Want to try to turn pro

[Shorty]

The truth is that he isn't even willing to get into a discussion or answer any of the points raised by any of us. Aside from saying I'm sticking with my plan without any further acknowledgement of what was said to him.

It's just another in the long list of threads where the pattern is:

OP says......(in as many words)

I've been playing for a short time.

I think I'm pretty good

I want to be rich and famous.

I want short cuts.

I will ignore advice.

I heard that someone once became a famous pro when they hadn't played until their 20s.

I can do it and I'll ignore the haters.

People offer support and reality checks.

OP doesn't acknowledge anything beyond a couple of lines despite some generous members writing detailed responses full of good advice.

Someone posts about the myriad jobs in  the "golf insdustry" (as if the OP gives a sh*t about jobs that don't pay millions and give you chicks)

It all evaporates.

The "8" handicapper (actually 24) disappears because he didn't get the answers he wants.

Anyone who has been on this site for more than a few years knows this.

[turtleback]

FWIW, I think his plan to do it without college is complete nonsense. Unless his parents are rich, the world just doesn't work that way. But if golf gets him to hit the books while practicing and honing his game, then there are lots of jobs in golf for people who don't make the tour and trying for the tour isn't the end of the world.

But it isn't.  Golf is his school copout, not his school motivator.

Nobody has told him explicitly (besides maybe Shorty) to just give up. We've just told him the reality is that he won't play (with 99.99999% certainty) on the pro tours and will need something else to fall back on. That's called giving someone sound financial advice, as opposed to setting him up for a lifetime of disappointment and possibly poverty if we all said, "You can do it! Rah rah rah!" and he did nothing but golf for the next couple of years, not even planning for an alternative.

My dream was always to win more than $1,000,000 in the lottery, which has about the same probability as the OP making a dollar on tour.  But I had the good sense not to quit my job while I waited.

If his parents are rich, I'd give him an additional 100:1 against succeeding. I didn't know anything about golf, but one of my high school classmates was pretty good at golf. Didn't know what it meant, but he shot par at some country club at 10-ish and was invited to play somewhere against pros as a sophomore. He's an expert skier, tennis player, anything he did he was better and smarter than anyone else around.

His dad bought him a Lamborghini on 16th birthday, and the rest is history. . .

I'm sure there is a point in there but I am damned if I can tell what it is.

[inthehole]

Having seen how good the PGA guys are up close, this is all I got for the OP ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1zNdw4DaUM8

[Lihu]

Originally Posted by Lihu

If his parents are rich, I'd give him an additional 100:1 against succeeding. I didn't know anything about golf, but one of my high school classmates was pretty good at golf. Didn't know what it meant, but he shot par at some country club at 10-ish and was invited to play somewhere against pros as a sophomore. He's an expert skier, tennis player, anything he did he was better and smarter than anyone else around.

His dad bought him a Lamborghini on 16th birthday, and the rest is history. . .

I'm sure there is a point in there but I am damned if I can tell what it is.

He'd basically have no chance if he is rich (and not just in name ).

[DrvFrShow]

The 8 handicapper is simply not active in this thread. He's posting in the My Swing thread, and is apparently taking lessons on evolvr.

He's young and has a lot to learn. If he's willing to work at it, I way more power to him. Just that he shouldn't overlook his education. And like I said - if his grades are not good enough to get into a 4 yr University right away, he can go the Community College route, and then transfer to an NCAA school. There is nothing wrong with that. A lot of kids go this route. For one thing it is far less expensive to get your core requirements finished at an accredited Community College than at a 4 yr University, and that means you have lower total student loans to pay off when you get your bachelor's. The cost of a bachelors is not the $10,000 it was when I went to college. It's a fracking mortgage if you go the full four years.

So I think he should consider this route. At least he'll have a two year degree at minimum. And he can play for his CC team.

[Shorty]

He'd basically have no chance if he is rich (and not just in name ).

100% correct.

Weren't the Mendez brothers aspiring tennis pros with rich parents?

[Lihu]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lihu

He'd basically have no chance if he is rich (and not just in name ).

100% correct.

Weren't the Mendez brothers aspiring tennis pros with rich parents?

Impressed that you remember such facts on the fly. . .

Apparently they were both really good. . .

Erik also hired a full-time tennis coach and competed in a series of pro tournaments in Israel.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lyle_and_Erik_Menendez

[CarlSpackler]

My question for @golfrocks is...

Why do you want to play pro golf on the tour? What is your motivation?

[Lihu]

My question for @golfrocks is... Why do you want to play pro golf on the tour? What is your motivation?

At that age you need to have dreams, and go with them. Even if he fails, he wins by being able to focus on something for so long and develop his personal drive. It'll work out as long as he doesn't shut the other opportunities out completely. Going to a Community College and taking 2-3 courses at a time could do that?

[CarlSpackler]

At that age you need to have dreams, and go with them. Even if he fails, he wins by being able to focus on something for so long and develop his personal drive.

It'll work out as long as he doesn't shut the other opportunities out completely. Going to a Community College and taking 2-3 courses at a time could do that?

I would actually like to hear from @golfrocks . It's something I think all young people need to consider deeply when charting the course of their lives.

[turtleback]

He'd basically have no chance if he is rich (and not just in name ).

He has no chance and it has nothing to do with whether or not he is rich.  Being rich did not prevent Hal Sutton from succeeding.

So I think he should consider this route. At least he'll have a two year degree at minimum. And he can play for his CC team.

I've seen no indication that he is doing that.  He flat out ruled out college.  I'm sorry to say it about a kid this young but as a retired teacher I have seen this kind of thing over and over again  The delusion serves as a rationalization for blowing off school.

At that age you need to have dreams, and go with them. Even if he fails, he wins by being able to focus on something for so long and develop his personal drive.

It'll work out as long as he doesn't shut the other opportunities out completely.Going to a Community College and taking 2-3 courses at a time could do that?

I've seen no indication from the OP that he is open to following a course that involves putting more effort into his education.  Even the way he described it - it is passive, his grades are things that just happen to him.

[Lihu]

Quote:

Originally Posted by DrvFrShow

So I think he should consider this route. At least he'll have a two year degree at minimum. And he can play for his CC team.

I've seen no indication that he is doing that.  He flat out ruled out college.  I'm sorry to say it about a kid this young but as a retired teacher I have seen this kind of thing over and over again  The delusion serves as a rationalization for blowing off school.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lihu

At that age you need to have dreams, and go with them. Even if he fails, he wins by being able to focus on something for so long and develop his personal drive.

It'll work out as long as he doesn't shut the other opportunities out completely.Going to a Community College and taking 2-3 courses at a time could do that?

I've seen no indication from the OP that he is open to following a course that involves putting more effort into his education.  Even the way he described it - it is passive, his grades are things that just happen to him.

Lots of kids have no idea what they want to do out of high school. I think of this as just one way to take a small break until he figures it all out.

The OP appears to be relatively talented in golf, and I firmly believe that everyone needs to find their way through something they are good at doing. He can use it as a vehicle to develop his drive for perfection. Taking 2 or 3 classes is not equal to letting grades "happen" to him. I think the opposite is true. As he develops confidence through golf, he will want to do better at other things as well. I see nothing wrong with that.

[turtleback]

Lots of kids have no idea what they want to do out of high school. I think of this as just one way to take a small break until he figures it all out.

The OP appears to be relatively talented in golf, and I firmly believe that everyone needs to find their way through something they are good at doing. He can use it as a vehicle to develop his drive for perfection. Taking 2 or 3 classes is not equal to letting grades "happen" to him. I think the opposite is true. As he develops confidence through golf, he will want to do better at other things as well. I see nothing wrong with that.

Have you been paying attention?  He is not out of HS, he is at the early part of HS, he has already blown off any idea of college, even though that would be the best avenue for his "dream."  (Note: I am not an advocate of college for everyone - but at his point in his life it is far and away the best avenue to top notch coaching and the ideal opportunity to develop his game.  But he isn't even willing to try.)

And when you talk about taking classes, etc., where have you seen the slightest indication that he is willing to do any of this?  Other people have talked about taking classes, he hasn't.

Relatively talented means he might be a club champion some day.  Insanely talented is what is need to make money on a pro tour.  Along with a ferocious work ethic.  And even most of THOSE guys do not make it.

All of those great character and confidence benefits of golf are available even for people who do not put all their eggs in a basket that is almost certainly going to crash.  And I am unclear why he would gain confidence from not reaching an unrealistic goal.

No one is doing this kid any favors by encouraging him, IMO.  They are basically encouraging and enabling him to believe that a future financial plan that consists of buying lottery tickets is reasonable and prudent.  Except that the probability of winning a substantial amount in the lottery is probably greater.  After all, there are more million dollar lottery winners in the US than golfers making a living on the PGA Tour.

It is fine to buy a lottery ticket for fun.  It is not fine to plan your financial future around winning a lottery.  At least IMO.

[Moppy]

Best case he is Tin Cup.

[21degreeloft]

Arnold Schwarzenegger's 6 Rules of Success. 1. Trust yourself 2. Break the rules 3. Don't be afraid to fail 4. Don't listen to the naysayers 5. Work your butt off 6. Give something back to your community

[Pretzel]

Arnold Schwarzenegger's 6 Rules of Success. 1. Trust yourself 2. Break the rules 3. Don't be afraid to fail 4. Don't listen to the naysayers 5. Work your butt off 6. Give something back to your community

There's a difference between naysayers and realists. We'd be naysayers if he already had a plus handicap and had a realistic chance. Since he isn't even scratch and wants to play on tour in two years, we're simply realists.

[AmazingWhacker]

I'm tired of all the people on this site saying 'You can't be a pro golfer' and 'You have no chance', etc.  This comes up all the time.  Some young hopeful, probably the next Seve, Tiger or Jack, makes the mistake of coming on here and revealing their hopes and dreams only to have them crushed.  You nay-sayers are putting the future of our sport in jeopardy.

Don't listen to them, man.  Get out there and get swinging.  I plan to do the exact same thing.  I've been working towards becoming a touring pro for about 3 years now.  The only thing holding me back is my clubs.  I have almost all of them - I just need an 8 iron and then I'll have them all . .except a Sand Wedge  . .but thinking I can get one from my sponsor.

We should hook up on tour when you're out there.  I'll be the guy with the new 8 iron.

[14ledo81]

I'm tired of all the people on this site saying 'You can't be a pro golfer' and 'You have no chance', etc.  This comes up all the time.  Some young hopeful, probably the next Seve, Tiger or Jack, makes the mistake of coming on here and revealing their hopes and dreams only to have them crushed.  You nay-sayers are putting the future of our sport in jeopardy. Don't listen to them, man.  Get out there and get swinging.  I plan to do the exact same thing.  I've been working towards becoming a touring pro for about 3 years now.  The only thing holding me back is my clubs.  I have almost all of them - I just need an 8 iron and then I'll have them all . .except a Sand Wedge  . .but thinking I can get one from my sponsor.    We should hook up on tour when you're out there.  I'll be the guy with the new 8 iron.

I've got a spare 8 iron you can use for a bit. I will need it back though...