Just out of interest...

[cs1986]

No is the answer to your question but having just read your blog and posts in this thread, I notice the distinct lack of what I would consider to be the most important part of a challenge like this - LESSONS. If you are going to get anywhere near Cat1, you need a good foundation, I'd be amazed if you got anywhere near the Europro tour without them at least to start with.

Thanks for checking out my blog

I had a few lessons as a kid (a long time ago now) but lessons are something Im considering as I get a little further into it. As you say, no doubt I will need lessons if I want to achieve what I need to, Im just trying to get used to playing again at the moment and then I will look into a reasonably priced pro for lessons as I am trying to do it all on an affordable budget so that others can do the same (for example, not joining the most expensive club but trying to find one thats cheap and matches my ability, rather than being a 28 handicap player and paying £1000 a year for my membership).

As for the prize money side...Yes I have seen the winnings etc and I know it isnt crazy money. My plan is to try and save money as I go over the next 6 and a half years that at the end of the challenge I will use for travel, entering Q school etc etc (hopefully i would pick up the odd sponsor too )

 

[Rooter]

can i be blunt? i would love you to succeed in this, i really would. May i suggest though, that you just enjoy playing? going from +100 shots a round to playing scratch euro tour is simply not going to happen, in 15 years, let alone 5. If you were a fresh faced 16 year old with half a decent game today, i would say you have a slim chance. but your last post saying you are "considering" lessons says to me you have an awesome dream! but its not gonna happen. 26 years old that is shooting 100+ and no lessons to euro tour in under 5 years? not a chance in hell, if you get to single figures that would be a HUGE achievement i think! I would re-asses my goals.

I so want you to go and prove me wrong though, what do i know?! nowt. you go and do it and i am looking forward to your updates!

PS. didnt get a tweet from you, @scottroots is me

 

[cs1986]

can i be blunt? i would love you to succeed in this, i really would. May i suggest though, that you just enjoy playing? going from +100 shots a round to playing scratch euro tour is simply not going to happen, in 15 years, let alone 5. If you were a fresh faced 16 year old with half a decent game today, i would say you have a slim chance. but your last post saying you are "considering" lessons says to me you have an awesome dream! but its not gonna happen. 26 years old that is shooting 100+ and no lessons to euro tour in under 5 years? not a chance in hell, if you get to single figures that would be a HUGE achievement i think! I would re-asses my goals.

I so want you to go and prove me wrong though, what do i know?! nowt. you go and do it and i am looking forward to your updates!

PS. didnt get a tweet from you, @scottroots is me

Of course you can be blunt. I am definitely not expecting everyone to say things like 'Oh you will do it' because I know it just isnt that easy....I know its going to be near impossible and I would like all the advice I can get. The point of it all is for me to have something to aim for and see how close I can come. The chances of me making it are probably the same as me winning the lottery but Ill be out there giving it a go.
I love golf but never took it serious before and probably lost my head on the course. I definitely do need lessons but I am confident I will break 100 the next time I play a full round of 18 holes in a month or 2. Like you say, if I get my handicap to single figures then it will be a massive achievement and I will be very pleased with myself.

Haha I definitely tweeted you, you followed my personal Twitter (craigaudioshift) but @ukgolfchallenge is my golfing twitter for the blog etc. Thats the one I tweeted you from. Ive just followed you

 

[Rooter]

The chances of me making it are probably the same as me winning the lottery but Ill be out there giving it a go.

Well you deffo have the right attitude to give it a good go!! good luck again!

 

[User20205]

someone has to do it sometime. It could be you :thup:

most of these blogs are novice to scratch, yours is even tougher, as to compete you'd have to a + handicap equivalent

does anyone know if you can make a living in the europro tour ??

I might start one....not to become a tour golfer, but a Roy McAvoy type of driving range pro :thup:

 

[DAVEYBOY]

I've had a little look at your challenge and blog and my advice would be sort the equipment out sooner rather than later, 5 years is a very short time for this challenge and a dusty old 7 wood and Dunlop balls isn't going to help you. I haven't read this whole thread but please tell me you have a load of lessons booked up?

My personal opinion is you will have given up the challenge within 12 months, not trying to put you down but its my opinion that's all.

Good luck :thup:

 

[MadAdey]

Cor - tough old game. Look at that early season tournament - Mar Hall Classic. 54 hole tournament, he made 2 71s, but missed the cut. And that's "only" Europro. 2 shots- the difference between £10k and £3k, at a level where that really matters. It's a million mile away from the standard most of us achieve I suspect.

As you said there 1 shot a round can make all the difference as a pair 70's would have made the cut. Be one shot a round better every week and all of a sudden he is up near the top of the leaderboard most weeks, at worse making the cuts.

I have played with some of the very low handicap players and + handicap players at my place and 2 of them have represented England at international level, they are that good. But the difference between the people you normally play with and them is unbelievable. Then you have to put into context that a Europro tour player is better than that and we all know how good the PGA and European tour players are.

I was chatting to Adam about it. He reckoned that anyone with any hopes of going onto the Europro tour and making money, should be capable of knocking round a normal members club from the yellows in the mid 60's regularly and mid to high 60's from the medal tees.

The difference between a good scratch/+ handicapper and a Europro player is probably 2 shots a round, but as you have already seen a couple of shots a round does not sound much, but it makes all the difference. But unlike us normal golfers they are not going to be able to make up those shots in the same way. We just need to not 3-putt, chunk a chip, hit it out of bounds, get up and down in 2 instead of 3 and all the other ways we throw shots away. They are looking to make the shots up by hitting that 150 shot inside 6 foot to make birdie, holing a chip or 2, hitting the green from 250 yards on a par 5 to make eagle etc etc.

I do wish you all the best in your quest and I am not trying to put you off. But it will be very difficult as many will tell you who have failed before.

 

[cs1986]

therod - Thanks! I think the guy who finished top of the order of merit for the Europro last season won 32k. To make a decent living I think you would need to be on the Challenge Tour? Haha Roy McAvoy...theres a name I know
Daveyboy - I actually have 6 and a half years The aim is to be pro at the start of the 2020 season. I don't have any lessons booked in yet, Ive just been getting a feel for it again at this stage but I will be getting lessons. The next thing I will be buying is a new wood so I can get rid of the 7 wood. Not sure whether a 3 wood or 5 wood would be best for me though.

 

[Fader]

Not sure whether a 3 wood or 5 wood would be best for me though.

Based on this alone and the fact you've given yourself a short time frame i'd say first thing is get a custom fit on gear throughout the bag. I know you want to do this to show it can be done relatively cheaply but it also will need doing right and even the pros on euro pro will have gear fit for their purpose.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I've read the blog, and seen the posts on here and to be honest I don't think it will happen and it will be apparent quite quickly when you are struggling to play to the handicap in the monthly medal. I have been trying to get to single figures and went from 14-10 last year but can't kick on and I've been having lessons and putting the work in. I might, some might argue, have reached my golfing plateau and they could be right. It won't stop me trying

I'm happy with my own golfing journey and it is proving hard enough. I hope you can go all the way but I know from my own experiences that trying to get better and better can be all consuming and takes away the pleasure. After all, we all hold a job down and play the game for fun, even if we are trying to get as low as we can. If every game you play is going to be a test or for a handicap cut then very quickly especially if you hit a rocky patch, it will become hard work, and a chore and that will kill it dead

 

[DAVEYBOY]

Good for you mate, lessons, some new sticks and a colossal amount of effort and you never know. There will be ups and with golf massive downs and I hope you stick to it just to see how close you can get.

Sorry I got the time scale wrong. You will need tons of determination when our winters kick in or bad weather in general or you will probably loose 5 years with that alone ha ha :rofl:

Again... Good luck :thup:

 

[beggsy]

How far do you hit your drives at the minute, can you shape a shot, and what courses do you play at

 

[DAVEYBOY]

How far do you hit your drives at the minute, can you shape a shot, and what courses do you play at

I think he's literally just starting to hit the ball again... That's what I can take from his blog anyway. Seems to be working on putting and chipping a lot so starting in the right direction.

Read this it will tell you what stage he's at...

http://thebiggolfchallenge.wordpress.com/about/diary/

 

[cs1986]

Yeah I have only just started hitting again last week but previously could drive about 250 when it did go straight. Driver was always my worst club though! As has been said, lessons, the right equipment and dedication are key to it all i Am also going to have to get used to bad weather!

 

[garyinderry]

would you mind taking a video of your swing every two months or so just to see the development. I think that would be cool for us and yourself to look back on a few years down the line.

I wish I had videos of all the crazy swings ive had in the last few years. there is one or two I want back. lol

 

[JustOne]

I played 12 holes tonight after leaving my house at 7.30

Ended up on the chipping green afterwards for an hour in practical darkness, got home at 9.30pm

I've shot under par just over 30 times....

You've been on the forum.

Slight difference there.....


and to top it off... right now my h/cap is 6.4 :angry:





Did I hear someone say something about getting to 'scratch'?:mmm:

 

[cs1986]

would you mind taking a video of your swing every two months or so just to see the development. I think that would be cool for us and yourself to look back on a few years down the line.

I wish I had videos of all the crazy swings ive had in the last few years. there is one or two I want back. lol

Thats not a bad idea actually! I think I should do that. Ill find someone to hold the camera sometime soon and Ill have a go

 

[Hendy]

Seems like a step to far had a friend who played off 3 at 16, he never made it.

Would love to be proved wrong. I really would but if you get down to cat1 then I think you have done well, to get on the tour, then maybe sky sports news will do one of there special reports on u.

Good luck

 

[cs1986]

Seems like a step to far had a friend who played off 3 at 16, he never made it.

Would love to be proved wrong. I really would but if you get down to cat1 then I think you have done well, to get on the tour, then maybe sky sports news will do one of there special reports on u.

Good luck

Its all about having a personal challenge in my life too, something to aim for and to see how close I can get to what I want to achieve.
Yeah you may see my ugly mug on Sky sports news one day haha

 

[mikee247]

If you are serious you need to join a decent club thats a decent level of difficulty and length with an infrastructure, academy etc You need to surround yourself with decent pros and golfers of a low handicap who will spot any talent you may have and work on it.. There you can take advice from decent pros and get some lessons from. Theres no point playing on a mud track in some back water town on a £5 budget.... It wont work and you wont benefit from it unless you have an unusual talent ...... Sorry dont mean to burst your bubble but the level between being a good club golfer on a 5 handicap to becoming a Euro Pro player is massive..... the step beyond that into the main tour is insurmountable. Most of the top pros were +6 etc playing on proper courses whils an amateur. There exceptions of course (look at Poulter) but I guess at your age and time frame for the goal you would have to be around single figures now to have a chance??

I have a number of pros at my place both playing and teaching. There's a few kids (<19 - 21) who are out there all day every day practising and honing their skills 10 hours a day at least. I bet thats the case with many clubs. VV few make it. Theres one lad who played for England as a kid and hes on tour at the mo over in Asia before he can qualify for the Europro! It costs his parents a fortune to travel and take care of expenses. Weve had another who spent several years on the Europro tour and is now back teaching in the Acedemy. They are smashing guys and v good golfers far better than most of the scratch golfers but...... hey good luck with it I hope you get something from it :thup: