The National Collegiate Athletic Association has crowned a national champion in golf each year since 1897, with the exception of two years during World War I. The college game has offered a pipeline to the professional game. Professionals including Tiger Woods, Justin Leonard, Phil Mickelson and Scott Verplank have each won at least one individual collegiate championship. For the most part, the best golf colleges -- as determined by a historical review of NCAA Championships and team rankings -- in the United States share the benefit of warm weather and year-round playing conditions.
Oklahoma State University
Oklahoma State University is the most decorated in college golf. The Stillwater, Oklahoma program has sponsored a men's golf team since 1947. Through 2010, it has won 10 NCAA titles, has been a 16-time runner-up and has finished in the top five 50 times. The program has produced eight individual national champions, nine college golfer of the year award winners and 160 all-Americans. Golf.com, the website of "Golf" magazine, crowned it the top college program in America in 2008.
Stanford University
Two Masters' champions and three U.S. Open winners have come from Stanford University. The Cardinals have won eight titles since the team's founding in 1931. ZIts most recent individual title came in 1996, when Tiger Woods claimed its second.
Arizona State University
The Arizona State University Sun Devils are two-time national champions, but they have a track record for producing individual title winners. Phil Mickelson won the championship in 1989, 1990 and 1992. Three other Sun Devils have earned titles as well. Since 1983, ASU has finished in the top 10 on 16 occasions.
University of Florida
Two of the University of Florida's four national titles have come since 1990. Since the year 2000, the Gators have finished among the top 11 teams eight times. The golf program counts 22-time PGA Tour winner Mark Calcavecchia and seven-time winner Chris DiMarco among its alumni.
University of Georgia
The University of Georgia shares a similar history with the Gators. Two championships since 1990 and eight top-11 finishes since 2000. Bulldog golfers have earned 21 first-team All-America awards, and its most famous alum is three-time Ryder Cup team member Chip Beck.
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