The road from scratch to pro...

[wull]

there are obviously exceptions to the rules.....

players like ian poulter who were off 4 when they turned pro,and have went on to have a successful career in golf.

when i was 13 yrs old i played off 7 and for whatever mental reason gave up golf.that season was a good season,playing lots of golf nationally,playing for the county team and looking forward to playing for the scottish boys when/if i got down to 5.but who knows what would of happened......

same applies to you,who knows what will happen,imho i think you need to be shooting much lower scores than you already have been but a goal you really need to achieve by the end of the season is a official hcp of 5 or better.

 

[miniTIGER95]

there are obviously exceptions to the rules.....

players like ian poulter who were off 4 when they turned pro,and have went on to have a successful career in golf.

when i was 13 yrs old i played off 7 and for whatever mental reason gave up golf.that season was a good season,playing lots of golf nationally,playing for the county team and looking forward to playing for the scottish boys when/if i got down to 5.but who knows what would of happened......

same applies to you,who knows what will happen,imho i think you need to be shooting much lower scores than you already have been but a goal you really need to achieve by the end of the season is a official hcp of 5 or better.

Ok cheers, and I agree about getting down to at least 5 officially, I think I may have a chance as I am playing golf everyday all day from 11th of june till 1st September

 

[williamalex1]

remember no cigars

 

[JJF69]

Ok cheers, and I agree about getting down to at least 5 officially, I think I may have a chance as I am playing golf everyday all day from 11th of june till 1st September

Whats your age and current handicap?

 

[bobmac]

Whats your age and current handicap?

Im 16 and want to be on a course to becoming when i am 18. Im just confused as to what would be the best path to take, at the moment since playing again i have been improving rapidly, 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,

Im guessing high teens

 

[Snelly]

First, I completely agree with Valentino in that 15 to 5 handicap is easier than 5 to scatch. And by some distance.

As for Tour level golf - it is a totally different level of play again.

In my view, if you are 16 now and not shooting close to par or better in every round you play then you are nowhere near being on the path to be an exceptional golfer.

When I was 16, I was off 2 handicap (getting to 1 when I was 17) and was part of the local junior setup for the Sheffield Golf Union and on the fringes of county golf. I could regularly play par golf and get plenty of birdies.

At the time, I got expelled from school and considered taking an assistant pro's job. Mark Roe was also from my club and had started to do well on the European Tour at the time. I asked his advice on what to do and he said I would make a reasonable teaching pro and a great shopkeeper but that I was not good enough to make it with the professionals on Tour. His exact words were "you have no idea how different it is. You are not good enough, nowhere remotely near and you never will be."

He was right. My best round of golf at our course at that time was a pretty flukey 69 when everything went in. He told me that by the time he was my age, he had broken our course record with a 66 in competition play and had shot better than that more than 5 times!

Different ball game.

Another example. 25 club pros from Sussex went to Sawgrass about 5 years ago to play in a pro-am in the week after the Players. In two rounds, not one club pro shot better than 91. From the same tees, Davis Love III had blown away the field with a last day 65 to win.

Excellent amateur / club pro compared to a good tour golfer is like chalk and cheese.

Sorry for being the voice of stoney realism.

 

[ademac]

Bloody hell that is a MASSIVE difference in ability!!

Its hard to understand just how good the top boys are, I have a mate who is a teaching pro and he says that compared to the guys on the top tours he's cack! But when I watch him play he looks amazing!

I think Golf must be the hardest sport to be at the top of, having to perform week in week out under so much pressure with no team mates to back you up!

 

[JJF69]

First, I completely agree with Valentino in that 15 to 5 handicap is easier than 5 to scatch. And by some distance.

As for Tour level golf - it is a totally different level of play again.

In my view, if you are 16 now and not shooting close to par or better in every round you play then you are nowhere near being on the path to be an exceptional golfer.

When I was 16, I was off 2 handicap (getting to 1 when I was 17) and was part of the local junior setup for the Sheffield Golf Union and on the fringes of county golf. I could regularly play par golf and get plenty of birdies.

At the time, I got expelled from school and considered taking an assistant pro's job. Mark Roe was also from my club and had started to do well on the European Tour at the time. I asked his advice on what to do and he said I would make a reasonable teaching pro and a great shopkeeper but that I was not good enough to make it with the professionals on Tour. His exact words were "you have no idea how different it is. You are not good enough, nowhere remotely near and you never will be."

He was right. My best round of golf at our course at that time was a pretty flukey 69 when everything went in. He told me that by the time he was my age, he had broken our course record with a 66 in competition play and had shot better than that more than 5 times!

Different ball game.

Another example. 25 club pros from Sussex went to Sawgrass about 5 years ago to play in a pro-am in the week after the Players. In two rounds, not one club pro shot better than 91. From the same tees, Davis Love III had blown away the field with a last day 65 to win.

Excellent amateur / club pro compared to a good tour golfer is like chalk and cheese.

Sorry for being the voice of stoney realism.

This.

A 16 yr old who is good and eventually good enough to make it onto Tour - will be playing off +2 +3 already. The standards are ridiculus, i play off Scratch and the guys off +1 (away from home) are light years away from me in quality. I would go out and enjoy your golf and dont take it too seriously, even getting down to 10 or 8 would be a good achievement.

 

[Scadge]

What a great ambition - good luck but also invest in your education. I would advise: invest in your game - as much great practice and competition play as you can. Read dream on to understand the various elements and inspirations to achieve the goal. Try to play with better players to pick up good habits and then beat them. Read Bob Rotella is not a game of perfect. Enter the local junior/general open events to assess progress - they are often cheaper than a normal round. Also remember there are lots of careers in golf and some let you play more than a club pro. Finally Birmingham university does a golf managent degree accredited by the PGA this would keep a variety of options including playing pro open for you.

 

[Doon frae Troon]

jjf69 has it spot on.

Sorry but unless you are in the + cat by the time you are 14 your chances of making the tour are about as slim as Berwick Rangers winning the European Cup.
There are thousands of great young players out there. Check your region's junior county board if you don't believe.

 

[MKDave]

Well I admire your enthusiasm and hope you're on here around christmas telling us your playing off single figures.

Unfortunately golf is not just about having the ability to shoot low scores when everything is going well. If you havn't already then sign up to golfshake and input all your round information. I've played with alot of golfers who have broken par plenty of times who play off 5 or 6 and openly admit they will never get to scratch. Not because they are negative but because the lower you get the harder it becomes.

If you can start pulling off some par-ish round with bunkers, deep rough etc involved then I'd say you'd have a chance.

How good would you currently say you are from bunkers? Not just around the green. If you were 150 yards away in a fairway bunker do you feel you should be able to put it close? Also from watching alot of the pros seeing how close they put there shots from greenside bunkers or in the deep rough off the green is amazing.

They do this on a daily basis.

Might be worth playing some 'bigger' courses too. Alot of local hacks arn't that punishing when you hit a bad shot but the 'bigger' courses which usually cost a bit more are really brutal.

Keep us posted mate, I'd love to know how you're doing in a few months.

 

[la_lucha]

I'm 28 and joined a club for the first time 4 weeks ago. In that time I have dropped 10 shots and I am confident that I will drop another 4 this weekend as I am learning from my mistakes. Dropping 10 shots in 2 months is not an awful lot, but with being a student you should have time to play most days. Good luck to you and i hope you get where you want to be.

 

[Doon frae Troon]

Nearly two generations ago a one handicap golfer from North Berwick and his mother came to see my Uncle to ask advice about turning Pro.
The guy was convinced he could make it and offered lots of reasons.
My uncle listened patiently then said, Peter, when did you last win your club scratch medal.
Big bang as bubble burst.

Fast forward a few years and Peter was desperately searching for a sponser to continue his zero career.
He was playing Walton Heath with hoped for sponsor and holed his tee shot on the Par four first hole!

 

[miniTIGER95]

Well I admire your enthusiasm and hope you're on here around christmas telling us your playing off single figures.

Unfortunately golf is not just about having the ability to shoot low scores when everything is going well. If you havn't already then sign up to golfshake and input all your round information. I've played with alot of golfers who have broken par plenty of times who play off 5 or 6 and openly admit they will never get to scratch. Not because they are negative but because the lower you get the harder it becomes.

If you can start pulling off some par-ish round with bunkers, deep rough etc involved then I'd say you'd have a chance.

How good would you currently say you are from bunkers? Not just around the green. If you were 150 yards away in a fairway bunker do you feel you should be able to put it close? Also from watching alot of the pros seeing how close they put there shots from greenside bunkers or in the deep rough off the green is amazing.

They do this on a daily basis.

Might be worth playing some 'bigger' courses too. Alot of local hacks arn't that punishing when you hit a bad shot but the 'bigger' courses which usually cost a bit more are really brutal.

Keep us posted mate, I'd love to know how you're doing in a few months.

Thanks for that, and about the tour pro thing i was just wondering, it take being a teaching pro i think that would be really good. And about the bunker thing, im pretty good around the greens from them but fairway bunkers are almost non existent on my course with the odd exeption, however i used to play at chart hills which actually has a 250yard bunker, and i faired pretty well, i had a lesson on it using hybrids etc on them. Maybe its something to practise when my course is empty and drop balls in the few fairway bunkers

 

[MKDave]

Thanks for that, and about the tour pro thing i was just wondering, it take being a teaching pro i think that would be really good. And about the bunker thing, im pretty good around the greens from them but fairway bunkers are almost non existent on my course with the odd exeption, however i used to play at chart hills which actually has a 250yard bunker, and i faired pretty well, i had a lesson on it using hybrids etc on them. Maybe its something to practise when my course is empty and drop balls in the few fairway bunkers

Yeah need to spend lots of time in the sand I'm afraid mate. Something I don't do and it costs me every time!

I think it was westwood who said "I spend the most time practicing the shots I play least" or something along those lines.

Just get some lessons with a trusted pro and explain to him where you want to be and go from there. It's alot to perfect in a short space of time but anything is possible if you want it enough.

 

[miniTIGER95]

Yeah need to spend lots of time in the sand I'm afraid mate. Something I don't do and it costs me every time!

I think it was westwood who said "I spend the most time practicing the shots I play least" or something along those lines.

Just get some lessons with a trusted pro and explain to him where you want to be and go from there. It's alot to perfect in a short space of time but anything is possible if you want it enough.

Ok cheers for all the advice I will speak to my pro tommorow, since i got a lesson then. Although I'm in two minds from all the replies, i got the opportunity to earn 3k over study leave/ summer holidays working everyday, or do i play golf everyday and try and get better, or earn the money and play golf just for fun. I could do a lot with the money and would probably turn it into even more money, as I sell things at school... dilemma if i didnt have a chance of becoming a teaching pro it take the money... :S?

 

[MKDave]

Ok cheers for all the advice I will speak to my pro tommorow, since i got a lesson then. Although I'm in two minds from all the replies, i got the opportunity to earn 3k over study leave/ summer holidays working everyday, or do i play golf everyday and try and get better, or earn the money and play golf just for fun. I could do a lot with the money and would probably turn it into even more money, as I sell things at school... dilemma if i didnt have a chance of becoming a teaching pro it take the money... :S?

Lol, mate you'll have to make a decision pretty soon.

If you really want to be serious about golf then you shouldn't be thrown by a few quid.

I think the money temptation really answers your question about the road from scratch to pro. Can't remember ready an autobiography about a sportsman who postponed his carer to make a few quid then to take it back up and be successfull. Most people talk about having no money, struggling day to day to find that impossible dream.

Mate just play some golf, have a few lessons earn some money do a bit of both.

 

[miniTIGER95]

Lol, mate you'll have to make a decision pretty soon.

If you really want to be serious about golf then you shouldn't be thrown by a few quid.

I think the money temptation really answers your question about the road from scratch to pro. Can't remember ready an autobiography about a sportsman who postponed his carer to make a few quid then to take it back up and be successfull. Most people talk about having no money, struggling day to day to find that impossible dream.

Mate just play some golf, have a few lessons earn some money do a bit of both.

I have no problem with having no money and fighting to become something in golf if it meant i had a chance, id knock in 6 footers on the practise green all day etc, its just i feel the time will be wasted if i didnt make it. Whatever career I wanna go down it will be a long time before money anyway, careers in law tend to be ages before any sort of money is made , same with business e.g stockbroker