Princeton University Athletics
Players Mentioned
Princeton Golf Program Given Top Billing by Golf Digest
August 02, 2006 | Men's Golf, Women's Golf
The article will appear in the magazine's September issue, which will hit newsstands August 8.
Citing Princeton for offering "the best education with an opportunity to play competitive golf," Golf Digest rated 772 men's and 500 women's programs based on scoring average, player growth, academics, climate and coaches and facilities.
The academics portion received a 58 percent weight and was based on numbers from U.S. News and World Report's yearly college rankings. The team- adjusted scoring average weighted 15 percent and included the last four seasons. In that time, the Princeton men won three Ivy League titles and the women two.
Climate and coaches/facilities were each weighted 10 percent. The climate category took into account the number of playable days during the school year, as determined by the Longitudes Group, a research and marketing company that compiles information for use in sports, leisure and travel.
The Ping American College Golf Guide provided information for the coaches and facilities ranking. The program's home course is Springdale Golf Club, adjacent to campus. Will Green, entering his eighth year guiding the men's program, has won Ivy titles in six of his seven years. Former Florida State assistant Amy Bond was hired this summer as the new women's golf coach to replace Eric Stein, who won four Ivy titles as the only coach since the program's varsity inception for the 1991-92 school year.
Player growth was given a seven percent weight and was determined based on the decline of individual scoring averages over the player's time on the roster during the last four years. Three players won four individual Ivy League titles over that span, including Avery Kiser for the women's team (2003, 2004) and Jason Gerken (2004) and Creighton Page (2005) for the men.