Should I list all of my scores or just my “good” ones?

I’m not sure which scores to show a coach.  Should I list all of my scores or just my “good” ones?

You should list the good, the bad and the ugly. When I coached, it was easy to tell the juniors who didn’t reveal all of the scores. I would find it interesting that the junior was shooting between 70-72 and always finishing top 5 on paper, yet somehow ranked 2142?  I knew there was more to the story. If I had the time, I would try to solve the mystery.  Unfortunately, most coaches are limited on time to research and often move onto another junior. I built Will2Golf for the junior to tell the whole story.  (The rankings do not give you credit for qualifiers, amateur and open events or city and county events.)

Here are a couple of things to remember when choosing what scores to show and what to attempt to “hide”:

  1.  If a coach takes time to find more scores (the less flattering ones) on the internet, it can be taken as a sign that the junior can’t accept or admit failure.  This may create a red flag for a coach.
  2.  Coaches like to  see how you bounce back from a poor round, week or even longer slump.  Most coaches are big fans of fortitude.  Your ability to keep striving in spite of “failure” goes a long way. I would say nearly all coaches would agree with that.
  3. College and college golf will challenge every ounce of a young person. Balancing your responsibility for a team result and grades while trying to have friends or enjoy a bit of college life is challenging.  When college coaches are out recruiting, they know what you are about to face at the collegiate level.  They are recruiting you and your inner fortitude (sometimes more!) than they are recruiting your score.  
  4.  Start learning now “how to own” where you are and keep moving forward. That is a powerful trait that coaches will see and appreciate!