Minimum driving distance to compete professionally.

[zeg]

I'd say you're unlikely to be winning much, but there are plenty of guys who never or very rarely win on tour but who keep their cards for a long time just by finishing somewhere in the money with regularity.  Averaging 250 yards carry seems like the very lower limit for this to be possible, though.  While you can probably focus on events where the courses don't put such an explicit premium on distance, it's going to be tough and you better put everything in the fairway and never miss a putt.

[tristanhilton85]

Originally Posted by zeg

I'd say you're unlikely to be winning much, but there are plenty of guys who never or very rarely win on tour but who keep their cards for a long time just by finishing somewhere in the money with regularity.  Averaging 250 yards carry seems like the very lower limit for this to be possible, though.  While you can probably focus on events where the courses don't put such an explicit premium on distance, it's going to be tough and you better put everything in the fairway and never miss a putt.

I'll agree with this... 250 is probably the bare minimum to still have at least a slight chance and to have that chance every other aspect of your game better be damn good.  I'd guess that at 250 you probably wouldn't win much but could make cuts and make some cash.

[Sai-Jin]

So driving distance does matter? When I first started, everyone kept telling me that driving distance doesn't really matter.

IMHO drive it long then it'll eliminate the chances of using long irons / 3woods which have bigger margins of error compared to wedges and mid - short irons.

[The Recreational Golfer]

Originally Posted by Harmonious

250 carry probably equates to 270-275 total distance, with the fairways cut as close as they are on tour.

When you see those shots taken from the blimp of a drive landing, though, you often see it hit and stop pretty much right there -- all carry and no roll to speak of.

[Stretch]

You will struggle, physically and mentally, as a short-hitting pro golfer. It can be done if you're an absolute bandit from the second shot on in -- Luke Donald has made, what, $20 million on the PGA tour so far -- but even he blew two years trying to learn to hit a draw off the tee to eke out a few more precious yards. With the length and athleticism that the younger guys have, I think your classic short-and-straight player will be worn down at the junior/amateur/collegiate level nowadays.

[Gerald]

I see so many comments like 330 in the pine or 275 in the fairway ...... but I think it is the other way around ...... it are mostly not the longest shots that end up in the woods or in the rough, but it are the average drives in the fairway that bump along further through the fairway.......

What I see is that most of the "shorter" strikers hit a lot of fairways.

At the course we play 250 yds carry average mostly in the fairway means, you will probably play a near scratch handicap if the rest of you game equals your driving capabillities.

One of my buddies is a short hitter ..... about 225 including roll is best he can do from the tee, playing to a handicap 3.6 and he has been playing near scratch at some days.

Playing scratch at the courses we play isn't enough to compete at a professional level, I think you need to be able to play like a +3 or +4 at our courses to compete at lowest levels...... if you are not going for a birdie chance at at least 9 holes of the amateur courses you are not ready for the real thing.

[MikeLowry5]

Originally Posted by Gerald

I see so many comments like 330 in the pine or 275 in the fairway ...... but I think it is the other way around ...... it are mostly not the longest shots that end up in the woods or in the rough, but it are the average drives in the fairway that bump along further through the fairway.......

What I see is that most of the "shorter" strikers hit a lot of fairways.

At the course we play 250 yds carry average mostly in the fairway means, you will probably play a near scratch handicap if the rest of you game equals your driving capabillities.

One of my buddies is a short hitter ..... about 225 including roll is best he can do from the tee, playing to a handicap 3.6 and he has been playing near scratch at some days.

Playing scratch at the courses we play isn't enough to compete at a professional level, I think you need to be able to play like a +3 or +4 at our courses to compete at lowest levels...... if you are not going for a birdie chance at at least 9 holes of the amateur courses you are not ready for the real thing.

Huh?

I cannot understand what you are saying in the first paragraph, however I THINK you are implying that the balls that go in the fairway are longer than those that land in the rough.  That is true when comparing an equally struck ball from the same player.  We are talking about guys who are just longer than the short hitters.  Bubba Watson carries the ball much further than Mark Wilson (and just about everyone else for that matter).  Bubba can carry the ball 330 into the rough, he can also hit it 400 into the fairway (keep in mind all of this depends on wind, landscape etc.  I am only talking about what has happened before).

No one is saying you cannot be a productive golfer by hitting it into the fairway at 250yrds each time.  What they are saying is it will still make for a long day on a 7200 yard layout with rough, greens, and pin placements set up for the world's best.

[The_Pharaoh]

Originally Posted by Gerald

Playing scratch at the courses we play isn't enough to compete at a professional level, I think you need to be able to play like a +3 or +4 at our courses to compete at lowest levels...... if you are not going for a birdie chance at at least 9 holes of the amateur courses you are not ready for the real thing.

I'd even go as far as to say +3 or +4 at a normal course won't hack it professionally either. The reason I say this is because courses on tour are set up completely differently to the average clubs' course. The fairways on tour are twice as narrow, the greens are rock hard and the grass cut to nothing, the rough is much thicker etc. This is the reason why so many brilliant amateurs fade away the moment they turn pro. Unless they've had the chance to play the odd professional event or the very top amateur tournaments AND done well in them, they won't be able to keep up once they are on tour. I think you need to be a +6 or +7 on a regular course to even think about turning pro. If you are shooting between 64-66 regularly at your home course from the back tees, you'll be OK because that pretty much guarantees you can break par on tour.

[Leftee]

Corey Pavin had a pretty good career. I think he was in the 260's average. But, he was great with his fairway woods. I remember his shot into 18 when he won his US Open. I think it was a 4 wood.

[itching4scratch]

Originally Posted by The_Pharaoh

If you are shooting between 64-66 regularly at your home course from the back tees, you'll be OK because that pretty much guarantees you can break par on tour.

WOW! that's some damn good golf! So theoretically, an average Pro could murder my home course. I'd love to see that!

[Kieran123]

Originally Posted by itching4scratch

WOW! that's some damn good golf! So theoretically, an average Pro could murder my home course. I'd love to see that!

What is your home course?

Pharaoh, it depends on the home course entirely.

Some have slope ratings of 120 par 72, some have slope ratings of 145 par 71.....

I could shoot 80's on the first but probably high 90's on the other LOL

[The_Pharaoh]

Originally Posted by Kieran123

What is your home course?

Pharaoh, it depends on the home course entirely.

Some have slope ratings of 120 par 72, some have slope ratings of 145 par 71.....

I could shoot 80's on the first but probably high 90's on the other LOL

That's true, but I'm referring to average difficulty i.e. where an 18 handicapper shoots 90, a scratch golfer shoots 72 etc.

[The_Pharaoh]

Originally Posted by itching4scratch

WOW! that's some damn good golf! So theoretically, an average Pro could murder my home course. I'd love to see that!

The Sand Trap did a calculation showing that the pro that finished 125th on the money list was a +3 golfer ON TOUR!! So what would that make him on an average golf course set up for members?? I think they had Tiger at +9 or +10, Furyk (2nd on the money list at the time) at +7.

[itching4scratch]

Quote:

What is your home course?

par 70 slope 109 from the tips

[Harmonious]

A +4 handicap golfer is a +4 wherever he goes.  At an average course of 72.0/130 he would expect to shoot around 69, for example.  At TPC Sawgrass, playing at 76.8/155 from the tips, he would expect to shoot around 73, approximately.   But his handicap would be the same.  His "course handicap"may vary depending on the course's slope, and is used to make for an equitable competition against others, but that doesn't affect his overall handicap.   Just a little clarification, FWIW.

[turtleback]

Originally Posted by Leftee

Corey Pavin had a pretty good career. I think he was in the 260's average. But, he was great with his fairway woods. I remember his shot into 18 when he won his US Open. I think it was a 4 wood.

But no one was averaging 310 back then.  Courses were shorter and so were the players.

And not only was he great with his fairway woods he had an all-world short-game, including putting.  I just saw him on TGC on Lesson from a Pro.  A thoroughly good guy.

[bigbear43]

I think it would be possible but one would have to be a phenominal long/middle iron player. Also competing with the bombers now you'd have to hit the fairway on almost every tee shot.

[TourSpoon]

Originally Posted by itching4scratch

Is 250yd carry enough to compete?

It may be enough for regional pro/am play, but not near enough for the modern PGA, Nationwide, Euro, etc. tours.  This would have been fine in the 70s, but not now.  The modern tournament course of 7200-7600 plus yards play long.  Even as long as they are playing, the par 5s play to par 4.5s for most of the field.  The guy who is swinging the club at 100 mph has a real disadvantage as he is hitting 4 wood to most players 5-6 irons on 220 yard par 3s.  This is a tall order unless you are "Pavinesque."