Women's golf tops Golf Digest rankings

DePauw University's women's golf program is the best of any NCAA Division III college in the nation for students seeking a "balanced" experience, according to Golf Digest 's third annual College Golf Guide. The magazine judges schools in several categories. A "balanced" program is for students who place equal emphasis on school and sport. The magazine's September issue, on newsstands today, focuses on college programs.

"There are more than 230,000 boys and girls playing high school golf and our College Golf Guide provides the blueprint for them to navigate through the extensive options available," says Jerry Tarde, chairman and editor-in-chief of Golf Digest. "We encourage the idea of playing golf during the college years and the College Golf Guide will help high school students with such aspirations jumpstart the decision-making process."

The magazine uses five criteria: a college golf team's adjusted scoring average, player growth while on the team, academics, climate and facilities/coaches. The survey places all three NCAA divisions on equal footing "because most students research colleges in multiple divisions," states the magazine.

The 2007 DePauw women's golf team finished second at the NCAA Division III championships for its best finish in program history. The Tigers had placed in the top four each of the previous five seasons and in the top three each of the previous four years.