Is your club's golf pro playing in money tourneys?

[bkuehn1952]

27 minutes ago, Spitfisher said:

Now, Does your club pro or director of golf play in this type of an event????  Yes or no?

I am not a member of a club so I can't answer this.  My impression is that assistant pros will play in these types of things as they are paid very little, are young and still have a pretty good game.  Head pros typically make a decent living and don't need to scramble around trying to make a buck and/or don't want to embarrass themselves.  This is opinion and not a fact.

[SG11118]

We have two man scramble weekend events at our club where a golf pro or two occasionally enters.  Generally, pro grew up here, lives out of town now, and is playing because they happen to be in town that weekend, and wanted to make an appearance to see old friends and have fun.  Prizes are pro shop credit.  Don't think pro's team has ever come close to winning.

[Spitfisher]

I've spoke to a couple of pros today that I know. One older pro said his "business and success is based on relationships with his members and potential members. Integrity plays are large role in that relationship. Outside of a charity event thats focus is to make money for the charity I will only play in Pro-Ams or PGA sanctioned events"

My other pro, after I explained what actually had occurred and some of the rumblings that I heard from some players at the event. he explained Pros can play in events like that, there are no rules pertaining to it.  There is also no rule about taking candy from a baby, But I think you'll find your better golf course professionals don't bother to".  To much exposure, damned if you do and damned if you don't. He continued that a "traditional scoring tournament maybe more acceptable I'f there was a mixture of both pros, ex pros and scratch golfers, low handicap etc. But it sounds as though if was a large private group of Saturday morning players of mixed handicappers in a huge skins game. There was a goal of skins & CTP and not so much the final score or net" 

"have them limit the entry next time"

[Lihu]

8 hours ago, Spitfisher said:

When I said yes I meant people from out of town or who ordinarily do not play in the event Apparently after speaking with some event usually is a sell-out meaning that there's people waiting to get in. There was only one pro that played in the tournament this seemed to be a concern after the tournament that this guy played in it my guess is next year there will be an understanding that Pros will not be allowed to play in it this is what prompted this thread was not about the amateurs playing in it but the pro playing in it whether it's a rule or it's just kind of a mutual understanding

If I had to guess, they just don't want the same guy winning all the time. $8000 is a lot of money not to attract good + handicap type players. Especially if they are local.

[kpaulhus]

My club hosts an open tournament like what you described. It is handicapped and a total sandbaggers dream event. They flight you based on your day 1 scores, which most guys usually tank, then they light up their flight.

It is open to anyone, including pros. I have not played in it, nor plan to as I think its a crock of bullshit. The gambling gets very crazy. Last year a 3 index shot 84 on day 1 and was flighted into the 8-11 group and there were bets over 10K on his team in the Calcutta. 

http://www.thetributeatpinnaclecc.com/

 

 

[Hardspoon]

40 minutes ago, kpaulhus said:

My club hosts an open tournament like what you described. It is handicapped and a total sandbaggers dream event. They flight you based on your day 1 scores, which most guys usually tank, then they light up their flight.

It is open to anyone, including pros. I have not played in it, nor plan to as I think its a crock of bullshit. The gambling gets very crazy. Last year a 3 index shot 84 on day 1 and was flighted into the 8-11 group and there were bets over 10K on his team in the Calcutta. 

http://www.thetributeatpinnaclecc.com/

OK...if everyone knows exactly what they are getting into, that actually sounds so ridiculous that it could be fun. Of course, I'm a degenerate gambler, so take from that what you will. 

[boogielicious]

11 hours ago, kpaulhus said:

My club hosts an open tournament like what you described. It is handicapped and a total sandbaggers dream event. They flight you based on your day 1 scores, which most guys usually tank, then they light up their flight.

It is open to anyone, including pros. I have not played in it, nor plan to as I think its a crock of bullshit. The gambling gets very crazy. Last year a 3 index shot 84 on day 1 and was flighted into the 8-11 group and there were bets over 10K on his team in the Calcutta. 

http://www.thetributeatpinnaclecc.com/

 

 

Sounds like the golf version of The Hustler. I remember reading about some Pro golfers in the 20s and 30s doing this on two day local weekend tournaments. They made more money hustling than winning real tournaments.

[Pendragon]

On 10/12/2016 at 6:11 AM, Rainmaker said:

I don't see any problem with it - as a mid capper, you probably want to avoid big skins games.  Unless it specifically said "No Pros" . .which, in itself would be kind of arbitrary, because what about the low single digit (or plus) am?  He's just as good as many pros. 

My teacher played in a regional pro tournament last year  - for teaching and club pros - and I checked the results.  A whole lot of high scores - high 70's to high 80's accounted for more than half the field with only 1 guy shooting under (1 under).  I'm sure there are some avid amateurs around who could have absolutely run away with it. 

You're making a very valid point, similar to one I made earlier. Just because someone is a "pro" doesn't mean he's a great player. In addition, if I'm going to enter a skins game with a $100 buy-in, I'm going to pretty much assume that there'll be quite a few really good players, either pro or amateur. Before we moved here, I played at another club for 20 years or so. There was a money game every Mon., Wed., and Fri., and there were 5 or 6 pro's who regularly played in them. We had no problem letting them play, and they didn't win any more than the rest of us.   

On 10/12/2016 at 7:25 AM, bkuehn1952 said:

I am not a member of a club so I can't answer this.  My impression is that assistant pros will play in these types of things as they are paid very little, are young and still have a pretty good game.  Head pros typically make a decent living and don't need to scramble around trying to make a buck and/or don't want to embarrass themselves.  This is opinion and not a fact.

It may be your opinion, but I think you're absolutely correct. I doubt you'll ever (or very rarely) see a PGA Class A head pro playing in something like what's being discussed here. But, as you point out, there are likely many assistant pros who get paid peanuts who'd love the chance to win a few hundred (or thousand) in an event like this.