Im 24 years old, is it too late for me for golf to be anything more than fun

[ntate88]

Hi guys this is my first post here so first and foremost GREETINGS!!

I am 24 and a sports fanatic and have always watched the major golf tournaments (or "tours" to use proper golfin patter) when they came on television.

Basically until this time last year i had never picked up a golf club in my life, until a public driving range and 9 hole golf course opened up in my area. Since then i have eat,slept and drank golf non stop (hence why i have now signed up to GM) and the thing is i have learnt i am extremely good at it. i was hiring out crappy drivers and irons they gave out there (which were not beginners clubs at all) and after my third time at the range (around 300-400 balls later) nearly all my shots were dead straight.

i am completely self taught through the net,mags, youtube etc. i am a "range rat" now really as im still learning but i have only played on the actual course a few times and out of 9 holes am avearging only a couple shots over par (no more than 7 shots over par), which in a year completely self taught i thought was ok.

Basically what i am trying to get to is whenever i get involved in sports i never am content with just playing for fun i really want to compete in some form but im unsure if my age considering my noobishness means theres no chance. i no i may not be PGA material in a few years but i would love to compete at even amateur club level or lower level pro tours.

What do ya think guys can i do it??? and you can be as honest as you feel is needed (sorry for the long post)

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Welcome along. my advice would be get into a club get a handicap and get as low as you can. If you get good enter some opens. Even if you don't get down that low your club events including monthly stablefords and medals will still give you a competitive environment

 

[Kaizer_Soze]

Welcome to the forum,

Greg Norman was only a handful of years younger than you when he first swung a club !!! You never know, good luck mate.

 

[bozza]

Welcome along.

Nah you are deffo not too old, i never really took the game up untill i was 27 and i'm 30 and i would like to think i could get down to single figures one day.

But as Homer said above join a local course and get a handicap and enter some comps and see how it goes.

 

[ntate88]

thanks for the advice, im definately going to join a club soon i just didnt want to join a complete noob as the whole country club environment seems a bit intimidating. I do have lessons Booked with a PGA pro from the public course so il get through my lessons with him (only have 3 booked) and then get properly involved with my local golf club and their staff/teachers on a regular basis. If anyone else on here is in london and can reccomend any good clubs do let me know

 

[G1BB0]

go for it, you never know, my only regret is taking golf up late (last year aged 39). If I was 24 I would be looking to go as far as possible. Now I am 40, realised I am getting on a bit and crap at golf I am stuck with just hacking it around

Good luck and welcome to the forum :thup:

 

[Fezman]

I took golf up in my early twenties, playing the local muni 9 holer, and found it a breeze - but never went anywhere more challenging. Packed it in by 25

I'm 43 next month, started playing again about 38ish, playing more challenging courses and being pretty crap at it.

Just had the best lesson ever from an ex touring pro, and now hit the ball off the tee pretty straight, and expect my HC to tumble over this summer (it has always been my achilles heel of getting a good tee shot off).

The moral of this tale is - get to your local PGA pro and see what you are doing wrong (there is always something), then get some practice in. After that it is down to your commitment to lowering your scores.

Good luck and to echo others thoughts - it's never too late

 

[upsidedown]

Welcome along.
Go for it, started playing when I was 41 and now at the ripe old age of 52 have got down to 4 and aim to go lower.

 

[ScienceBoy]

I took the game up about the same age as you but I had played casually before. I was off 12 within two years thanks to a lesson every 6-8 weeks and 2-4 hours a week practice. I paid some gent about £300 over that time to teach me how to swing a club and help me get better!

If I had not had to stop last august I firmly believed i was not far off single figures. One day... one day...

 

[Ian_S]

Definitely not too old to have a go at it. According to Jason Dufner's wikipedia bio, he started playing in 1991, when he was 14. He turned pro in 2000, so 9 years from picking up a club to turning pro. Like you say, you're not necessarily looking to go that far, so if you've got the ability no reason you can't get to strong amateur tourer before you're 30.

 

[richart]

Larry Nelson was 21 when he started, and he won Majors.

 

[JustOne]

You have to define 'more than fun'..... what does that mean?... you want to be a pro or something?

Give yourself 1 year.... if you can break par in that time or get a CAT1 h/cap by putting in 3 cards then you could turn pro by 30...... if you've got endless money and resources.... otherwise...... play for FUN :thup:

 

[19thagain]

One of the BIG problems you have is that ... 'you think you are good at the game' .... join a club, you are then in a competitive situation where all members are trying to win and see where you come in that race.

With this knowledge you can then establish if it is down the low handicap route, as a rep for your club, county or country or pro route or even the happy golfers route which is the one most of us are in.

 

[Smiffy]

I didn't pick a golf club up until I was 30. I'm now 56.
I have so many good memories from over the past 26 years. Golf has taken me to places I would never have visited had I not played the game. I have met some fantastic people and have made friends for life. I dare not think how many tens of thousands of £££££££'s I have spent on golf over the years what with different kit, green fee's, golfing holidays etc...
I got down to 10 handicap when I was a member of a club up until the year 2000. I then left and for 10 years was a "nomad" golfer just playing where and when I could. Who knows how low my handicap could have got had I stayed playing regularly during that time?
I was never going to be a scratch golfer, and my handicap is gradually going out due to lack of commitment and practice. Sometimes I hate this game, most of the time I love it.
Would I do it all again, given the chance? You bet.
At 24, you have years and years ahead of you. You'd be mad not to.

 

[chrisd]

At your age and level of commitment I would certainly be looking at low single figures in time. I wouldn't burden myself with thoughts of a pro career until you get good enough to see if it's feesable. There are plenty of scratch and better, golfers who will never be good enough to make money at the game but will have a great and rewarding hobby for many many years to come. A low single figure golfer can play far and wide in all sorts of comps and representitive matches and is a boon to most clubs.

Some 18 to 20'ish year old lads at my club have just turned Pro and play on things like the TP tour, jamelga tour (I think) and some Europro stuff as well as PGA pro tournaments but they have sponsors and better off parents but it's hard to see whether they will "make it" to the Tour proper.

So start off, enjoy it, get as good as you can and look at opportunities that come your way. That's my view