Honest Answer?

Howdy there. My name is Cory and I am just now 17 and a senior this year. I only recently taken golf seriously this past year and dropped from a 30+ handicap to a 9 handicap and improving each week. I just started a lesson this past week and hit practice balls at least 50 quality balls a day (I have quite a bit of land and an hour of free time). I plan to play golf for UTD for the next four years or at least participate in amateur tournaments throughout the next few years. Do you believe that over this coming summer practicing constantly (100 balls a day, 2 rounds a week, and 2 lessons for the local golf pro a week) that I could maybe reach my goal of scratch golf and then maybe begin progessing to mini-tours, the Nationwide Tour and on-ward? Or am I too late because I didnt start when I was 13 and a scratch golfer by 15? Any honesty and help would be greatly appreciated.

Well, KJ Choi didn't pick up a club till he as 16 and he seems to do pretty well. I don't think there is a definitive answer to this, it depends on your level of natural talent combined with dedication, work ethic and perhaps a bit of luck.

Good luck.

The Age factor is not a factor -- several touring pros began later in their teens.

I'd say triple the number of rounds you stated -- to 6 per week in the summer, 3X per week after school (if only 9 holes per time), hit more balls, but spend a substantial amount of time with your short game -- also get a camera that shoots video (point and shoots do video now) and a $20 tripod -- banging balls will not help -- video will help.

During the summer, I'd say play a round 5-6 days per week, and then after the round--  I'd say an hour of long game, 2 hours of short game.

During school - play 9 holes, and then 1/2 hr long game, and 1 hr of short game.

Go on a strength, flexibility, and conditioning program.

Take lessons, take video, play as much as possible, and play with guys better than you; and always play for something -- whether it's a Coke, or a nickel a hole -- just as long as something is on the line.

But the guys here who give lessons can offer more insight.

Go to colege.  If golf works out then great you win.  If not then at least you have an education and the time of your life.  You can play tons of golf in school and maybe even on the college team. I have talked to very few people who regretted finishing college.  I have talked to a ton who regretted not finishing.

Stay in School.  OK strike that.

Try and play some collegiate golf. That can guarantee you some play and practice time and if all things don't go well, you have your exit strategy in a Bachelor's Degree. A lot of tour players went and played collegiate golf. It's probably a better way of getting yourself recognized.

Without seeing you hit balls noone here would have a clue.

I'm not sure why you are even asking - it depends what you do, not what people say.

Unfortunately, you have history and statistics against you.

There are several players who picked the game up late and have become successful pros.

I will give you the same advice that many before you have been given.

To be on the Nationwide tour you have to be be one of the top few hundred players in the world.

So - -what you are essentially asking is "Do you think I could become one of the world's best players?"

Do you think that is a sensible question? You know that it isn't.

Work hard, get your handicap down and win a club championship. Win pretty much everything you enter.

If you can regularly shoot mid 60s on decent courses you might have a chance of being good enough to play mini tours where you have the privilege of dishing out your own money and rying to win some back.

There have been many threads like this i the past and they are all exactly the same. In fact, I'm wondering if this isn't a troll.

Post a video.

Thank you for all of your advice! I will definitely be investing in a camera and will be making up a nice little golf workout/training program. And start looking into courses that have fees that are feasible for 5 to 6 rounds a week.

I do plan to play collegiate golf (only division III but they offered the full academic merit scholarship) and get at least a bachelors in finance or something business related. More or less I am asking for advice to proceed forth. I know that it will require hard work, dedication, time, sweat and total immersion into a lifestyle and life of golf.

I know that its asking a lot, but I was curious of the advice out there from others who have thought about it, tried or are currently trying to achieve this tremendous goal. Sorry if I was coming off "trolly".

GO FOR IT! I made a somewhat similar thread as you earlier, and it turned out to get decent advice. Since I have the same overall goal as you, I wish you loads of luck, and can't wait to walk up 18 at Augusta with you someday.

Constant, total immersion.  You should be playing or practicing something golf related like 6-8 hours a day.  And even then, remember that golf is like any other sport.  There are thousands and thousands and thousands of guys who think they can make it and are all better than probably anyone you've every played with, but there are only a couple hundred in the world at any time who can make a good living playing golf.  Don't take that as discouragement.  Use it as motivation.  One way to be mentally tougher than your competitors is to know that you've prepared twice as hard as them.

You can't be arrogant when you have nothing to be arrogant about.

Alright so now I see where I went wrong first I need to focus purely on getting to a low single handicap if not scratch. Set many smaller goals that I can reach in a 3 to 6 month time period. When I reach it move on. For now it will be getting to scratch, then to win some tournaments in college, then to be a below scratch golfer (in a general way) but even go more specific.

So the real question, what best drills, practice ideas and overall tournament tips do you have for a golfer trying to drop 7-9 strokes off?

Or actually, I'll probably take the initiative and go through this forum and look up some drills, but any tips or advice or anything would be amazing thankful!

Thank you everyone especially the help from Mr.Desmond and the realism from Shorty. And thanks to EVERYONE else.

I don't want to hijack your thread like many have done to me but......DAMN! Shorty that's cold

I think Larry Nelson was 23 when he first started playing golf.

I certainly don't think it's too late for you at all. You're still young and you have a lot of time to work on your skill. I think, as with anything really, the biggest challenge people have with the game is passion and it seems like you have that. Good luck.

I definitely think you can hit your goal of being a scratch golfer. I 100% believe you can do that at almost any age. The thing is, there is a HUGE gap between being a scratch golfer and a Nationwide player. Likely the same gap you have to overcome from becoming a 9 to scratch. I have a guy I play with locally who is plays golf professionally and a few guys in our group who are scratch and the difference is mindboggling.

Not to say that you can't do it. If you have the passion and dedication you can do it. Starting younger would help but it is certainly not impossible.

I would say getting from a 9 to scratch is A LOT easier than scratch to say a +4

I would agree. Getting to +4 would require being near perfect over-all with some aspect of your game being super-human.

Isn't it great that without the benefit of actually seeing a player swing a club, one can have "no doubt" that he can become a scratch golfer?

If you have a look at the guy in the "Dan Plan" , despite him devoting 10,000 hours or whatever it is you can see in the videos that the fellow is fundamentally uncoordinated and would probably never become a single figure handicapper no matter how much time he devotes to his (obviously unachievable) goal.

You either have it or you don't.

But people here seem to persist with the belief that with time and dedication they could all become pros. If only.