Inside The World Of Free Clubs For NCAA Golfers

Connor Smolensky of the Grady Sports Bureau--it's "part of the sports media program at the University of Georgia’s Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication"--files a detailed look at college golfers accepting free equipment and how NCAA rules are not violated. Thanks to reader Edward for passing this along.

Smolensky talks to several current and former college golfers about their "promotional deals" with manufacturers. In college, coaches must deal with manufacturers for team gear, but top players still can deal separately with their preferred company. Beats me how it all works for the NCAA...

Almost every Division I school holds a promotional deal with some company across all sports. Georgia is a Nike school, and golfers are required to wear Nike shoes and apparel, but aren’t locked in to using Nike clubs.

The Georgia golf team has 11 players on its team, but features players that hit a variety of clubs. Georgia head coach Chris Haack said most of the golfers on the squad came to college with promotional deals, and those players continue to get free clubs from their respective manufacturers.

To avoid any possible NCAA violations, manufacturers must deal directly with the golfer’s coaches rather than individual players. When Georgia golfers notice that the grooves in their clubs are wearing or see a new set of clubs that they want to try out, they simply communicate that to the coach and he or she puts in the order.

“I’ve never had a guy who hasn’t changed clubs, or at least got a new set of clubs, two or three times when they’re in college,” Haack said.