Thousands of people around the world make a living playing or supporting those who play golf. Approximately 60 million people play at least one round of golf annually. Many of those golf games involve networking or approaching a fellow golf-lover for a business deal. Golf is the official sport of commerce.
If you’re good enough to play golf at the collegiate level, you can use your skills to get a great education. Playing and studying hard will help you make the connections you need for success. Even if you never earn a dollar from golf, the education you earn will mean everything.
College Factual’s ranking of the best colleges to play golf takes into account both the quality of the golf team, as well as the academic success of the players and the quality of the school. Learn more about our rankings methodology here.
1. Stanford University – Stanford, C.A.
Head Coach Conrad Ray, a Stanford alumnus, led the Cardinal to their eighth NCAA Championship in 2007. He was named National Coach of the Year, also. Tiger Woods and Tom Watson are among the legendary golfers to graduate from Stanford. The school has a perfect graduation success rate (GSR) over the last decade. Stanford is the #7 ranked college in the nation and #1 in California. Its student to faculty ration is 12 to 1. The school operates more than 18 research labs and institutes, including a linear accelerator center and the Hoover Institution on War, Revolution and Peace.
2. Georgia Institutes of Technology – Atlanta, G.A.
Georgia Tech was founded in 1885 as part of the reconstruction of the South. It ranks No. 2 among Georgia colleges. Tech Square was built in 2003 at a cost of $380 million and sparked revitalization in a formerly run-down neighborhood. Business administration, mechanical engineering and industrial engineering are its most popular majors. In 2013, Bruce Heppler was inducted into the Golf Coaches Association of America Hall of Fame. His teams have won eight ACC Championships in the last ten years and were runner-up in the NCAA Championship three times since 1998. Georgia Tech had a 100% GSR for each of the last ten seasons.
3. Vanderbilt University – Nashville, T.N.
Scott Limbaugh became head coach of the Commodores in 2012 after five years as assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Alabama. The team he built won back-to-back NCAA Championships in 2013 and 2014. Vanderbilt has graduated every men’s golfer in the last decade.Vanderbilt is a very exclusive school. Accepted applicants have an average SAT score of 1490. Its student to faculty ratio is 8 to 1. It is the top-ranked school in Tennessee. Economics, social sciences and interdisciplinary studies are its most popular majors.
4. University of California at Berkeley – Berkeley, C.A.
Founded in 1868, UC Berkeley is the flagship campus of the University of California system. Its 36,000 students occupy 1232 urban acres in a town famous for activism. Berkeley researchers have been responsible for discovering more chemical elements (16) than any other university in the world. Steve Desimone is only improving after 36 years leading the Golden Bears’ men’s golf program. From 2009 to 2014, his teams have registered one of the best performances in the history of college golf including five first-team All-Americans.
5. University of Georgia – Athens, G.A.
Since becoming the Bulldogs’ head coach in 1996, Chris Haack has delivered the school’s only two national championships. Bubba Watson, one of Haack’s All-Americans from 2000, has won two Masters Titles and been included on the US Ryder Cup team. Haack was inducted into the GCAA Hall of Fame in 2012. He is also the Director of Golf and oversees the UGA Golf Course. Georgia is an excellent value for in-state applicants. It is the #3 ranked school in Georgia. Psychology, biology and finance are its most popular majors.
6. Oklahoma State University – Stillwater, O.K.
OSU is divided into six colleges: Agricultural Sciences, Arts and Sciences, Education, Engineering, Human Sciences and Business. It is the No. 3 ranked school in the state. Its most popular majors are business administration, teacher development and marketing. After two years leading the women’s program, four-time OSU All-American Alan Bratton replaced legend Mike McGraw in 2013. The Cowboys have won ten National Championships since 1963.
7. The University of Alabama – Tuscaloosa, A.L.
Jay Seawell led the Crimson Tide to back-to-back National Championships in 2013 and 2014. 65 of his players since 2002 have been on the SEC Academic Honor Roll. Joseph Sykora set a record by being SEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year three times. Alabama operates the Alabama International Trade Center and the Center for Advanced Public Safety. The Angelo Bruno Business Library is dedicated to commerce and business studies. Alabama’s most popular majors are business administration, marketing and public relations.
8. University of Illinois – Champaign, I.L.
U of I operates the second largest university library in the nation. It is a world leader in the fields of engineering and science. The Center for Measuring University Performance lists it in its top 25. Its Research Park opened in 2001 and has expanded to 13 buildings involving 90 companies. Illinois alumnus Mike Small led the Fighting Illini to five straight Big Ten championships from 2009-13. Two of his players in that time were NCAA Individual Champions.
9. University of Washington – Seattle, W.A.
Matt Thurmond is a former English major known for wrapping up every event with emotional letters to players and friends. He believes in keeping a loose, fun-oriented team. He has been Pac-10 Coach of the Year twice since 2005. 23 times have his players been named All-Americans. UWranks No. 2 in the state. Ethnic diversity is high with 83% of its students coming from Washington. In 2006, UW partnered with Seattle City Light and now purchases 100% of its electricity from renewable sources.
10. The University of Texas at Austin — Austin, T.X.
UT-Austin receives more federal research grants than any non-medical school other than MIT. The school has earned more than 300 patents since 2003. The Office of Technology Commercialization connects laboratory research with commercial development. In 18 seasons as the Longhorns’ head coach, John Fields has achieved eight top-ten NCAA Championship finishes, five Big 12 titles and one national championship. Sixteen of his players have earned a total of 24 All-America honors.