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The road from scratch to pro...

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.
Not at the moment, the pro is getting someone to mark my card tomorrow and over the next week or two, and yeah maybe the week before i was playing better e.g shooting +12 for 5 rounds then + 15 for 5 rounds...?
 
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.
Cheers, yeah just had probably the exam i was dreading most ( Law) now i think il be alright with the others, and yeah actually im going to the junior clinic for the first time tommorow, the pro told me to go along and then start playing junior comps and club matches etc, should be fun.
 
If you are 16 and not playing to Cat 1 quality already, then it's highly unlikely you will get to be a Pro.

1 Touring Pro I know (on Challenge Tour but has been on European Tour) turned Pro off +5 (aged 22 - great Amateur). If you go to the European Tour website, you can check out what level many of them turned Pro - most +3 to +5 these days.
 
Without raining on our parade young fella, you need plenty practice and plenty rounds in. If you do get to cat 1 this year which I doubt then your club pro will give you a lot of guidance.

The difference in ability of a plus hc golfer to a 5 hc is miles apart, probably as far apart (maybe further) as a 5 and a 15 handicap
 
Without raining on our parade young fella, you need plenty practice and plenty rounds in. If you do get to cat 1 this year which I doubt then your club pro will give you a lot of guidance.

The difference in ability of a plus hc golfer to a 5 hc is miles apart, probably as far apart (maybe further) as a 5 and a 15 handicap
I've decided that im going to give it 100% and by december 31st want a official handicap under 8.0, if i can then i may have a SLIGHT chance, if not il just rethink things about what I want to do
 
I've decided that im going to give it 100% and by december 31st want a official handicap under 8.0, if i can then i may have a SLIGHT chance, if not il just rethink things about what I want to do

I think you are miss interpreting the information that others have provided.....

at you age, from your current indicated capability and the speed with which you got there, to show the sort of level of underlying ability to make it as a tour pro in due course, 8 just isn't such an indicator.

many on here will have gone from 14 to 8 in a year/season, most of them won't have gone much further in the next 10 years!

if they do progress then 8 to 4 or 5 is the next big step, a season if they are passing through that level, but 2 years of hard graft if that's their likely plateau.

so IMO if you can't make 4 or 5 by the end of the year that slight chance you refer to doesn't exist - and even then it's real slight. OTOH getting to 2 or 3 - then +1 by the following season, and your slight chance may just exist.
 
I think you are miss interpreting the information that others have provided.....

at you age, from your current indicated capability and the speed with which you got there, to show the sort of level of underlying ability to make it as a tour pro in due course, 8 just isn't such an indicator.

many on here will have gone from 14 to 8 in a year/season, most of them won't have gone much further in the next 10 years!

if they do progress then 8 to 4 or 5 is the next big step, a season if they are passing through that level, but 2 years of hard graft if that's their likely plateau.

so IMO if you can't make 4 or 5 by the end of the year that slight chance you refer to doesn't exist - and even then it's real slight. OTOH getting to 2 or 3 - then +1 by the following season, and your slight chance may just exist.
So i need to get to 3 or 4 by the end if the year?
 
If you are good the doors will open. Join a club, play golf, drop in the handicap and when you are a plus1 golfer the doors just open. Simple
 
you can do a course at most sports colleges in all aspects of golf management,this normally gets you into a retail position at a course or big golf store,we have on near Preston that teaches you golf technique as well as business studies,from there you have to make your own way in life,but don't expect to much as only the best of the best ever get to play on any tour,and most club pros. are not good enough to play on tour and have chosen golf as a career knowing that,apart from that it is just hard work and has to be treated as a job not a hobby,i had a friend who was an assistant fabulous golfer but was never going to make the grade and only getting £175 a week at 23,had to pack it in and get a proper job.
 
Hold on a moment, are we talking about how to become a tour pro, or about a someone (the OP) getting good enough to do so?

I'm confused.
 
To be a tour pro someone would be

1. A plus handicap of 3 or 4
2. Speaking with his club pro for advice
3. Be involved in county set ups so would be getting coaching and advice there
4. Playing in major amateur events
 
best guy to ask is your local pro . you would need a sponsor as the cost is expensive , most club pros are just good salesmen that can play well. Iv.e known guys who have played off +2, +3 for years and would not think of turning pro, even in the pro ranks the skill difference between tours is vast. I hope you make it, KEEP UP THE PRACTICE.
 
Apparently +4 handicap is what is needed in order to make a living on the tour, I am sure there are other factors though

What I will say is that, as demonstrated by this thread, most people will be telling you that you are crazy and you will never do it, if you are going to make it, you will have to block everyone out, believe in yourself and work your butt off. 10,000 hours of purposeful practice as the book Bounce says.
 
You need to start playing in comps ASAP if you want to have a chance imo. Learning how to play under pressure and in a competitive environment is massive. Paul Mcginlay's article in this months mag is a good read about competitive golf etc.

Ive smashed my handicap to bits playing off yellow tees at my course but doing it in a comp off the back tees is a different ball game.
 
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