible and meet this criteria, if I'm actively recruiting you, I expect you will be a be a top-five player. Also, most of you have several schools on your wish list, and you need to understand that so do we. I am going to recruit the absolute best available student and golfer with that April signing date comes along, so, like most of you are talking to several schools, I am talking to several golfers to fill just a couple of spots. It's warm here and there are kids from all over the world that would kill to come to Silver City, New Mexico because they can wear their shorts almost everyday and work on their games. If I offer you a scholarship, you need to be ready to sign it because second chances don't come along very often.

THE SCHOOL: WNMU is a small NCAA Division II school located in the southwestern corner of New Mexico. Relatively inexpensive (about $6,000 per year in-state and $12,000 out-of-state), the school has about 2,500 students and is well known for its College of Education, however, many majors are available. The campus is small, easy to navigate, and generally pretty nice. The dorms are also nice, particularly Centennial Hall, which offers four-person suites with two bathrooms per suite. Everyone in each suite has a separate bedroom. Almost all of the kids on the golf team live in Centennial Hall, but may pay a different price to live there (the better your grades, the less you'll pay).

THE TOWN: Silver City is a small town of about 15,000 residents. It is located in the foothills of the Gila Wilderness, so if you go 10 miles in either direction, you're either in the forest or in the desert. This situation keeps the weather pretty nice - not too hot in summer, nor too cold in winter. Don't be fooled -- this is not Phoenix or Florida -- we do occasionally get snow, but it seldom lasts more than one day. Generally speaking, if you want to play golf, you usually can. And don't worry, there is a Taco Bell and various other fast food restaurants in town. For major shopping and entertainment you'll have to travel a couple of hours to Tucson, Las Cruces or El Paso. So the big question is always: "What's there to do." Well of course the college coach answer is "study and play golf." If you do a great job at those two things, you won't have a lot of time to do the other things that, in my experience, tend to get my players in trouble. It's a small town. If you love nature, you'll have many options. If you love Applebee's and the Mall, it's going to take lots of adjustment on your part.

THE TEAM: Both our men's and women's teams are very competitive. Four of the last five seasons, our women's team advanced to the NCAA Championship tournament as the No.1 seed from the West Region. The 2001 season was the most productive as the team took home the third place trophy at the national championship after finishing fourth in 2000 and 6th in 1999. The team finished fourth at the Championship in 2002, and won the West Regional Championship. Not to sound too cocky, the women's team is among the best teams in the country, so if I'm interested in you, you must be pretty darn good! Similarly, our Men's team has shown great improvement over the past years but men's golf is extremely competitive. We have made the regionals three times in six years, which is actually quite an accomplishment, particularly since the West Region typically is the home of six of the top 15 teams in the country, year-in-and-year-out. If you come here, you will get to compete against some of the country's best college golfers, so be ready! We try keep a good mix of junior college players, freshmen signees and walk-ons. As mentioned above, we want try to keep 10-12 members on each team. This promotes competition, keeps everyone working and makes the qualifying a little more interesting. 
     So how good do you have to be? For us to be successful as a top Division II program, our men need to average 73-75 and our women need to average 78-81 in tournaments. Many of you are saying "oh, I can do that easy..." Don't fool yourself. The golf courses we play are probably longer and much more difficult than you have been playing in previous tournaments, and you will not have a great deal of local knowledge when you play them. Trust me, these scores are good, and if you shoot them, you will travel to every tournament. Conversely, if your resume and  letter of introduction says something like "I know that with good coaching and good weather I could 'develop' into a good college player," you are in for a disappointment. This is not a golf academy. If you don't have the skills to compete at the college level now, then most likely you will not get them while playing on a team. This is an environment that your game can be enhanced, not built. While here, you will learn more about the short-game and course management skills than anything, because that's where most kids throw their strokes away.

THE GOLF COURSE: The team practices at the local municipal golf course. Although it is only medium-length, it is above-average in difficulty and features very good greens and fairways. You have to be able to hit the ball straight and think well to be able to qualify to travel at this golf course. Honestly, it's not a outstanding layout, but it is by no means a ranch - and it's generally well maintained. If you shoot a good score here, you've played a good round of golf. The practice facilities are not bad -- but they are not great. You'll need some imagination, but if you love to practice, you'll do just fine. If you have to have a "perfect" practice situation, you'll need to look at another school. We have our own tee at the driving range plus a separate short game area. On weekends we sometimes travel to Las Cruces or Tucson to play, just depending on time and weather.

THE COACH: I spent 10 years as a PGA golf professional at a golf course in Ruidoso, NM and was a high school coach there. I really enjoyed coaching much more than "ladies day", so I quit my "real job" and came here to finish school and coach at the collegiate level. This is not a sideline to me, I am very serious about it and if you come here you better be too. If you attend WNMU, are on scholarship and travel at least seven times per year, the school will have spend in excess of $50,000 over four years on you and your golf. We want to get a return on our investment, so you need to be focused! I am (as far as I know) the only full-time, not-retired, golf coach in Division II golf -- it's my only job. The spring practices are mostly structured, not the typical "go play nine and turn your score card in tomorrow;" so if you're not into being "coached" this is definitely the wrong place for you. I was not a college golfer and am not really a "player," but I am a passionate student of the game. I'm here to relay my knowledge of golf to YOU. I don't have any eligibility left, so unlike many coaches, my game is secondary. I have spent a lot of time learning the golf swing and its fundamentals and I enjoy teaching them. Likewise, I would hope that my players enjoy learning them. In addition, if you can't stand someone telling you to hit your two-iron down the fairway instead of blasting your driver over the corner so you can "knock it on Roy," we might have some problems. My job is to get my TEAM into the post-season, and we can't do that with 6's and 8's on the scorecard (and a few I'm sorry's and I didn't mean to do thats mixed in).

  I've had the opportunity to coach All-Americans, players that are now PGA members, and everyone in between, so I promise, if you do your job, I'll do mine. 
So, what does it take for you to get along with me? That's easy. First and foremost, your priorities have to be golf and school. One is not more important than the other and during the season they will take 80% of your time (if they don't, you're going to be in trouble). Secondly, you have to follow these team rules: 1- Don't use tobacco products. 2- Don't do anything that would embarrass the Mustang golf program with the faculty, staff or community. 3- Go to class and study sessions. 4-Participate in all team functions (conditioning, study hall, fundraising, etc.), 5-I expect that you always remember that I am the coach and you are the player. If you follow these rules, work hard in the classroom and at golf, I will be a good friend and a great source for you to draw on during your college years and for the rest of your life. 
     Although they are not really rules, I have a couple of suggestions that may be beneficial: First, you have to understand that I take a far more active role in your life than someone who tells you how to swing a club and mysteriously disappears into a hole after practice. I have lots of "things" that you won't want to do and that will probably interfere with the latest rerun of "The Simpsons" and "The Real World." Golf is a just a part of the college experience. I feel that you should leave college with the necessary skills to make it in the real-world (no pun intended). This means you are going to have to manage you time and act responsibly. Secondly, through my years of experience, I find the kids that are most productive kids here (on the golf course and classroom) are the ones that can communicate with adults. If you have a case of "adult-phobia," you won't make it here. If I only see you and talk to you at the golf course and you are not capable of shooting the (breeze) with your professors, the old fuddy-duddys a at the course and me your golf (and most like any...) career will be a disappointment. The ability to come in my office, plop down on the coach and tell me what's going on in your life is of the utmost importance.  

      Finally, I would steer clear of WNMU if "I" and "individual" are frequent words in your vocabulary. This is a golf team, not a series of individuals who play golf. If you can't adapt your thinking to "we" more than "me," you won't be successful or happy here. I find the team concept is more difficult for international players and some just cannot adjust. This is probably because the kids from America have played team golf for the majority of their career, while international students only play it in once or twice per year special tournaments. Basically, international kids tend to  think the words "coach" and "swing instructor" are the same thing. They're not. This golf team is mine ... it's how I make a living, so basically, it's "my-way-or-the-highway." My job is to get the best five golfers on the course at the same time in meaningful situations and have the ability to assess your game, school and life. If you can't take that scrutiny, you don't need to be here. 

So, bottom line, if you aren't coachable, if you don't follow the rules, don't talk to me, can't adjust to thinking about "we" instead of "me," and of course you're not producing on the golf course,  I'm relatively sure you'll be calling home telling mom and dad that "coach is screwing me over, and I want to come home," within a short period of time.

THE SCHEDULE: Generally speaking, both teams play a very competitive schedule, and are consistently ranked as one of the most competitive schedules in Division II. Both teams can expect to fly to three or four events per year, and when the Pac-West Conference adds golf in 2004-05, you will get a couple of trips to Hawaii during your four-year career. But the reality is that most of our tournaments are bus/van trips and we are on a tight budget, so fundraising is important. But please understand, it is our intent to play the best teams we can play, because that's how you get better. Fortunately, being a little isolated gives us a unique opportunity to play different schools in different regions. During the season, we will face the upper-echelon teams from the Midwest, Mountain and West Coast districts of Division II. This is a significant advantage over most DII schools who tend to play the same teams over and over throughout the season.

A LITTLE GEOGRAPHY: Unless you're in New Mexico, Arizona or El Paso, Silver City is a long way away from you. If you're in a situation that you would have to fly home, you should give this great consideration before deciding on a college. It takes a pretty exceptional kid (and even more exceptional parents) to be successful and happy while being a great distance from home. Mom's cooking and her laundry service will really be missed after a couple of weeks (no matter how much you think you're ready to get away from home). In any case, think about it. It's probably the most significant factor you'll have in selecting a college.

WHAT ABOUT A VISIT: Feel free! Unfortunately, like most Division II schools, we cannot provide monetary transportation reimbursement. We can, however, in most cases pick you up at either the Tucson or El Paso airports and take care of your lodging costs while in Silver City (NCAA regulations allow you only 48 hours here). I strongly recommend that you plan to visit the school before making up your mind to go anywhere, particularly if you are from a metropolitan area (or want to live in one).

WHAT IF I SIGN AND THEN DON'T LIKE IT?: Well, that's bad position to be in. The NCAA requires that any player must sit out a year if they transfer without the special "One-Time Transfer Release." To complicate that, I don't release top players to go to NCAA Division I or II schools after I've given them my time and money. Just like the National Letter of Intent you sign and agree to indicates, you accept that fact that you must sit out a year if you decide to go to another school (unless its an NAIA, Junior College or Division III Institution). I expect golfers to graduate from college here. Athletic programs are built through stability, and if our good players transfer because they are "too good for D2," I kind of take that personally.  Essentially, I don't like to get used. There are lots of Junior Colleges and bad Division I schools with no chance for a post-season berth out there. If what your bag says is more important than how often you play, then you need to go to one of those places to start with. 

NOW WHAT: OK, let's say that you and your parents have read this information and being away from home, being at a small school, practicing at a course that's not Augusta National, spending from $3,000-$10,000 per year for school, riding a bus for hours, and playing for someone who expects you go to school, study and play golf virtually everyday (and can be a real ass about it) is OK with you - what should you do? It's simple. 1-Reply to the electronic questionnaire, 2-Send me a video of your full swing, pitching and chipping strokes as well as some putting, 3- Call me. 4-Make sure you've taken your SAT or ACT tests, and 5-Register with the NCAA Clearinghouse. 

I can't tell you that I'm going to offer you a scholarship, but I will tell you this: If you are from New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado or El Paso, Texas; you LOVE golf, you play for yourself and not your parents, and with all your heart you WANT to be here, I'll find a way for you to be on the team. If you aren't from any of those areas, then you are going to have to be a great student or an exceptional player. If not, you may have to work your way into a scholarship, but if you're playing in tournaments, going to class and doing all the other things we do without too much whining and complaining, we will eventually get you some money. 

SOME FINAL THOUGHTS: I have been brutally honest with this information. I doubt in the dozens of resumes and responses you sent and received, you will get anything like this. Please read it carefully. Unless you're talking to a premier Division I school, be a little skeptical of coaches that tell you how "good" everything is with their program. It is my nightmare as a coach to have a kid come here expecting one thing and getting another because I have misled them in some way. Honestly, I know this "direct approach" has cost me players in the past, but I also know that most of those players who went elsewhere, wish they had something like this to read about the school they selected. Also, this tell-it-like-it-is format is much more appealing to parents than to kids who tend to envision college life as their escape from the 'awful' repression they've know in their high school years -- and here it is, continuing!
    Secondly, if being a college golfer is your dream, it's much better to PLAY at a smaller school than to try to walk-on at a big school. In most cases, you won't be given a fair shot. Coaches don't like to be proved wrong, and having some walk-on beating their scholarship players makes them look a dweezle. 
     

FOR MOM AND DAD ONLY: Look, I'm 46 years old and coaching is my chosen profession and my fulltime job. I don't put up with any BS from junior. No matter what your child's ability is, if he/she doesn't go to class, breaks team rules and is a poor time manager, or "hides" from me, then he/she will not play in tournaments and will be in my dog house (and you will hear about it). About the third time you hear about it, junior will be on the way home. I am, in essence, a third parent for your child and sometimes that means making hard decisions if things aren't going well. I understand that kids can make really dumb decisions sometimes and dealing with them is a part of my job -- and a part of it that I understand whole-heartedly. I also understand that parents sometimes don't get the whole story -- I will try my best to make sure you do.
     Conversely, you need to understand that in most cases, I'm really not a hug and "that's OK sweetie" type of guy. If that has been your method of correction for your son or daughter throughout their life, they will not be happy here. However, if your kid stays here throughout their collegiate career, they will learn a lot more than golf -- and you have my word on that.