The Pro advantage

[Jimc11]

I was cleaning out some old magazines the other day and read an article that fascinated me. They were talking about golf and how it is the one sport that pros have distinct advantage your everyday weekend golfer (other than just being blessed with talent)...specifically the course...what it was saying that when pros play in tourneys they have spotters to find their ball virtually anywhere they hit it no matter how bad a shot. The normal golfer does not. They contend that the average golfer will loose 6 strokes per round based on this. I can see it. I know a couple courses we play that you can miss the fairway by 3 yards and be lucky to find your ball in the rough...this would not happen on tour...it went into alot better detail and some other advantages (equipment etc)...6 strokes sounded like alot to me though..

**oops put this in the wrong forum..how do I move it?****

[mddubya]

I don't know if I'd save 6 strokes a round, but I can see saving 3, maybe 4. I know numerous times I've hit a shot that was only slightly off line, but was not able to find it in the medium length rough.

[rolltherock]

Originally Posted by Jimc11

I was cleaning out some old magazines the other day and read an article that fascinated me. They were talking about golf and how it is the one sport that pros have distinct advantage your everyday weekend golfer (other than just being blessed with talent)...specifically the course...what it was saying that when pros play in tourneys they have spotters to find their ball virtually anywhere they hit it no matter how bad a shot. The normal golfer does not. They contend that the average golfer will loose 6 strokes per round based on this. I can see it. I know a couple courses we play that you can miss the fairway by 3 yards and be lucky to find your ball in the rough...this would not happen on tour...it went into alot better detail and some other advantages (equipment etc)...6 strokes sounded like alot to me though..

**oops put this in the wrong forum..how do I move it?****

There is no doubt they have distinct advantages. Perfect lies in the bunkers, nearly impossible to lose a ball, 2 sets of eyes for putts, someone to double check alignment and strategy. However, it isn't going to move us into the tournament player category

[SiberianDVM]

All those advantages are outweighed by this disadantage: 500 yard par 4s.

[Jimc11]

Very good point...
I need to see if I can find this article online..it was a good read and I am not doing it justice...

[295yards]

Originally Posted by SiberianDVM

All those advantages are outweighed by this disadantage: 500 yard par 4s.

Not to mention extremely tight tree lined fairways and... oh yeah, MILLIONS OF VIEWERS. Shoot, I get nervous on the first tee with just the marshall watching!!!

[LyleG]

Originally Posted by SiberianDVM

All those advantages are outweighed by this disadantage: 500 yard par 4s.

Bingo. Just try playing a track thats 7300 yards long, with 4 inch rough, and greens that stimp at 10.5. Only talent gets you by here.

[Wi-Golfer]

Originally Posted by LyleG

Bingo. Just try playing a track thats 7300 yards long, with 4 inch rough, and greens that stimp at 10.5. Only talent gets you by here.

That's about 1,000 yds longer than I care to play. I have had a few of those 480+ yd par 4's & they suck ass.

BTW, I'm playing Erin Hills in 2 weeks & that course from the tips I believe is over 7800 yds!!!!

[ezra76]

I don't lose that many balls per round. I might lose 1 maybe 2 on a really bad day. I'll also go 10+ rounds without losing 1. It's very rare for me to lose a ball that I hit in play. I may be offline but know how far I hit my clubs pretty darn well.

The bottom line is the pros are playing way, way harder tracks than we are. If a pro came to the courses most of here play they'd be 10-12 under the first time out. Just the local New England pros shoot 62-64 in tournament conditions around here and they are like a single A baseball player compared to a Major Leaguer.

[BigJim13]

And really, can you imagine how long the rounds would be without spotters? They already play 5-6 hr rounds, if each pro had to stop and search for their ball, we would be looking at 6-7 hr rounds....

[mddubya]

Originally Posted by BigJim13

And really, can you imagine how long the rounds would be without spotters? They already play 5-6 hr rounds, if each pro had to stop and search for their ball, we would be looking at 6-7 hr rounds....

Exactly, 250-275 off line goes in the woods, but 340 off line is DEEP in the woods.

David Feherty to Kelly Tilghman; Call out the National Guard, Phil just pulled another drive into the woods, we're going to need that search party again.

[figjam]

I honestly think 6 shots a round is a big call. I think you may save a couple of shots every other round, but you would be losing alot of balls at 6 shots a round. I think a good local caddy may save you more shots on a course you've never played before (who here hasn't hit what they thought was a perfect drive on a blinb hole only to see it get wet in a dam you didn't know was there or land in a bunker you couldn't see from the tee), but that is less relevant to the pros as they usually know the courses they play. Personally I don't think they get enough advantages considering how much harder their courses are to ours. Anyone who has never played in a big amatuer event could noy appreciate how much harder a tricked up course can be form the back markers. I've played on courses that have the greens running around 12 on the stimp meter and I have not shot within 15 shots of my cap on those days. It really makes me appreciate just how freakin good tour pro's really are. I'd estimate that you would need to be regularly shooting 6 under par or better on your home track to even consider the possibility of going pro.