Serious Question

[jonanthans]

Let's rephrase the original question.

Don't take that as a personal attack, I wasn't calling you negative, my advice was if the person wants it bad enough, and is willing to put the hard work and patience into it, then it is for them, and them only, to decide if they want to take that road. I played 4 years of college baseball, and played with many very good ballplayers who were not offered scholarships anywhere because they were deemed too short, or too heavy, or too slow, etc etc... Several of them ended up getting drafted, due to their own persistence and drive, in spite of what others thought .... The power of the human will can overcome many obstacles, and whether this person can ever become a professional golfer or a Golf Instructor will ultimately come down to what they are willing to do to achieve that goal. I prefer to encourage individuals to follow the dreams that drive them. Many times, even if you fall short of your goal, the feeling you get from knowing you did your best to try to realize your dream is the best salve on the final wound.

[! BuBbA wAtSoN !]

I agree with your post - but the above indicates nothing about hitting it like a pro. How accurate are you with these irons?

Please tell me your joking?? are you serious???

ive followed bubba watson for 5 years from nationaide to PGA Tour and your coming here to tell me that you think i thought he was cross handed??? whats made you think that? of course i know he was left handed, im the one who plays right handed with a cross handed swing just like josh broadaway on the nationwide! i knew that bubba was a lefty as soon as i heard about him in like 2002-03! whats bubba got to do with this post anyway, i havent mentioned him! i am quite accurate with these irons, obviously not quite as accurate as the pros but certainly above the average percentage! all i was stating to the young kid who started this topic was that you can strike the ball perfectly but if you cant get it in the hole very well then you have no chance of making a living out of golf playing wise. plus the mental side of the game

[iacas]

Please tell me your joking?? are you serious???

To be fair, your current user title is "Cross Handed Bomber" above a picture of Bubba and below a username "Bubba."

So there's that. Now, as you later get to, please back on topic.

[Mr Eagle]

Follow your dreams, too many of us suddenly wake up one morning and find we are old men who "wished" we had done it different.Life isnt a dress rehearsal,go for it!

[wkdspd]

So there are several great answers for our young friend, I'll answer from the other end with my version of his question.

I'm nearing 33 yrs old, and have played golf on and off since I was 13. My most notable period was when I was 19-21 in college playing 3-4 rounds a week and striking honest scratch golf. I have wanted to be a tour player since I was old enough to understand the occupation, but negativity from friends and family had me figuring that winning our local charity tournaments and plenty of side bets was as far as I would ever get.

fast forward to this spring... I picked up my bag after not having played for a year, and in the span of 6 months I have dropped my score back to a +8 and falling, with my scratch game feeling well back within reach. I have had long discussions with my wife, and have set a goal of attaining a scratch score by this coming spring - I'm going to make a run at Q school a year from now, with the idea that it is the one dream Ive had that has never left my thoughts, even if I tucked it away for a while. I have no shaded visions of stardom, but I feel like this is my best opportunity to at least have a go at it... even if nothing comes of it Ill have at least tried, and Ill have a hell of a story that most golfers never get to tell.

Ive done everything that the folks in this forum have suggested - Ive gotten an education, Ive built a career so that money is not an issue, and I have family that supports me. and I STILL want to compete. What do you folks think?

and for those keeping score, yes, I DID register on the forum to post in this thread, Ive been lurking for a while, and have learned a lot

[jonanthans]

Welcome to the board, and good luck on your quest to play professionally. I see you are from Texas, i've heard the mini tours there are awesome, and are a great way to get started in competetive golf. Keep us updated on your progress!

[Doctorfro]

If I'm not mistaken, the statistic reads that only 1 in 10,000 high school athletes make it to the professional level. That being said, your chances are slim. Anything is possible but most of the guys who make it started at a much younger age than you. So am I saying it's impossible? Not at all. But I do believe that in order to do so you would have to devote so much time to the game that your education would suffer. I am a firm believer in education. I do not think that sports or any other extracurricular activity should be so consuming as to interfere with getting the best possible education you can. There's a commercial I've seen on TV showing all these D1 athletes and at the end it says that all these athletes will go pro in something other than their sport (touting their college education).

My advice, enjoy the game, practice, play and if by chance you get good enough...go for it.

[wkdspd]

Welcome to the board, and good luck on your quest to play professionally. I see you are from Texas, i've heard the mini tours there are awesome, and are a great way to get started in competetive golf. Keep us updated on your progress!

Thanks, I appreciate it! thats a great idea, and Ive been looking at some of the mini tours, more often the Adams tour, and was thinking I may enter some tournaments as an amateur specifically to check my head game in competition. Im thinking Ill attack Q school as a singular attempt at professional play however, and either make it or not. like I said, I have a great career in place that will continue to advance if I dont make it, so this Q-school effort is kind of a one-shot, never-know-unless-you-try kinda deal, ya know? Ive wanted to do it since I was a kid, and if I can bring my game to check in time Im gonna go for it :) btw, shot a 76 today...

[jonanthans]

Im at an 8 handicap now, but every time my buddies and I put money on the line, I seem to really shoot good. I guess I concentrate harder and really manage my round. You could find that the better comp you play against, the better your game gets. Throwin up 76's is a great start towards that!

btw, I have a friend that used to play on the mini tours, he said that Adams tour is one of the better ran tours he played on. Always a full field, and they play some extremely nice venues!

[wkdspd]

Im at an 8 handicap now, but every time my buddies and I put money on the line, I seem to really shoot good. I guess I concentrate harder and really manage my round. You could find that the better comp you play against, the better your game gets. Throwin up 76's is a great start towards that!

Im with you, Ive always had a solid head game and money always makes it better, makes me concentrate harder. Im playing twice tomorrow, morning and afternoon, early 18 with a swing coach and afternoon 18 with a couple of +1's... good day to gauge where I stand...

what you're describing is why Im looking at the Adams tour to test myself, challenges from both competition and courses that will help me figure out just how close I am. thanks for the input!