I think possibly from reading the thread that he may be a 'joke; Pro e.g EGTF or whatever the joke organisation is called......play off 22 and become qualified to teach golf as well as sell marsbars???
Your golf pro
- Thread starter pokerjoke
- Start date
bobmac
Major Champion
To be a PGA pro you need to have 5 o levels which must include maths and English.
4 handicap or less
Pass the playing test (36 holes on a course chosen by the PGA in one day below a certain score)
Spend 3 years as an assistant selling green fees for crap money.
Pass ALL modules of the course for all 3 years and pass ALL the exams on the finals day.
For this, you get the FdA(g) which is a foundation degree in golf from Birmingham University. (Yes I did it)
There the similarity stops.
Some go on to be great players, some great teachers and some dont do either.
To say all club pros are just good players who never made it is a bit too much of a generalisation in my opinion.
As in any walk of life you get the good and the bad.
4 handicap or less
Pass the playing test (36 holes on a course chosen by the PGA in one day below a certain score)
Spend 3 years as an assistant selling green fees for crap money.
Pass ALL modules of the course for all 3 years and pass ALL the exams on the finals day.
For this, you get the FdA(g) which is a foundation degree in golf from Birmingham University. (Yes I did it)
There the similarity stops.
Some go on to be great players, some great teachers and some dont do either.
To say all club pros are just good players who never made it is a bit too much of a generalisation in my opinion.
As in any walk of life you get the good and the bad.
stevek1969
Money List Winner
Ours is a PGA Pro not one of your mickey mouse 2 day course ones ,as he's one of our mates he gets a bit of stick ,is a not a bad player but doesn't play often enough ,really good teacher tho .
The Scots guys on here will recognise this name we've given him Naveed the shopkeeper
The Scots guys on here will recognise this name we've given him Naveed the shopkeeper
Don't tell me Isa works in the shop too!!
HomerJSimpson
Hall of Famer
It seems that this joker has got what he wanted by posting one of the silliest threads for a while. Going on from what Bob has said about becoming a PGA pro, the problems don't stop there. Its hard to get a sole/head pro job at a club straight from qualifying so many of these guys are still having to put the hours in at ranges and on the practice ground as that is the only way they can supplement what isn't much more than they got as an assistant while they work underneath the head pro.
I think £36 an hour is a decent price and its like any teaching industry, if you don't like the persons methods you find someone you can understand and trust. To write them all off as money grabbing and not good at their job is insulting to their hardwork in becoming PGA qualified to start with. I would suggest that the OP actually puts his money where his mouth is and takes a lesson. I bet the pro would find a fault which is holding him back and offer a simple drill to fix it. Of course though this is the same guy that doesn't need lessons because he's good enough to pick it all up of the net and from magazines. I see a pattern emerging now!
I think £36 an hour is a decent price and its like any teaching industry, if you don't like the persons methods you find someone you can understand and trust. To write them all off as money grabbing and not good at their job is insulting to their hardwork in becoming PGA qualified to start with. I would suggest that the OP actually puts his money where his mouth is and takes a lesson. I bet the pro would find a fault which is holding him back and offer a simple drill to fix it. Of course though this is the same guy that doesn't need lessons because he's good enough to pick it all up of the net and from magazines. I see a pattern emerging now!
pokerjoke
Money List Winner
HOMERJSIMPSON you may think its a silly thread but it hasnt stopped you putting your two peneth in has it.I also see your hp is 11.3,mine is 12.0,ive had one lesson and played for 13 months,how long have you been playing and how many lessons have you had just to get .7 lower than me,the person who learnt it all from books and the net.I will also be down to single figures next year all self taught,this games not rocket science,i believe its down to learning capacity being able to pick things up and putting it into practice.Some players on this sight im sure have done what ive done with no lessons everyones different.
HomerJSimpson
Hall of Famer
Of course I'm going to put my 2 pence worth in especially when the context is so funny and given that its posted on an open forum after all.
I maybe 11 now but I've played to low single figures and worked as an assistant with plans on taking the PGA exams so I have pretty good idea of the lot of a young pro. As an example there use to be a head pro at the driving range at Sandown Park (middle of the racecourse). He's get the retainer from the club, biggest and best teaching clients, biggest mark up on gear etc. Under him were THREE fully qualified PGA pros. The only way they could make a living apart from what little money there is on the local pro or pro-am circuit in the summer is to teach. According to the gist of your OP they weren't good enough or shouldn't be allowed to do this as they weren't proper pros.
How can that be when each had a full teaching diary with many repeat clients. People wouldn't waste their hard earned if they didn't think they were getting some kind of VFM. For two of them it was a case of wanting to learn the trade as a whole before applying for head pro jobs and were happy to do this apprenticeship (the other wanted to give tour playing a go). Don't forget a good club pro isn't all about teaching as you seem to think. There is running a shop (stock control, VAT etc), club repairs, and to a certain degree being an agony uncle to the members. Add on the boring jobs like running the monthly medals (including doing the cards before play etc) and it its obvious that there is more to being a pro than a piece of paper. Why not try chatting to your club pro and finding out exactly what its like and how hard it actually is once you qualify to get any sort of foothold in a club.
You might be talented enough to get down to a decent handicap without lessons and that is to be admired. What happens though when you plateau out or a suddent flaw creeps into your game. Are you going to waste however long it takes to find a fix (probably not the cure) when a single lesson would be enough to get you on track and maybe re-emphasise what you already had and maybe even realise your true potential
I maybe 11 now but I've played to low single figures and worked as an assistant with plans on taking the PGA exams so I have pretty good idea of the lot of a young pro. As an example there use to be a head pro at the driving range at Sandown Park (middle of the racecourse). He's get the retainer from the club, biggest and best teaching clients, biggest mark up on gear etc. Under him were THREE fully qualified PGA pros. The only way they could make a living apart from what little money there is on the local pro or pro-am circuit in the summer is to teach. According to the gist of your OP they weren't good enough or shouldn't be allowed to do this as they weren't proper pros.
How can that be when each had a full teaching diary with many repeat clients. People wouldn't waste their hard earned if they didn't think they were getting some kind of VFM. For two of them it was a case of wanting to learn the trade as a whole before applying for head pro jobs and were happy to do this apprenticeship (the other wanted to give tour playing a go). Don't forget a good club pro isn't all about teaching as you seem to think. There is running a shop (stock control, VAT etc), club repairs, and to a certain degree being an agony uncle to the members. Add on the boring jobs like running the monthly medals (including doing the cards before play etc) and it its obvious that there is more to being a pro than a piece of paper. Why not try chatting to your club pro and finding out exactly what its like and how hard it actually is once you qualify to get any sort of foothold in a club.
You might be talented enough to get down to a decent handicap without lessons and that is to be admired. What happens though when you plateau out or a suddent flaw creeps into your game. Are you going to waste however long it takes to find a fix (probably not the cure) when a single lesson would be enough to get you on track and maybe re-emphasise what you already had and maybe even realise your true potential
IM01
Challenge Tour Pro
Sounds like a challenge to me..Lessons v Self taught
Or we could go the Harry Hill route...Fiiight!!
DCB
Well-known member
Pokerjoke,
where do you play ? what type of course is it ?
Some mighty big statements about your advance to single figures have been made today.
Just curious as to where you play. have you developed on the one course or have you taken your game to different types of course and learned to play golf or have you just learned to play your course ?
If you do get on as you hope, well done. However, I do think you'll end up at a plateau and will find it difficult to progress as steadily beyond there. It's all very well getting to single figures, it's staying there that's the hard bit.
where do you play ? what type of course is it ?
Some mighty big statements about your advance to single figures have been made today.
Just curious as to where you play. have you developed on the one course or have you taken your game to different types of course and learned to play golf or have you just learned to play your course ?
If you do get on as you hope, well done. However, I do think you'll end up at a plateau and will find it difficult to progress as steadily beyond there. It's all very well getting to single figures, it's staying there that's the hard bit.
pokerjoke
Money List Winner
Thankyou for your kind words,i do feel my opening post may not have been clear enough as i was generally speaking about my pro,as i do realise there are top coaches out there,as in most walks of life you get the good and the bad.I also know myself personally will only be able to get to a certain level on my own and when the time comes im sure i will have to look at different avenues.
Our club must be in the higher echelons (sp) on club/PGA pros so far listed here.
Michael, whom I have mentioned many times as being Rorys coach has quite a decent playing history including running padraig close in two comps (came second) and 7 I think wins on the Irish pro circuit.
Stevie is our new assistant teaching pro, he came with a good recommendation from the K club and being in his 20's makes a surprisingly easy coach and sound bloke to work with, no prima donnas coaching in our place!
Michael, whom I have mentioned many times as being Rorys coach has quite a decent playing history including running padraig close in two comps (came second) and 7 I think wins on the Irish pro circuit.
Stevie is our new assistant teaching pro, he came with a good recommendation from the K club and being in his 20's makes a surprisingly easy coach and sound bloke to work with, no prima donnas coaching in our place!
golfcitydweller
Q-School Graduate
poker j
well done for getting down to 12 h`cap..i started at 23 h`cap and never had a lesson till i got down to 7!! it`s not easy workin ur way down, but it can be done ..keep reading up on the tips in the gm ..and work on a 100 yards and in.. somethin in ur game will have to improve if u want to make another move ..ie drive it better ..iron play ..putting ..some people will tell u it can`t be done - but it can ..keep workin hard on the practise ground and good luck gcd
well done for getting down to 12 h`cap..i started at 23 h`cap and never had a lesson till i got down to 7!! it`s not easy workin ur way down, but it can be done ..keep reading up on the tips in the gm ..and work on a 100 yards and in.. somethin in ur game will have to improve if u want to make another move ..ie drive it better ..iron play ..putting ..some people will tell u it can`t be done - but it can ..keep workin hard on the practise ground and good luck gcd
pokerjoke
Money List Winner
thx gcd i appreciate that.im really working hard on my chipping and putting at the moment as ive realised thats where you save the shots,as for my driver i only use it on really long courses otherwise its the 3 wood.One thing thats killing me at the moment are putts under 4ft however im working on a few tips from the forum.funnily enough i missed 3 putts from 3 ft or less saturday but still won the comp,happy days my 5th win this year.
Parmo
Tour Winner
4fooksakez plz stop usin txt tape, innit.
viscount17
Money List Winner
I would happily pay £36 hour, the pro's at my course (and they are all PGA pros) are way more expensive.
I don't know Paul's (£90/hour) pedigree but as a National youth team coach he ain't rubbish.
Martin and Adam (both £70/hour) have played on a tour (Adam still does occasionally and had a couple of wins this year). Martin is brilliant with the kids.
Luckily I found a new pro recently that I get on with very well, enjoy his way of teaching and can afford. (Dave Mallet - Abbotsley) I'll be back for more lessons after an horrendous month at work that's coming up in January.
I don't know Paul's (£90/hour) pedigree but as a National youth team coach he ain't rubbish.
Martin and Adam (both £70/hour) have played on a tour (Adam still does occasionally and had a couple of wins this year). Martin is brilliant with the kids.
Luckily I found a new pro recently that I get on with very well, enjoy his way of teaching and can afford. (Dave Mallet - Abbotsley) I'll be back for more lessons after an horrendous month at work that's coming up in January.
didsbury_duffer
Challenge Tour Pro
Look, this is quite simple. You do your homework first to make sure the guy is the genuine teaching article. Anyone doing their homework on our Pro will find out that he used to be on the European Tour, that he currently teaches Cheshire Boys and Cheshire Girls, and that he has been a regular commentator for Radio Five Live at The Open. If you don't do your homework, and pay £36 an hour for some unknown Pro at a Par 65 course, then you deserve what you get. Simple as.
pokerjoke
Money List Winner
Didsbury read the post who paid £36 i didnt. Also im not stupid i asked plenty of people first who told me he was good,im not saying hes not ok im saying he was not right for me.There is a difference.
RGDave
Money List Winner
In all seriousness, there's a strong argument to suggest that anyone ill-qualified or incompetent won't last very long in the "buyers market" of teaching/coaching.
Do golf pros charge too much?....some definitely and some absolutely no way. You pays your money and takes your choice.
Personally, I'd like to see a more "structured" system of suitability to coach/teach that would apply to all sports. (not just golf)
If you go to a place where there are more than one pro teaching, it's quite common (well, around here anyway) to see more than one tariff for lessons.
Presumably, these things work themselves out over time as reputation and experience deserve a better hourly fee. It's a bit of a catch 22 (I know, I've been there) when you start but good coaches soon find their niche and on balance should be charging good money.
Do golf pros charge too much?....some definitely and some absolutely no way. You pays your money and takes your choice.
Personally, I'd like to see a more "structured" system of suitability to coach/teach that would apply to all sports. (not just golf)
If you go to a place where there are more than one pro teaching, it's quite common (well, around here anyway) to see more than one tariff for lessons.
Presumably, these things work themselves out over time as reputation and experience deserve a better hourly fee. It's a bit of a catch 22 (I know, I've been there) when you start but good coaches soon find their niche and on balance should be charging good money.
didsbury_duffer
Challenge Tour Pro
The above was from your OP. Your last post stated "Read who paid the £36 I didn't."
So you've either paid him £18 at the rate of £36 per hour for your one and only lesson (i.e. a half hour lesson), or you haven't. Make up your mind.
pokerjoke
Money List Winner
Yes i had an half hour lesson,
