Serious Question

This is serious, even though most of you guys think I'm just being a tool. Do you think it's possible for me to make a living out of golf? I mean I've only been playing for about 6 months and my handicap is 18.3. I'm not saying PGA Tour. But even the Nationwide Tour, or other tours. Or even a club pro.

Don't see why not. At age 14 (correct?) you have plenty of time to improve your game. Just keep working at it. I would do whatever you can do to try and play in college somewhere. That will definitely help your chances. Not sure what exactly it takes to be a club pro. Someone could probably better answer that. I thought I saw somewhere that you have to take an ability test to get into the PGA (not PGA Tour). From there I would say it is just a matter of getting hired somewhere. But as I mentioned, I really don't know. I am just going off something that I thought I read years ago.

Can someone be a pro golfer? Or work in golf? Yes, of course. People do it all the time.

But just in case, I'm going to be the dopey one to recommend you keep focusing on your schoolwork. It's hard at 14 to know what you're going to do with your life. I'm 24 and still figuring it out. But I have a degree, and they can't take that away from me. I'm always guaranteed to work for at least twice minimum wage.

My two closest friends growing up are sisters, they both are ballet dancers (have been for years and years). One is a Rockette, one goes to Julliard. Both worked very hard in school - and as an athlete, it teaches you INCREDIBLE self discipline, time management, and motivation that helps you immensely on the course.

Someone else I know had a full ride baseball scholarship and showed great promise as a golfer as well in some PGA opens in Cali. Turned alcoholic and blew it all away. So there you go.

Well I'm a pretty smart kid. I've made honors every year of my life so far. So as long as I keep that up I should hopefully be all set. The typical schedule of my day goes: golf from 2:30 to 6:30. Eat, shower, do homework (takes me a good hour and 1/2).

Good! Those "pretty smart kids," I'm starting to notice, are taking over the world...

Who's your avatar?

That's Erica Blasberg.

http://www.ericablasberg.com/?main

You can do anything you set your mind to if you are willing to put forth the effort over the long haul. Start by organizing your thinking...write down your long term goals, and do not be fearful of thinking large. If you dream of being a touring pro, write it down, then make an honest assessment of where you are now which will reveal what you need to do to get there. Break it down from there into small achievable goals or steps to accomplish which keep you on the road to your ultimate goal. You may have to find an experienced mentor or teacher to help make these assessments and set priorities. Organizing the process rather than just jumping in without a plan will save you time in the long run. As an example of the thinking process, handicap should not be a concern at this point. In order to be a successful touring pro you must be a good striker of the ball consistently. If you learn to strike the ball well, handicap will take care of itself later. So the short answer is yes. The question is what do you want and how bad do you want it?

Your a good guy, and give some great posts on this forum, and I like you (obviously not in a gay way) Don't take offense to this. Honest opinion here:

Short answer: No.

There is so much talent out there already, and you can get your hopes up and try but you have to watch out for failure. IT is unbeleivably hard to make it to the PGA tour.

A club pro on the other hand, is a little more realistic.

And humble too.

Of course you could make a living at golf.. If you're good enough.. One of the main differences between golf and most other sports is that it's fairly self regulating... It's pretty evident whether or not you can compete or not. You make Q school or you don't. You make the cut or you don't. There's no judges, no one evaluating your talent and holding you back. You have the talent, make the scores and you make the money or you don't. That said, getting on any tour is tough. And if you don't make it, you'd better have a plan. For example, if you are not traveling as a vendor rep and you're not at the top of whatever golf related career path you've chosen, the pay mostly sucks. I'd spend some time now doing research on the jobs available. Start focusing on classes that will help you be the best at those jobs if you can't play for a living. Planning now isn't being a tool. Not planning now and being a half ass club pro for 40k a year is though...

Agreed, stick to your school work first...

Second, concentrate on your short game. If you want to become a golfer, a real golfer, you're going to need a great short game. It's also beneficial to lose your ego and play smart.

I was decent though my school years but I always let my ego get in the way. Get over that and you'll be way ahead of most kids. This will give you your best chance to move on to college where you'll really have an opportunity to learn a lot and improve your game (while providing for one heck of a "fall back" as well).

Take it one step at a time and set realistic sequential goals and even if you don't make it, you'll know for sure just how well you can play this game.

I'd say you should go for it. BUT...make sure you have a plan B in case being a golf pro doesn't work out. That plan B is your education/degree.

If you really do have an 18 handicap after 6 months and you are 14 you have some sort of natural talent at this game. You could probably become a club professional somewhere with continued serious practice. The PGA Tour? Well it is great to have dreams and I wouldn't want to discourage anybody, but I wouldn't put my eggs in that basket. To become a club pro you need to among many other things pass a PAT or Professional Abilities Test, which usually consists of two 18 hole rounds on a specified course. The maximum passing score is usually something like a combined total of 5 over or 7 over for the two rounds.

The thing is whether it is really worth it to become a club pro or to just have fun playing the game as a great amateur. I've worked at a semiprivate golf course for a number of summers and I honestly can't say that as much as I love the game I'd want to be a club professional. They spend most of their time tending the cash register in the pro shop. Most are a long way from being rich. Most of those that I knew for some reason either had less desire or opportunity to play or practice than I did. Once they stop practicing and playing most of them get rusty just like the rest of us and their average scores go up, even into the 80s sometimes.

My advice is to continue to enjoy the game as an amateur, maybe shoot for playing on a high school or college golf team, unless of course a miracle happens... Instead focus your career goals on getting a college degree in a field that both suits you and is in high demand.

Nothing is impossible, so you have a chance.

Like everyone else said have a backup plan. However make sure this is something you also enjoy. Maybe you can end up with a job thats involved in golf, but isn't playing for a living. Working for the PGA or a manufacturer etc.

I wouldn't necessarily pick the job that is in demand, or has high pay etc. If you end up doing something you hate, just for money, it'll get old very quickly.

Of course you can. I mean, I'm turning 17 in a couple of days, and I've been working my butt off these last 2 years with the same goal has you (probably).

Anyone of these guys that posts in this forum would like to play in any tour and be a great golfer, but, bottom line, you have to work you butt of to be the best, and when you are not playing well, you just have to keep on going.

Bottom line: if you work hard, you can do whatever you can, just stay in school

Unfortunately, this does not apply to desires like fame, sporting success and fortune.

It is not true that you can be or do whatever you want. It would be nice if it were true, but it isn't. I suggest you get your handicap down to scratch or thereabouts and then think about what might be possible. Nothing wrong with dreams, but there are a lot of great players out there who wanted it badly, but didn't have what it takes. Play the game for the love of it and see where it takes you!

Obviously, you're not a fan of the LPGA, Julie!

You know how coverage is, they only show the top players...never win, never get on tv. I looked her up, seems she's only placed in two of her last 18 LPGA majors.

Unfortunately hard work can increase your skill but doesn't guarantee that you'll be professional quality. There are many skills such as touch, body flexibility and movement, eye hand coordination, gut feelings, vision and sense which has to be in the original package. Working real hard for a few year in no way compares to the work ethic of Tiger Woods. Woods spends over 30 hour per week just on the short game. That's why he makes so many putts. But without those athletic skills from the beginning, he would not be as good. Woods was not born being a good golfer but he did possess latent skills. A very good swing instructor can tell you whether you've go it or not.