How old is too old?

[Mosside3554]

As it says on the tin!

How old do you have to accept that you will never be a pro? We had a discussion at our club the other day around this and am interested to get a wider view.

If you look at my own history, I have been playing (with the odd gap) for around 16 years, so I doubt I will ever be a pro. If I had any chance you would like to think I would have noticed by now (Gotta keep hoping.......). And so simply try and be the best player I can.

But if somone my age (im 29) had a natural talent for the game but had never even played, could they pick a club up, realise their potential and aim to turn pro one day? I have seen players go from a standing start to single figures within 2 years so I think it could be done an anything up to 40?

 

[Aztecs27]

Look at our Bob..He's about 115 years old and turned pro aged 99(ish) I believe. Still going strong.

Never too old if you put your mind to it, It just gets harder.

 

[duncan mackie]

there are so many variables it's not really possible to make a sensible encompassing answer.

people from other sports have taken it up 'late' and succeeded straight on the US Senior Tour - but it's rare (I can only think of 1! ex ice hockey), other's have dabled then taken it seriously later on and played on the lower tier tours 'successfully'.

otoh if you are talking normal people wanting to make a living on a Tour - probably 15, max 16 , preferably 9 or younger!

 

[Doon frae Troon]

Aye
If you are not +3 by your 14th birthday you are now probably too old to make it as a Pro. Always exceptions though.

 

[Jensen]

Ian Poulter was working in a golf shop and decided to commit himself when he was off 6. He wasn't even off scratch and was about 19.
This is what I heard from memory so could be corrected.

 

[duncan mackie]

Ian Poulter was working in a golf shop and decided to commit himself when he was off 6. He wasn't even off scratch and was about 19.
This is what I heard from memory so could be corrected.

there are exceptions to every rule of thumb Jensen, and Ian P is frequently cited in this vein.

On the other side of the equation if you checked the background of the top 1000 professional golfers worldwide today would you want to bet against 90%+ having started at 16 or younger?

 

[Doon frae Troon]

Jensen,
Re Poulter,that was nearly 20 years ago. The golf world has moved on quite a bit since then.

 

[HickoryShaft]

Depends on what your view of Pro is.

To be a good golfer and turn Pro and teach / be a club professional I would say age doesn't matter if you have the skill (clearly there are limits).

To be a tour Pro I would suggest you need to be very good, skilled and driven at a young age to make it. As said in above posts exceptions do happen but they are just that - exceptions I guess.

 

[SaintHacker]

Julian Dicks gave it a good go hen he retired from football, probably in his late twenties/early thirties, before his knee fell apart completely

 

[jeardley]

Didn't Nigel mansell play on the seniors tour?

Sure I read that in the mag not so long ago

 

[duncan mackie]

Didn't Nigel mansell play on the seniors tour?

Sure I read that in the mag not so long ago

I believe that it was suggested that he might be good enough during a pro-am or pro-celebrity event TV coverage. How realistic that was is another matter

Edit - he played in the Australian Open as an amateur and tried to qualify for the Seniors tour; just missed out. Then promoted a Senior Tour event on his own golf course which he played in, presumably as an amateur again.

Of course the unknown in the context of this thread is at what age Nigel started his golf...

 

[HomerJSimpson]

It depends. To be a potential tour player I guess + figures by mid teens and performing well at county level. To be a club pro, then there is a little more margin and even early 20's isn't necessarily too late providing you meet the PGA requirements and pass the course.

 

[chrisd]

You swines ............... you've ruined my dreams! and I'm only 59 and playing off 11 ..... so nearly there!

 

[Scadge]

I agree the general sense that you need to start early (pre 16) to be a tour pro but I believe the PGA allows people to become qualified if they score a number of rounds at 4 over or better and this is sufficient for club pro / teaching level.

However, I would disagree with some of the points having watched a lot of junior golf. Even at 14 and 15 years old there are some amazing kids with a short game to die for but who haven't a prayer of being plus handicappers until they grow above 5 feet tall (which funnily enough most of them do). Even then its not about plus two or plus three it's about can you get it done when you need to earn your card, keep your card, puts worth 2o grand etc. I was amazed when i saw an article on how much you could earn if every round was par (you'd win the US Open), one under (multiple million dollars) etc.

Finally the book Dream On which is one guys quest to play a round at par or better within a year shows some of the variety in the challenge.

 

[PhilTheFragger]

I think in my case I was born too old

Fragger

 

[JustOne]

It's not age.... it's money and how much time you're prepared to give. Most people over the age of 16 actually have a life.

Monty was a 6 h/capper at aged 18 and won a couple of things...... but not a major