About the Author


As a former college golf coach and someone who has worked with talented junior and collegiate players for 20 years, I feel well qualified to help families navigate junior golf and manage college placement. For this purpose, I founded Red Numbers Golf in 2003 and since then, have worked with over 125 dedicated families who are focused on helping their junior golfer realize the dream of playing collegiate golf. My extensive coaching experience at the NAIA, NCAA Division II, and NCAA Division I levels has allowed me to witness the commitment and work ethic necessary for student-athletes to transition successfully into college.

Realizing that the college placement process can be complex and somewhat overwhelming, I strive to help each client employ a "best fit" philosophy when identifying and targeting potential colleges and golf programs to attend. During my 14 years of college coaching, I met and built meaningful working relationships with hundreds of college golf coaches and other key members of the golf industry. These relationships are useful tools that play a significant role when helping Red Numbers Golf clients work through college placement and ultimately secure an opportunity to compete at the collegiate level.

In an effort to disseminate useful and practical information to an interested junior golf audience, I author "Going to College" on the Junior Golf Scoreboard and serve as College Golf Advisor for the American Junior Golf Association staff and membership. Now, through the Red Numbers Golf program, I look forward to sharing this knowledge with the next generation of golfers and to assisting in their junior golf development and college placement.

To learn more about Coach Brooks' services, please visit www.rednumbersgolf.com

Professional Biography:

  • President, Red Numbers Golf since 2003
  • Head Golf Coach, University of North Florida (UNF) for 13 years
    • NAIA (3 years)
    • NCAA Division II (4 years)
    • NCAA Division I (6 years)
    • Member of UNF Athletics Hall of Fame, Inaugural Class
  • Coordinator of Golf Programming for The First Tee at UNF for 2 years
  • United States Golf Association (USGA) Junior Amateur Committee Member 1996-2003
  • USGA Mid-Amateur Committee Member 2004-2005
  • USGA Intercollegiate Relations Committee since 2006
  • USGA Rules Official at U.S. Junior, U.S. Amateur, U.S. Mid-Amateur, U.S. Senior Open, Walker Cup, and U.S. Amateur Public Links
  • Owner and Director of the Florida Collegiate Golf Coaches Summer Camp at World Woods Golf Club 2000-2003
  • Coached 19 All-America golfers during collegiate career
  • Named by the Golf Coaches Association of America as NCAA Division I District III- South Coach of the Year, 2001
  • Led UNF team to 26 tournament titles, including two NAIA National Championships
  • Established in 2000 the prestigious Mercedes-Benz Collegiate Championship at Sawgrass Country Club, currently known as the John Hayt Collegiate Invitational
  • Coordinated the funding, design, and construction of UNF's $2.5 million Hayt Golf Learning Center - a three-hole, state-of-the-art golf training facility designed by Mark McCumber
  • Conducted numerous volunteer junior golf clinics for The First Tee, THE PLAYERS Championship, and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes Golf Ministry since 1990
  • Earned NAIA All-America honors in 1989
  • Authors "Going to College" Column on Junior Golf Scoreboard
  • Serves as College Golf Advisor to the American Junior Golf Association
  • Contributing Writer for Titleist Performance Institute website
  • Served as Head Golf Coach for Team USA at the World University Games (Palma de Mallorca, Spain), 1992
  • Master of Business Administration, 1991

Email John Brooks


Other Articles by John Brooks
What Should I Do if I Didn’t Sign a National Letter of Intent in the Early Signing Period?
By Ted Gleason
1/12/2010
Do College Coaches Use Swing Videos To Evaluate Recruits? 6/29/2009
What Questions Should I Be Prepared to Answer During a Campus Visit? 2/20/2009
How Important Is Time Management for Student-Athletes at the Collegiate Level? 12/5/2008
You Have Completed the College Placement Process—Now What? 9/29/2008
What Information Should Prospects Send to College Golf Coaches? 5/13/2008
What Are the Most Frequently Asked Questions Concerning Scholarships? 2/15/2008
How do I know if a School is Really Interested in Recruiting Me? 11/1/2007
How do Players Verbally Commit to Schools so Early in the Process? 8/1/2007
When Should Junior Golfers Begin Visiting and Researching Colleges? 5/16/2007
What Is a Typical Week Like in the Life of a College Golfer? 2/6/2007
Is It a Good Idea To Withdraw After a Poor Round? 11/29/2006
What’s the Story on Division II and Division III Golf Programs? 9/26/2006
As a Rising Senior Is It Too Late To Be Recruited? 7/31/2006
Do Coaches Really Care About Academics? 5/3/2006
Is College Golf an Individual Sport? 3/14/2006
Do You Have the Game to Play College Golf? 2/7/2006
What is a Parent's Role in the Recruiting Process? 12/20/2005
Are Unofficial Visits to College Campuses Necessary? 11/10/2005
Should Junior Golfers Attend Collegiate Tournaments? 9/27/2005
Will Playing AJGA Events Increase My Chances of Earning a College Scholarship? 8/8/2005
What Should Recruits Say When Coaches Call Them? 7/13/2005
Just How Big is College Golf? 6/3/2005
What questions should I ask a college coach during a campus visit? 2/4/2005
What are the main differences between junior golf and college golf? 10/7/2004
College Recruitment Timeline - Part 2 7/30/2004
College Recruitment Timeline - Part 1 5/28/2004
Where Should I Attend College to Study and Play Golf? 4/6/2004
When Should Junior Golfers Sign the NLI? 2/25/2004
How Do College Coaches Work Junior Tournaments? 1/16/2004
What is a Full Scholarship? 12/12/2003
How Can a Junior Golfer Improve His Practice Sessions? 11/11/2003
What Commitment Level is Necessary for Junior Golfers to Become Successful Collegiate Student-Athletes? 10/10/2003
How Do College Golf Coaches Discover Talent? 8/20/2003


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