LSXG8GT

Under rated equipment..? No, definitely not. I just picked up my new set of VR Pro Combo irons by Nike and they're the nicest clubs I've ever hit. But as always, every brand has fanboys. It was a really tough call between those clubs and the Mizuno MP-4's. Damn those clubs are sweet....

Really? Cause I can definitely tell where and why I mis hit the ball on a bad shot with a blade right away. You can take all the lessons you want, but it's up to you to retain what you learned and practice and play to get better. And that includes learning to identify and correct your own mistakes.

I think an old set of blades is a great way to learn. When you hit a bad shot, you know why immediately. With modern cavity back irons, mis-hits are masked and it's a lot harder to tell what you did wrong. I was using blades when I was a little kid all the way through Junior Golf. I say hang onto this old set for a while. Practice and play with them until you get fairly good and comfortable hitting them. Then in time, get yourself a new set of modern irons and watch how well you hit them...

There's "that guy" and then there's also "those guys." My buddies and I are definitely "those guys" when we play a non serious match lol.

I have access to a golf mat and net, so I will be using that as much as I can for more swing time. I might also buy another mat for the yard and hit Birdieballs with it.

Solid advice right there. And no I wouldn't just "quit" my job like that without really evaluating that choice, believe me. If Club Pros were averaging 80-100k a year, then I would really think about it, but it sounds like they make lower than that, especially if they aren't working somewhere with year round golf and not a seasonal course.

I posted asking how to become an Assistant Pro, thanks.

Ouch, well that sucks. I guess I should have said and enforced "if it's worth it" in my original post since some guys are taking it as "Hey, I'm gunna quit my good paying job and become an Assistant Pro instead." I really thought the assistants made more. Still not sure how much the average Course Pro rakes in but sounds lower than hoped. Oh well.

Thanks for the life lessons but I really don't need it. I can come up with the same list you did and all the hard schooling and work to go with it. The basis of my whole question is of what is the road leading to a career in golf , AKA being a Golf Professional somewhere. Unfortunately by the rules of the PGA, you have to be an Assistant Pro first. I don't really know what the salary of a Club Pro is, but if rewarding enough, then yes I would consider going for it. Obviously that's a huge thing to consider, but I would take the pay cut to take that road if I had to, because to me it's like going back to school for another degree again... Been there, been broke, done that, made it through. Since posting my question of "How do I become an Assistant Pro," all I've gotten back is why I shouldn't be one because I'm an engineer and I do well enough, so therefore don't chase something I might really want to do... Some guys just think a little differently I guess. Thanks.

Well of course. That's why I'm asking these questions. Like I said, I would never jump ship from my current job or career with a sudden shot in the dark without researching a great deal first. That includes talking to people who already do this for a living. I didn't get where I am now by making "stupid" choices either. The purpose of being an Assistant Pro would to eventually turn Pro, obviously. I just have no idea where to start, and obviously need to consider if the end pay day would be worth the change. I know so many guys who just exist miserably in their "careers" and never did anything about it. They just plateaued and accepted it, even though they were making good money. They constantly complain and have bitter attitudes because what they do for work isn't their passion anymore. I just don't want that to be me, if that makes sense.

50k a year? I would have expected more. I was reading the average salary for an Assistant Pro in myarea was $42k, so I thought a Club Pro would be more. Gotta look at it as going back to school for something... I'm not about to "jump ship" right this minute but I would really like to take a serious look.

I'm 27 years old, and my grandfather started me in the game of Golf when I was about 4-5 years old. I became a very good Junior Golfer and played up until 15-16 years old. I took a break from playing (big mistake) due to time consuming things like school, college, girls, booze, etc. Right now, I have a B.S. Degree in Mechanical Engineering and I work full time in the engineering field. I make $100,000 per year with excellent benefits & retirement. Why would I want to give that up and pursue a completely different career path? Because money isn't everything, and I'm not exactly happy working in the city or this field all together for several reasons that I won't get into. Right now I'm young, not married, no mortgage, and no kids. I am ballsy enough to take risks and step out of my comfort zone and I'm not afraid of hard work. Ever since I was a kid, I had a knack to be a Club Pro and also a PGA Instructor. I just loved playing and being in a Gold Course environment. I looked up to those guys when I was young and I think this is kind of my way of giving back too. I have absolutely zero Golf credentials under my belt other than a decent game and a lot of ambition to practice and get better. From the research I've done, I understand one needs to work as an Assistant Pro under a PGA Professional before you can take (and hopefully pass) the PAT. From there, you're allowed to move onto Academic studies and further levels towards becoming a registered PGA Pro. My big question is, where do I even start? What I'm having a hard time finding answers to is what kind of qualifications you need to have to work as an Assistant Pro. I may not have any Golf Management experience, but at least I have management experience in my field. I know how to interact, I have people skills, I'm very trainable and I learn fast. I think my mechanical background would help a lot in the equipment end of the business as well. I've read about guys doing the same exact thing as this. Not happy with their current careers, and they drop everything to pursue a career in Golf. I would really like to be a Club Pro or an Instructor one day (no interest in the tour, and that's way too competitive anyway.) Any advice on how I would start, and also the best financial route to go would be helpful. Thanks!

This. If you saw my swing, it doesn't look like I'm swinging all that fast. I've learned to use my core and shift my weight. Club head speed is 91-92 mph with a 6 iron which I'm told is up there.

Recently it was this Friday at the range. There was a guy there with some seriously expensive clubs, all kinds of crazy golf clothes, and all the get up you can imagine to go with it. Out of all those high priced clubs he hit the driver for 90% of his shots. The first two went straight up and bounced off the ceiling, no lie. A few of his other balls somehow wound up 10 feet in front of me where I was standing several mats down. His average range was around 50 yards at best... I guess this might be kind of typical where people think spending lots of money on equipment = good at golf. He should be spending that money on lessons instead. Next item in my golf bag is gunna be a hard hat!

A lot of beer :)