Should I consider trying to make it as a professional?

[LfSideStrngSide]

Hi guys.

I have been debating the subject of possibly trying to become a professional golfer over the past few months more seriously.

Let me give you a little background. I have been playing golf basically since I could walk. All the men in my family have had a love affair with golf and so it was only natural for it to pass down to me. My dad was a teaching pro and so I had cut-down clubs from the get go. I took lessons growing up and developed a pretty good swing and can move it out there pretty well. In high school I played for the first three years, but I was quite the mental case. I definitely did not fulfill my potential and became embarrassed. Bc of this I quit golf and played football my senior year, I'm 6'5" and weighed 240 at the time so tight end looked quite good to me and the coaches haha.

But anyway I had my stint with football and decided to re-dedicate myself to golf. I have come a long way with the mental game and no longer quit on my round if I have a few bad shots or holes.

My dad and my uncle (My uncle played college golf at Georgia, prolly could have made the tour but didn't think he could hit it long enough to compete with those guys) both tell me that I have enough talent to be a really good player. My thing is I have never really had the ability to practice and commit to the game the way you need to in order to be great. My mom has always made me carry a job ever since I turned 16 and that took quite a bit of my time to go along with everything else that comes with being a high school/college student. Now I am 3 semesters away from a business degree.

My dream has always been to play golf on tour. It's been my passion far and away above anything else. And I can't help but think I will regret it if I don't give it a shot for a few years.

I believe my dad, uncle, and grandpa (who has been very influential in my life) would all be supportive of me pursuing this, at least for a few years. But I am worried my mom will not be behind it. Like I said, shes so "gung-ho" about me always doing whatever I have to do about getting a job and I know that pressure is going to be amplified to the enth degree once I graduate.

So my question to you guys is, how do I get her to support it? Would you support it? My ideal situation would be to graduate, then go down to florida for a few years and work with my uncle daily on my game, and then try to enter amateur events/ mini events and see where it goes. If it doesn't work then I have a degree and can go pursue a job with that.

Thanks in advance for any advice you fellow trappers have to offer

[MiniBlueDragon]

A friend of mine was scouted by Reading football (soccer) team here in the UK when I was younger. He had a passion for football and was ridiculously good at it and the offer they gave was to train him on the youth team at the same time as covering all of his regular school classes, except for any specialisations. His parents basically said, "No, it's not happening. You're going to school, you're going to college and you're going to university to become successful in the law industry."

For a few months he debated about ignoring his parents wishes and going to train anyway but eventually decided to abide by their decision and turned down the opportunity. It's a decision he bitterly regrets as he's now faced with a "what if had..." thought which he'll have for the rest of his life.

I personally have always lived by the motto, "it's better to regret something you HAVE done than something you haven't" so for me it's a no brainer; you tell your mum that you're taking a year out as a lot of students do but instead of seeing the world or partying for that year you're going to concentrate on your golf and see how far you progress.

If after a year there's little to no difference in your standard of golf then stick to your chosen industry and play golf well for fun and local competitions. If on the other hand you get really good you now have the option of continuing with golf or going back to work.

[LfSideStrngSide]

I agree completely. I pretty much went through that same thing with my football over here. I contemplated playing for two years before I actually did senior year. By then the learning curve was pretty hard and my team was really good, we won the state championship, so I didn't have a chance to play a lot. If I would have gone out for the team sophomore or junior year I probably would have had a much better shot because I would have had more experience. So that is something I will regret prolly for the rest of my life as well...

Guess I have my answer! Thanks!

Originally Posted by MiniBlueDragon

A friend of mine was scouted by Reading football (soccer) team here in the UK when I was younger. He had a passion for football and was ridiculously good at it and the offer they gave was to train him on the youth team at the same time as covering all of his regular school classes, except for any specialisations. His parents basically said, "No, it's not happening. You're going to school, you're going to college and you're going to university to become successful in the law industry."

For a few months he debated about ignoring his parents wishes and going to train anyway but eventually decided to abide by their decision and turned down the opportunity. It's a decision he bitterly regrets as he's now faced with a "what if had..." thought which he'll have for the rest of his life.

I personally have always lived by the motto, "it's better to regret something you HAVE done than something you haven't" so for me it's a no brainer; you tell your mum that you're taking a year out as a lot of students do but instead of seeing the world or partying for that year you're going to concentrate on your golf and see how far you progress.

If after a year there's little to no difference in your standard of golf then stick to your chosen industry and play golf well for fun and local competitions. If on the other hand you get really good you now have the option of continuing with golf or going back to work.

[Ben]

Once you get your degree, I say give it a shot! If you're concerned with lack of practice, I'd recommend getting a job on a course that allows you to use the facilities. Its not the best pay in the world but you can practice all you want, and maybe meet some people intersted in sponsoring you. Most importantly get yourself into tournaments. Maybe play as an amatuer for a while. The mini tours that I play on have a amatuer division. Its a fraction of a cost for the entry fees, but still good competition. Once you feel like you're ready to jump up, start playing as a pro. But, start playing. I don't see your location listed, do you know of any local tours?

[LfSideStrngSide]

Yeah my uncle lives in a club in florida, the Country Club of Orange Park. Ideally, and I believe he would be all for this, I could live with him for awhile and take full advantage of the club. They have a nice range and short game practice area, plus a course that is about 7100 from the tips, and I know it has hosted a Hooters Tour event. This summer has been hectic bc I have been doing an internship in Minneapolis, MN so I practice when I can but doing that has been a nuisance to my game haha. The past two years I actually did work at a club by my house in Illinois, Kemper Lakes. I did get to practice/play there quite a lot and that is probably where my game has improved the most. So I feel that if I can get down to florida and play year round, with the oversight of my uncle I might have a chance to do something. I was looking online at mini tours down there just to see what there is and it sounds like theres a bunch of opportunities. Like I said I have 3 more semesters so that puts me at graduating in December 2012 so next summer I already have plans to go down and stay with my uncle and do another internship with him, though I believe he will give me more free time to focus on my game haha. So I can hopefully get into a few tournaments down there next summer. Thanks for your advice Ben!

Originally Posted by Ben

Once you get your degree, I say give it a shot! If you're concerned with lack of practice, I'd recommend getting a job on a course that allows you to use the facilities. Its not the best pay in the world but you can practice all you want, and maybe meet some people intersted in sponsoring you. Most importantly get yourself into tournaments. Maybe play as an amatuer for a while. The mini tours that I play on have a amatuer division. Its a fraction of a cost for the entry fees, but still good competition. Once you feel like you're ready to jump up, start playing as a pro. But, start playing. I don't see your location listed, do you know of any local tours?

[Shorty]

Once again - putting the cart before the horse.

How about trying to be the best amateur you can be?

If you start winning everything, and get to +4 and can break par on most course in fair conditions, then you might have something to think about, especially if you play against the best amateurs around.

As far as mini-tours and minor "Pay for Play" tours, you do understand, that you are essentially buying yourself a job, don't you? And one that doesn't pay. How many club championships have you won? How many competitive events have you entered and done well in?

If you are prepared to work hard and save enough money to pay thousands of dollars in entry fees, travel, instruction, and competition  for a season with the opportunity to perhaps win back a tenth of what you have outlayed, then great. If there are people who are prepared to back you financially, even better.

Perhaps you should have a look at the orders of merit on the minor and mini tours and see how good you have to do to break even by winning back your entry fees.

On the other hand....if your opening statement was "I've been playing amateur competitions for the last four years and have won most of the important events I have entetered and have placed very well in most, have reached a +3 handicap and feel like I have reached the "next level" and have saved $50000 to give it my best shot for 2 years" I'd say go for it.  But realistically, at the moment you are not even a top level club golfer, so where does the "pro" bit come into the equation?

You didn't become a pro golfer - especially a tournament playing one - by just saying that's what you want to do.  But if you are prepared to back yourself financially after you have earnt your degree, your mother will be proud of you. Bottom line - we all want to play golf all the time.   Very, very, few can.

Not trying to be a downer, but these threads pop up every couple of months. There is never any follow up. It's a pipe drream we all have.

If you haven't read Paper Tiger, by Tom Coyne, do so.

[jshots]

Do it man! I would love to do this and wish I had put more work in to golf in high school and especially in the 3 years since. I was a mental mess in high school as well, but probably had some potential. I didn't quit golf senior year but certainly didn't put much work into it either. I've put endless amounts of practice in this summer just to see where it takes me, and hope to eventually be competitive in some good amateur tournaments. If I could get to be a good enough amateur maybe I could look beyond that, but that is still a ways out and soon I will have finished my degree and have to go into the grind of real life :(

[LfSideStrngSide]

Jshots, appreciate it. I would love to have like a 2 year window to practice as much as possible and see where it takes me. I know that it is really hard and the chances are stacked against me, but the way I see it, I've got 40 years to work in some office to make money doing that job. Don't think it will hurt too much if I put that on hold for a couple of years to see what I can do

[breeves2245]

Like Shorty suggested - read "Paper Tiger" by Tom Coyne. He took off a complete year to pursue his golf dream in Florida. Worked on his game 24/7 and wrote about his adventure. The book will give you some perspective of the journey you are considering.

[FlyingKiwi]

Originally Posted by Shorty

Not trying to be a downer, but these threads pop up every couple of months. There is never any follow up. It's a pipe drream we all have.

If you haven't read Paper Tiger, by Tom Coyne, do so.

Heh, I was just going to recommend that book. Fun book to read, even though I got to believe that his biggest issue was mental. Reading his follow-up book about playing in Ireland, his general attitude just struck me the wrong way. You are going to play on a course with a green fee deposit box and just because you can get away with not paying, you don't pay? That seems very much against the integrity of golf!

That said, Paper Tiger was great.

[lumpuckeroo]

Parents can be hard on children, but they never stop caring about them.  I'm sure it will be difficult to sway your Mom, but honestly, you don't want to wake up at age 50 and think what could have been.  Now is the time to give it a shot, you will have a degree and have something to fall back on.  Tell your Mom you don't want any regrets and if it doesn't work out you will have your degree and will have plently of time to work.

[stealthduffer]

I agree with Shorty.  Have you tested yourself in amateur competition yet?  Top amateur competition? If not that would be the place to start.  If it goes well you can always move up.  But remember, once you've become a professional (whether you are successful or not) regaining your amateur standing is not an easy process.

[MEfree]

I agree with everyone- you don't want to have regrets when you are older, after getting your degree is a good time/age to give something like this a shot and realistically you have almost no chance of making it as a touring pro.  If you said you were a 4 handicap who just started playing a year ago, I might say you have a better shot, but you have been playing a long time.  OTOH, if it turns out you have a passion for the game, it is not too late to become a club pro.

If you are truly committed to this, go to your uncles after getting a degree and work as hard on your game as you can with a part time job that allows you to play/practice as much as possible.  Get yourself in some club and amateur competitions and see how you do.  Then figure out if you want to do what is necessary to go the club pro route or get a job in the real world.

[x129]

Realistically you have no shot at the tour.  In HS how many guys in the state were better than you? Multiply that by the number of states and through in the foreign competition. That doesn't mean you shouldn't take the 1:100k chance.

You have 18 months til you graduate. Put in the 4+ hours of practice a day during that time and see where you are. You might have the physical talent (I think you might be too tall)  to make it but it sounds like your missing the rest of the package.  (desire to practice and get better, mental toughness, and heck even passion for golf.). Maybe some of that has developed since HS.  You would have to be the judge of that.

[LfSideStrngSide]

Originally Posted by x129

Realistically you have no shot at the tour.  In HS how many guys in the state were better than you? Multiply that by the number of states and through in the foreign competition. That doesn't mean you shouldn't take the 1:100k chance.

You have 18 months til you graduate. Put in the 4+ hours of practice a day during that time and see where you are. You might have the physical talent (I think you might be too tall)  to make it but it sounds like your missing the rest of the package.  (desire to practice and get better, mental toughness, and heck even passion for golf.). Maybe some of that has developed since HS .  You would have to be the judge of that.

Yes, I WILL be the judge of that. I'd be willing to bet that my passion for golf is bigger then 90% of people on here. It has changed quite a bit....

I find it funny how so many people put so much into having to be a prodigy from the moment they pick up a golf club. A lot of guys on tour have told stories that they shot in the 80s in high school and didn't really figure out the game until they matured. Heck, YE Yang was a power lifter in high school! He didnt even touch a golf club til he was 19 years old. Turned out well for him. Now obviously that is an isolated case, but it is just an example.

Haven't ever heard of anyone saying "youre too tall to play golf." If anything that is the envy of a lot of golfers because of the ease at which you can generate clubhead speed (see Ernie, Dustin, Phil, Faldo, Cink, Love III, etc.)

Thanks for all the advice guys

[rustyredcab]

Originally Posted by LfSideStrngSide

Jshots, appreciate it. I would love to have like a 2 year window to practice as much as possible and see where it takes me. I know that it is really hard and the chances are stacked against me, but the way I see it, I've got 40 years to work in some office to make money doing that job. Don't think it will hurt too much if I put that on hold for a couple of years to see what I can do

If your other commitments allow you to try it, I say try it. Don't let the old men like me tell you what you can not do. Who's to say you won't figure out how to be a truly great putter. That kind of thing does not show up on the range. Come back and share when you've made your first check.

[shades9323]

You have to start thinking about those 40 years in a office if this doesn't work out. Jobs for recent graduates are hard to come by, let alone for someone who graduated 2 years ago and hasn't had a job yet.

Originally Posted by LfSideStrngSide

Jshots, appreciate it. I would love to have like a 2 year window to practice as much as possible and see where it takes me. I know that it is really hard and the chances are stacked against me, but the way I see it, I've got 40 years to work in some office to make money doing that job. Don't think it will hurt too much if I put that on hold for a couple of years to see what I can do

[x129]

Power beyond a certain point is not as important as control. It gets a bit tougher (but not impossible) to have that coordination when you are tall. I am not saying height  is going to prevent you from going pro, but I wouldn't list it as an asset they way being 6'2 with the lanky frame might be.

Yes some guys start golf later in life and are sucessful. Larry Nelson took up the game at 21. He also broke 70 with in 9 months of starting to play. But those guys are not you. You are a guy that has been playing forever and are at a 4.5 handicap. You need to get ~8 strokes better to have this conversation. How long did it take for you to get from a 12 to 4? The effort to get from 4 to +4 is at least 1 order of magnitude harder than that.

Again you have ~18 months before having to deal with this. See how good you can get over that time period and then reevaluate.  If your sitting at +1 or +2 that is a heck of a lot different than if your a 3.