The season for high school golf almost always falls into one of two windows: fall or spring. Deciding which one applies to you depends entirely on where you live, as each state's high school athletic association sets its own schedule. This article breaks down how the seasons differ across the country, how to find your specific season, and what you can do to prepare, no matter when you tee it up.
Unlike football, which is a fall sport nationwide, golf's schedule is much more flexible. There isn't a single national governing body that dictates when every high school team must play. Instead, that decision is left to each individual state's athletic association, like the UIL in Texas or the OHSAA in Ohio.
So, what's a state athlete association's main consideration for picking a schedule?
The primary factor is, and always will be, weather. Golf requires playable courses, and this single fact drives most of the scheduling you see across the United States. Here’s a general breakdown of how it works:
In states with harsh winters - think Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Michigan, or Wisconsin - it’s just not practical to host a competitive golf season in March and early April. Courses are often still thawing, covered in snow, or just too wet and soggy to play properly. Trying to squeeze a full season in between the thaw and the end of the school year is tough.
Because of this, many of these states place golf in the fall. The season typically starts in August, sometimes even before school begins, and runs through early or mid-October. This allows players to compete on courses that are in excellent shape from the summer. The biggest challenge? Racing against the fading autumn daylight and the first cold snaps of the year, which can make for some truly memorable (and layered) championship rounds.
States with milder winters, such as Florida, Texas, Arizona, and much of California, favor a spring season. Their weather allows for year-round golf, so they don’t need to cram the season into the fall. Courses are generally playable by February or March, allowing for a full season that often culminates in a May championship.
A spring season aligns well with the traditional golf calendar, as interest in the sport peaks with professional events like The Masters. The days are getting longer, the weather is improving, and the feeling of 'golf season is here' is in the air. The biggest competition here isn't the weather, but other popular spring sports like baseball, softball, lacrosse, and track, which can make it harder for schools to field full teams as athletes are often divided.
To make things even more interesting, some states have hybrid models. This can happen in a few different ways:
Because of these variations, you can’t just assume your school plays in the spring because you live in a warm state. You have to check.
Finding the exact season for your school is straight-forward if you know where to look. Don't rely on word-of-mouth, go directly to the source. Here’s your step-by-step guide:
By following these steps, you'll find the definitive answer directly from the organizers. It removes all guesswork and lets you know precisely when you need to be ready.
As a coach, I've seen both seasons up close, and each comes with a distinct feel and its own set of challenges and advantages for student-athletes. Understanding these can help you mentally and physically prepare.
Here’s the simple truth: your spot on the team isn’t won during the three months of the official season. It’s won in the nine months of the off-season. Your coach will notice who put in the work before the first day of tryouts. How you approach the off-season depends on whether you play in the fall or the spring.
When the weather turns cold, your work moves indoors. This isn't hibernation, this is focused preparation a GOLFIT gym experience is a great program.
A fall sport means your summer isn’t just a break - it's your training camp. You have the best weather and the most free time to make dramatic improvements.
No matter your season, showing up to tryouts stronger, sharper, and more prepared than you were last year is the only thing that matters. That's how you make the team and earn your spot in the starting lineup.
Ultimately, whether you play high school golf in the fall or spring comes down to the state you call home, with weather being the deciding factor. By checking your state athletic association’s website, you can get a clear calendar and begin laying out your plan for both the off-season and the competitive season ahead.
Building your game during those long months of preparation is a personal journey, and it often involves a lot of questions without immediate answers. I find that thisis where on-demand coaching can become such a powerful tool for a young player a GOLFIT Player Program is great asset. For instance, with an app like Caddie AI, you can snap a photo of a tricky lie you're practicing from and get instant feedback on how to play the shot. If a strategy question about a hole pops into your head during a practice round, you can ask for a full breakdown. Having that 24/7 expert resource helps you solve problems as they arise, making your practice time more efficient and giving you the confidence that you're working on the right things to be ready on day one of tryouts.
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