cypressperch
Well-Known Member
It is extremely difficult to be a professioal golfer.
I have been playing golf close to fifty years. Thirty of those years, I was a golf coach. Back in the 1960's a guy a few years ahead of me was the best college golfer in the state. He got some backers and played in seven amateur events and won six of them. In one, he lost to Homero Blancas who was on an incredible Univ. of Houston team. This golfer went out on the tour and made some cuts, was on TV on Sunday a time or two, but never quite made it work.
I had a few really talented golfers on the golf teams I coached. Some did very well in college. One of my female golfers made it to the women's PGA, but seems to have decided to set aside the golf for a while to raise a family. Her husband does quite well on the PGA tour. One of the male golfers I had on the team placed second behind David Toms at the state high school tournament. These people had college coaches coming to them to play on their teams. Yet, as good as they were, they really fell short of the big time.
I lived in Lafayette, Louisiana for quite a while. Great food, great people, great golfers. While it is true that Jay and Lionel Hebert came out of Lafayette, the real legends were guys like Shirley Picard, Dalton Boutin, Al Domond, and others. Oh, Buddy Short goes in there. These people played golf as well as it can be played, but they did not go pro. Won all kinds of amateur championships, but did not go pro. Shirley could have, but when he was in his prime, pro golf did not pay that much.
I like the sound of going for your dreams, but the folks who are going to make it professionally are usually creating excitement about their potential around the age of twelve. Seriously, it is that young. There have been exceptions like Larry Nelson, but they are rare in today's golf world.
I would have a better chance going to New York and trying to get on Who Wants to be a Millionaire than to make it through tour school and get a card. Golf has become so much more popular today that it has become very, very competitive. Parents with enough money provide their kids with the very best instruction, equipment, summers on junior tours, etc, etc, etc. Every one of the hundreds of courses across this land has its own legendary players, and many of these legends simply cannot make it.
I wish you the very best with your future plans. Sincerely, Cypressperch
I have been playing golf close to fifty years. Thirty of those years, I was a golf coach. Back in the 1960's a guy a few years ahead of me was the best college golfer in the state. He got some backers and played in seven amateur events and won six of them. In one, he lost to Homero Blancas who was on an incredible Univ. of Houston team. This golfer went out on the tour and made some cuts, was on TV on Sunday a time or two, but never quite made it work.
I had a few really talented golfers on the golf teams I coached. Some did very well in college. One of my female golfers made it to the women's PGA, but seems to have decided to set aside the golf for a while to raise a family. Her husband does quite well on the PGA tour. One of the male golfers I had on the team placed second behind David Toms at the state high school tournament. These people had college coaches coming to them to play on their teams. Yet, as good as they were, they really fell short of the big time.
I lived in Lafayette, Louisiana for quite a while. Great food, great people, great golfers. While it is true that Jay and Lionel Hebert came out of Lafayette, the real legends were guys like Shirley Picard, Dalton Boutin, Al Domond, and others. Oh, Buddy Short goes in there. These people played golf as well as it can be played, but they did not go pro. Won all kinds of amateur championships, but did not go pro. Shirley could have, but when he was in his prime, pro golf did not pay that much.
I like the sound of going for your dreams, but the folks who are going to make it professionally are usually creating excitement about their potential around the age of twelve. Seriously, it is that young. There have been exceptions like Larry Nelson, but they are rare in today's golf world.
I would have a better chance going to New York and trying to get on Who Wants to be a Millionaire than to make it through tour school and get a card. Golf has become so much more popular today that it has become very, very competitive. Parents with enough money provide their kids with the very best instruction, equipment, summers on junior tours, etc, etc, etc. Every one of the hundreds of courses across this land has its own legendary players, and many of these legends simply cannot make it.
I wish you the very best with your future plans. Sincerely, Cypressperch