“Nothing tells me more about the character of a recruit than how they treat and speak of their mother.”

Adam Schupak looks at the ever-decreasing role of high school golf, which doesn't come as a shock to anyone who follows the college recruiting scene. But the more interesting revelation centers around how many kids are turning to expensive academies to get noticed.

Though as Schupak notes after talking to Washington's coach, that's not always money well spent.

College coaches warn parents against spending the cost of a scholarship to get one. Men’s coaches are given only four and a half scholarships annually, women’s coaches six, which they allocate among a team of 10 to 12 players.

In a tough economy, a college scholarship is more valuable than ever. In response to an avalanche of inquiries, the A.J.G.A. recently created a Web site to help navigate the competitive junior golf landscape. The University of Washington men’s golf coach, Matt Thurmond, also has a free recruiting blog and posts the answers to recruiting questions.

As much as the opportunities for junior golfers to showcase their abilities have increased, some coaches still stress old-fashioned values to determine whom they want to coach for the next four years.

“Nothing tells me more about the character of a recruit,” Thurmond said, “than how they treat and speak of their mother.”