becoming pro

[philly169]

there must be some sort of Amatuer tour us never gona be pro's can play in - when your off scratch or there abouts surely?

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I was an assistant pro for a year in off low single figures. Played in some assistant events and pro-ams and it was abundantly clear that I was a middle sized fish in my own pond at the club but an absolute tiddler in the surroundings of local level events let along any full on local or national tour.

My parents couldn't afford to put me through my PGA training and the club and pro wouldn't sponsor me so I drifted away and found women and beer. I think you have to a be a certain breed to make it off anything other than a plus handicap these days and Poulter etc are exceptions rather than the norm. If you are youn enough and think you are good enough, follow the dream. Raise money any which way (legally) you can as you'll need a chunk to start out and then see where your talent takes you. I've nothing but admiration for any aspiring youngster in any field having the courage to try and do what makes them happy as a successful career. Some make it. Many don't but surely it is better to have tried and failed than spend the next fifty years wondering what might have been

 

[freddielong]

got this reply on another forum, this is the best reply ive had and gives some encouragement. Read below.


I don't think age has anything to do with it. With all the different pro tours around, there is something for just about every age group. That said, obviously someone at an advanced age is going to find it even more difficult to play consistently well. Tom Watson who just won a major senior tour event, and his peers are in a special group of their own when it comes to playing pro tour golf.

You already know you have to play at scratch or better to be successful on any tour.

What I think separates the pro players from the better amateur players is their mental, and physical ability to to play at scratch or better on a different course, under different playing conditions each, and every week. This, after sometimes traveling through different time zones. The pro player can adjust both mentally, and physically to these changing conditions. The successful tour professional has a 100% complete golf game at their disposal. Those who are the most successful on tour use more of that 100%, more often, than their competition. No pro tour player has the ability to play at 100% of their game for 72 holes. Not even for 18 holes for that matter.

I also believe that person's genetic make up goes a long way in their golf game, and how well they can consistently play. Most decent playing amateurs do not have the genetic (physical and mental) make up to play at the pro tour level.

Last, but not least, just to get started, the aspiring pro tour player has to have a great deal of financial backing, regardless of how strong their mental, and physical game might be. Not having "up front" money has probably kept a lot of good players off the various pro tours. Of course having a proven tract record of quality play will help getting the proper financing to play, but getting that proven record of play cost some coin too.



I really like this advice.

Ah so you didn't really want honesty you wanted encouragement sorry, yes go for it

 

[0]

there must be some sort of Amatuer tour us never gona be pro's can play in - when your off scratch or there abouts surely?

Yes there is, I tried it for a few seasons and competed against walker cup players and top amateurs, I thought I was good off a 2 h/cap but the difference between me and these full time amateurs was glaringly obvious, if I did a +1 round or par I was pretty happy, these guys were doing each round in 3 to 5 under, sometimes I'd come off thinking that was a tough course with difficult pin positions but someone always shot a 66........... Multiply these scores over 4 rounds and I'm +4 while they are
-8 or thereabouts, if that was the pro tour I would be skint and starving, an interesting point is that none of these guys at that level ever turned pro, apart from one that used to win regularly and he became a club pro as he wasn't nearly good enough even on the challenge tour.

 

[CrapHacker]

Try looking at

This

And

This

I can't imagine more than one of these guys even getting close to ever being good enough.

 

[feary]

Mate if this helps this a very rough outline that the county told us at winter training.

County Junior squad (under 18's) - 3 and below
County 2nd team - Scratch or 1
County 1st team - Plus Numbers
Regional team(e.g south west) - +2/+1
England 'A' - +2/+3
England elite - +4
Challenge tour - +5
European tour/ PGA tour - +6 and lower

Obviously this is a general outline and would depend on the course you played at etc. A tour pro's average round around his home club should be no worse than 5 under.

So it is very tricky.

 

[jasondransfieldgolf]

I got down to +2.5 not quite +3 before I turned pro, trying to make my way in the game.