opinions on my potential??

[804golfer]

It's risk versus reward, let's say you practice and don't goto college and end up breakin something.. or not making it.. you just screwed yourself and will be stuck making 30k a year doing something you hate... then you won't have a good job

man i can still go to university and play golf, dont need to overdo it on the practice front, u know?? just get out and play a bit

[Ill St. golfer]

man i can still go to university and play golf, dont need to overdo it on the practice front, u know?? just get out and play a bit

Practice is how you are going to get better

[Uber$winG]

Do not despair… there is always the geriatric Champions Tour.

[itzzzberny]

pipe dream.....
i think to be a pro you should have your home course record. pros play at the highest level but most importantly they do it in front of huge crowds. its really not the same going for a 210 yard par 3 with people crowding around the tee,fairway and green. trust me, when you have over 50 sets of eyes watchin your every move (no including the people watching on tv). your gonna probably get a little nervous. but there are people who can compete at their highest level with that pressure.

[Shorty]

Read "Tales from Q School" and you will get your answer.
Many people who play off handicaps of scratch or better often struggle to break 80 when the pressure is on. many players who shoot several under par in qualifying events find that it is not good enough.
When you are shooting low 60s regularly on reasonable courses you will discover that you might then be good enough to be one of the 1200 odd who go fro 30 spots on the PGA Tour.
As for mini yours, you play fro your own money and do well to break even.
Playing off 5 and doing it for money? Apart from club comps, why would it be possible to do this as a job? Millions of players would be doing it if it was possible.
When you break 65 for the first time on a challenging course you have made the first step. But.......I am sure that you have been told that if you want something badly enough you will get it, despite evidence to the contrary.

[pittpanther]

It's risk versus reward, let's say you practice and don't goto college and end up breakin something.. or not making it.. you just screwed yourself and will be stuck making 30k a year doing something you hate... then you won't have a good job

Man, it's not like college is only for 18-year-olds...

If he takes a year or two off to see how good he can be, he can enroll in college when he's 20. But if he's serious about becoming a pro, there's no way he can go to college full-time and practice enough golf to make up for the fact that he's basically a beginner. (Sure, Tiger went to Stanford. But Tiger had been playing since age 4.)

[mutadayen]

Kudos gentlemen...kudos! Kudos for shooting down someones thoughts, dreams, and chances. In fact, I think you should go out and tell everyone to stop dreaming of success, to not blaze thier own path, and aspire for nothing more than janitorial engineering (not that there's anything wrong it...if it feeds the family and provides shelter, then my hats off to you!).

I know there's a lot of pessimism in the world, but my god people! Give the boy a chance. Dude, if you think you can get better and you want to give it a shot...give it a shot! Even if the chance are "slim to none", "not a chance", etc etc etc, give it a shot! Do what you like. Who cares if the chances are less of being a pro at something than winning the lottery. At least try if you want!

I think what you need to hear is give it a shot, but dont be in denial. Convincing yourself of something you are or something you're not will only lead to regret and self pity. Accepting one part of the many parts of your life is what you need to keep in mind. I played basketball in school and dreamed of the NBA. Was it going to happen? Probably not, but it never deterred me from working hard and getting noticed by schools. And that continues till today.

[804golfer]

How would I go about joining the tarheel or hooters tour?? Do I just fill out the application and pay the fees ??? basically what i am asking is do like i have to have a certain usga handicap and ghin number or can i just play?? obviously, I wont spend the money until I truly am competitive enough to compete.

[RocketSauce]

my opinion would be a hell no as well. one of my buddies is a +2 handicap and barely makes a living as a country club pro. and the difference between the courses/yardages the pros play and what your home course probably is are like miles apart. try playing a 7500 yard course with 495 yard par 4's, 250 yard par 3's, and when the greens are at a 12 on the stimpmeter. i doubt you would break 100. and those are the types of courses pros play on a weekly basis.
plus, most pros practice SEVERAL hours a day, EVERY day. you'd need to find someone to sponser you so you could afford to live, eat, drink golf... you might be able to make the senior tour someday, but most guys who are playing on the tour these days have already had stellar amatuer careers by the time they were your age

[804golfer]

my opinion would be a hell no as well. one of my buddies is a +2 handicap and barely makes a living as a country club pro. and the difference between the courses/yardages the pros play and what your home course probably is are like miles apart. try playing a 7500 yard course when the greens are at a 12 on the stimp. i doubt you would break 100. and those are the types of courses pros play onb a weekly basis.

dude, its not like im playing on some kiddie course. Its about 6500 yards so its not too far off pga courses which can be 6,900 yards or so for the shorter ones, so dont act like im playing on a POS course. And as for the greens, I mean seriously I can make the adjustment if they are a little faster, I'm an athlete here, i can adapt, wont be too difficult.

[David in FL]

Potential.....

How are your grades? What's your major going to be in college?

[804golfer]

Potential.....

3.6 gpa first semester of college, probably higher this semester. mechanical engineering major with a focus in nuclear engineering, so i'd say potential is damn good.

[DBake]

If you really want to see if you got what it takes to play on tour, you should go take a look at a USGA tournament (Amature or Public Links) and see how they strike the ball. I would be willing to say 95% can not make it past Monday qualifying.

A realistic first goal for anyone serious about golf is to win a club tournament.

[RocketSauce]

well, if you plan on " playing the shorter ones " only, then go for it if you think you can do it.

[804golfer]

well, if you plan on "

no dude, i didnt mean that, i just mean like distance is not a big issue for me, especially when i can carry my driver 280 and can hit a 9 iron 170, u know?

[Ill St. golfer]

3.6 gpa first semester of college, probably higher this semester. mechanical engineering major with a focus in nuclear engineering, so i'd say potential is damn good.

Then looks like you have no reason to make a living with something like golf. With a mechanical engineering degree you are well set. I am happy you just shot a 41, but really if and when I shoot that score. I head home a little upset AFTER i hit the practice green and tees for a while.

[David in FL]

3.6 gpa first semester of college, probably higher this semester. mechanical engineering major with a focus in nuclear engineering, so i'd say potential is damn good.

I agree, that's why I asked. Enjoy your golf. It's a great way to relax and decompress from your studies and later in life, from work. The nice thing about golf is that a high handicapper can enjoy the game as much as a low handicapper.

[804golfer]

Then looks like you have no reason to make a living with something like golf. With a mechanical engineering degree you are well set. I am happy you just shot a 41, but really if and when I shoot that score. I head home a little upset AFTER i hit the practice green and tees for a while.

and ur point? u have probably been playing golf since u came out of ur mother's *******. hows it feel to have someone almost just as good as u that has only played for a bout a year ????