Golson attended John B. Connally High School in Austin, Texas. The Philadelphia Phillies selected Golson from high school with the 21st overall pick in the first round of the 2004 Major League Baseball Draft. After drafting him, the Phillies assigned Golson to their Gulf Coast League affiliate in the rookie leagues. He played in 47 games, accumulating a .295 batting average with eight doubles and five triples. He stole 12 bases, and struck out 54 times in 183 at-bats.\n', '

Golson\'s speed became a feature of his game, and went on to steal over 100 bases in five minor-league seasons. In a 2008 interview, Golson said, regarding his success as a base-stealer, that "[you\'ve] got to be real observant of what the pitcher is doing, if they fall into patterns, what the catcher is doing, the counts, the game situation—stuff like that ... but speed is the big thing".\n', '

In his second minor-league season, Golson was promoted to the A-level Lakewood BlueClaws in Lakewood, New Jersey. He continued to accumulate high strikeout numbers, with 106 in 375 at-bats, but he also posted a .264 average, hit 8 triples (a career-high), and stole 25 bases. After the 2005 season, Golson was named the second-best prospect in the Phillies\' system by Baseball America, the highest spot he would reach in those rankings. Most of the 2006 season was spent at Lakewood as well, with a late-season promotion to the Clearwater Threshers. Between the two levels, Golson hit .233 and struck out 160 times. He hit 13 home runs and batted in 48 runs. Golson also accumulated 127 hits in 593 plate appearances.\n', '

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