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The road from scratch to pro...

Good luck with your progress I do think you need to be a lot lower than 22 to be considering going on tour, especially at 16, there are lots out there in low single figures of your age already and so few make it. Keep up
With the studies though? You doing gcse's now? Get good grades in them and then play golf all summer!
 
miniTIGER95 said:
I think by this time next year I will be off of around 4.
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2 months ago i was off 22, this week i shot a 82 and an 83 consecutively, and i dont think they were 'fluke' rounds,​
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Right, without wanting to sound condescending here, you have along long way to go before you are applying consistently at the level where you could consider looking for an trainees job. You've then got a long slog working with a specified number of hours in the shop as a trainee and studying for your degree on top of all that.You've got playing tests as well. So getting to 4 hcp isn't your aim. You've really got to get as low as possible before you start to think about looking for a trainee's post.

Bobmac may be able to post something that is if more help on this.

If it's Tour golf you're after, get down to -3 or -4 before you even think about it. These guys are something else.
 
Most people when they say they are turning pro off a 4 hcp is to try and become a teaching pro. To play in elite amateur comps you need to be at least +2 to get in, like its been said before these are normally over subscribed. So higher hcps get balloted out. As for thinking you'll be good enough to turn pro in the near future by shooting scores like 82 and 83 recently, give your head a shake.
 
Seems like you got a dream pal so go for it. Couldn't suggest any advice but would recommend an avenue that doesn't completely exclude normal education / skills. My older brother captained England youth team (football) and didn't make it all the way due to injury. He found it hard to start again in "normal" life.
Good luck.
Tom
 
lads stop pissing on the wee mans parade. whilst he should stick with education as long as poss he can achieve what he wants if he works hard enough and is gd enough.granted there is lots of low players at his age already but afaik there is no age limit on the tour so he can be a late commer if needs be!

if i wanted to be on tour id aim to be the best player at my club them go from there!
 
pbrown7582 said:
Good luck with your progress I do think you need to be a lot lower than 22 to be considering going on tour, especially at 16, there are lots out there in low single figures of your age already and so few make it. Keep up
With the studies though? You doing gcse's now? Get good grades in them and then play golf all summer!
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I ment that two months ago the average round was about +22, now after 3 lesssons this past week the average has been about +15. And yeah studying at the moment, on track for good grades, finish GCSE's 11th of next month then dont go back to sixth form till september, so a lot of time for golf
 
boosh said:
Most people when they say they are turning pro off a 4 hcp is to try and become a teaching pro. To play in elite amateur comps you need to be at least +2 to get in, like its been said before these are normally over subscribed. So higher hcps get balloted out. As for thinking you'll be good enough to turn pro in the near future by shooting scores like 82 and 83 recently, give your head a shake.
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I was only stating them scores because I wanted to show i can learn quick, after 2 months ive dropped 10 shots after 3 lessons
 
Fine to have a dream, but it is a dream. If you have any ambitions to be a Tour pro, you need to be beating the best players at your club already. People often cite the facts (which are true) that Ian Poulter and David Feherty turned pro off 5, but both players were playing to a higher standard when they did so and it was exceptionally rare that they got to where they did, and is no basis for a career plan. It is a bit like saying someone chose 6 numbers and won the lottery. Sure they did, but your chance of also doing so is infinitesimally small.
 
Have you actually dropped your handicap in those months, or just playing to that in bounce games?

I shot 2 over a week ago, no way i would consider myself to be playing to 2 handicap. After shooting 23 points over 2 days in windy conditions on a different course I would of been happy with a 16 handicap. From my experiences going from 22 to 16 was simply not screwing up, from 16 to 11 was not screwing and being consistent enough to keep doubles off the card, from 11 to 7 has been getting a few birdies and only a few bogies when seriously put of position.

Good luck, the juniors at my course have stumbled around the 5/6 handicaps for a while (14/15 years old), the lower guys just have a different game and that doesn't come from 3 lessons!!
 
BTatHome said:
Have you actually dropped your handicap in those months, or just playing to that in bounce games?

I shot 2 over a week ago, no way i would consider myself to be playing to 2 handicap. After shooting 23 points over 2 days in windy conditions on a different course I would of been happy with a 16 handicap. From my experiences going from 22 to 16 was simply not screwing up, from 16 to 11 was not screwing and being consistent enough to keep doubles off the card, from 11 to 7 has been getting a few birdies and only a few bogies when seriously put of position.

Good luck, the juniors at my course have stumbled around the 5/6 handicaps for a while (14/15 years old), the lower guys just have a different game and that doesn't come from 3 lessons!!
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Well in the average of ten rounds id say my handicap is about 13-14 ( not official). And I know it doesn't come from 3 lessons, but I'm just stating that to drop 8-10 shots in 8 weeks is quite a big improvement.
 
I shot scores over 30 shots apart, one on saturday, one on sunday of the same weekend :D

I would not even think about pro yet, focus on more short term goals and put the practice in to reach them. Yes it can be your reason to get you going to practice in the harshest of weather but its not something to take to the course with you!

Your goals should be things like:

  • Do well in school this year, a well trained mind in other things will help your golf!
  • Practice X hours a week at the course, find what IS possible each week and do your best to stick to it
  • Practice X hours a week at home, find out what you can do, get some drills and putt on your carpet etc
  • Learn to drive (a car), then you can practice when you want if you live far from your course.
  • Have X lessons every year, not too frequent but once every 6-8 weeks is a good start.
  • Get a good relationship going with your pro, he might even make a good coach when you get better

These kind of goals will get you on the right path, remember also when you set goals that they are SMART

S - specific
M - measurable
A - achievable
R - rewarding
T - time-based
 
So you don't have official handicap ? Well if that's right then sorry but you haven't dropped your handicap at all. Until your competing in competitions off the white tees then all you've done is score better in bounce games.

...plus earlier you said your playing to 15 over the last week, now 13-14 over the last 10.
 
Long time ago, when I was at college, there was a young guy who had the chance to take on a trainee post at a prestigious course in Scotland. He had an interview and a playing test and was invited to take up the post. After weighing up the pros & cons he declined. He was playing off scratch at the time. Since then he's probably been as low as +2, won his Club Championship a record number of times and played County golf for most of the intervening years. He didn't want to be a club Pro but he knew he didn't have what it took to get to Tour standard.
 
miniTIGER95 said:
I ment that two months ago the average round was about +22, now after 3 lesssons this past week the average has been about +15. And yeah studying at the moment, on track for good grades, finish GCSE's 11th of next month then dont go back to sixth form till september, so a lot of time for golf
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Good luck with the exams tough few weeks ahead where golf will be a nice release from the pressures of exams, a good idea maybe to have a word with your pro or a local driving range to see if they need any helpful volunteers for a few weeks between now and sept, and also play as many junior open comps as you can most will be qualifiers so you can get your handicap down play mew courses and also test yourself in competitive situation and see what high standard there is in junior golf.
 
G1BB0 said:
Lee Westwood has a Golf College, not sure what h.c you need but might be worth looking at?

http://www.leewestwoodgolfschool.com/

might give you some decent info
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miniTIGER95 said:
Thanks for the help, might have a look at that, its only a week in the summer but no doubt it will help me improve. Cheers.
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G1BB0 said:
he does a full time btec course aswell. I know if I was 16 its something I would definitely be tempted to try.
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miniTIGER95 said:
WOW that looks so good, with the education side aswell as the golf side, I am going to email them and find out more, thanks a lot!
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I looked into this a couple of months back and the costs are nine grand a year plus the cost of accommodation:(
 
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