I've posted here before about this so excuse another post. My son played golf off and on as a kid. Never seriously but played some recreational junior tournaments. Didn't play high school. Quit playing completely in 2018. In May 2020 he started back playing and actually got good. Got into 4 or 5 qualifiers for the Texas Junior Amateur this year. 2 qualified out of 80 or so. Finished 3rd twice.

Lamented not playing and not having a chance to play in college. I emailed over 300 small college and JUCO coaches. 4 responded. We got invited to 2 visits. Both offered. One in Podunk, Oklahoma and one in Phoenix. He chose the school in Arizona obviously.

I've been in Arizona for 2 weeks for their qualifying and first tournament. His team has a Swede that played on the Ping European Junior Team and has been number 1 for every tournament the last 2 years. He's good. After 2 qualifiers my kid beat him by 1 shot and played as number 1 for the first tournament. That probably wasn't optimum.

He walked on the first tee and was paired with the other number 1's. He's 18, 6' 1", 148#. The others were 21, 22 years old and 2 had played the US Amateur this year. He was overwhelmed. Struggled the first round and was paired with them the second round too. He hit 4 fairways and 7 greens. Gutted out 73. I have no idea how. He was 50 yards behind them on every hole and always in the rough.

Anyway I got to see his first college birdie and see him living that college boy in Arizona life. Good stuff. Heading home tomorrow.

Super cool jj. Please keep sharing his journey, I know you're one proud dad

One last thing. He's been to over 100 Aggie football games with me. He's die hard. Saturday we watched football at the VRBO I've been in these 2 weeks from 9 AM until the USC - Stanford game was over. Some of the other players from Kentucky, Utah, California and Arizona watched with us. After our game and then while Arkansas was throttling Texas one of the kids was sitting by me and said.....I've never seen people talk to the TV and watch football like you guys. By the time BYU - Utah came on I had so many kids there from both the men's and women's teams I had to send some of the girls on a couple of wings and pizza runs.

Probably not every 18 year old boy's dream to have a 65 year old dad but we've made it work. Last picture I promise. 7 years old at practice with Von Miller.

I had to read it twice just to make sure I wasnt missing anything. Playing on such a limited basis as a kid I am blown away on how fast and for that matter well he picked it up. Golf is freakin hard. There are very very few people who can just go out there here and there and shoot that well. I tip my hat to him.

Hell yea JJ. Now when he gets famous I can say that I met him and I know his dad!!

All those pics and not one of the large gathering of female collegiate golfers

I said no more pics but I've got one more. I took the boys Standing for America shirts. One of the kids is from Scottsdale and he was really interested in hearing about A&M and our football passion. He came Saturday to watch the games with us and wore his. I'm staying in Van Horn tonight on the way home. Can't wait to go back.

Great write up JJA, I know you're a proud Dad. Playing with that level of competition will only make him better. Keep posting us updates on his journey.
Since you posted his 7 year old pic with Von, I thought I'd post his 14 year old pic with Von. Oh yeah, the also famous ReMarch is in the pic too. Nevermind the 2 old guys.

I can't believe these youngsters let us in the picture.

They played the first round of qualifying for the next tournament yesterday at Superstition Mountain Country Club in Gold Canyon. It's near Dinosaur Mountain which Mr. Bond turned me on to. Dinosaur and Sidewinder are public and great courses if you want to play some fabulous golf without every golf tourist in the Valley. Doesn't have to have a Scottsdale address to be great golf.

He's in good shape to make the starting 5 after the first qualifying round. Hopefully he finishes qualifying strong Tuesday and I have to go back to Arizona.

Breaking in a new Telluride on I-10. 25/MPG.

I didn't start the thread to pat me or the kid on the back. My reason was two fold.

1. It's been just the two of us since he was 3 years old so it's a little different situation maybe. He's been to more than 100 Aggie football games with me and if I added men's and women's basketball, baseball, solftball, volleyball, track and field and equestrian he's probably been to more than 200 Aggie athletic events. That's probably a lot for an 18 year old. I lost my train of thought there. He's roamed Lot E, Lot H and others since he lost his front teeth. From 3-8 he had to stay with me at the tailgate. After that he was roaming. I started letting him go to postgame yell at the Y by himself when he was 8. He's stopped by tailgates uninvited and brought back ribs, boudain, jalapeno poppers, you name it. There are people on this thread who know him (Gman, Bigleftmiss, etc) or have met him so that's one reason.

2. Someone else might have a son or daughter who never got serious about golf and think there's no place looking for a raw kid, a kid without experience or a kid who isn't Speith. What I found out this last year is that isn't true. If you can get over the label of the division level the country is full of schools that do golf and make it fun. In his apartment he has roommates from Kentucky, San Francisco and Honolulu. They're in the building next to the pool and the school's beach volleyball team. Nothing like this happened to me when I was 18.

His world is getting bigger thanks to small college golf (he's not happy I started this thread so I'll withhold the school's name until he blesses it). They're playing tournaments at Sterling Grove CC, Moon Valley CC (Annika shot 59 there) and Las Sendes over the next 6 weeks. In the spring they travel to San Diego, Los Angeles and Sacramento in addition to playing around the Valley. A trip to Lake Tahoe is iffy given the fire situation and possible long term effects.

At this tournament I saw kids who are unbelievable. Even at this level. Kids who had played the US Am or the US Jr. Am. Kids who couldn't quite crack the starting 5 at D1 schools and transferred down because they want to play. There is so much talent.

If you have a daughter who has any interest at all in college golf they don't have to be nearly as good as the guys. Schools need things equal so they're looking for girls that want to play and aren't very worried about the score. If she can break 100 she might be All American.

As I said I contacted over 300 small schools and JUCOs over a 60 day period. I got 4 responses. I expected to get 0. We actually got invited to visit two and both offered him on the visits. If anyone has a kid who isn't Spieth or hasn't been serious and want to discuss how I went about identifying targets, my approach, etc my email is on my profile. Your kid doesn't have to be really good to get a look. The depth of talent isn't the same as the top level. These teams have 2 or 3 players who can play with anyone and then there's some drop off. Doesn't mean they aren't good and I did see one team that had 5 studs.

When we left Arizona in March with an offer he looked at me and said........I guess it's a good thing I've been taking golf lessons for 3 months or I might not have this opportunity. I hope he finishes strong in this round of qualifying because if he does I'm outta here and heading west.

He loves this school, the friends he's made and the coach is the best thing that's ever happened to him. I cannot imagine him leaving. Academics at a big school would overwhelm him. It's not his thing. He would be home after the first grading period. He's been in Arizona for going on 3 months now and he already knows a few of the baseball and basketball players but he knows every single one of the beach volleyball, volleyball, softball players.

He's a very social kid and focus has never been a strength. He's at a place now where they have 10 or 15 per class and if you make below 75 on an assignment they assign a tutor to meet with you for one hour.

Now that he's in love with golf he's in the perfect spot, Phoenix, Az. He's already met so many people in the golf industry and his eyes are open to that industry as a possible future.

The Volleyball girls went to Anaheim yesterday and are playing 3 matches there against 3 other schools today through sunday. The soccer girls are up in the mountains in Prescott this weekend and then go to Carlsbad, California next weekend. Life as a small college athlete isn't bad.

Gotcha. Either way I'm gonna be trying to get my daughters in the 80s to 90s and save my ass some money.

Glad for yall. Congrats!

1. JJA, you have done a good job with your son(yes, I know his name but I am not sharing it so you guys don't go to the outdoors board to get them to reveal his school and identity), he is a pleasure to be around.
2. JJA's son, if you're reading this, this group is family, they only want to share in your dad's experience and excitement.
3. JJA, you make me proud to be a member of the class of 1979, rhey taught us how to be proficient and both written and verbal communication, and your composition skills on here exhibit that.
4. Has anyone heard from ReMarch, I expected him to show up here, hope all is well.