Most people, young and old, aspire to big dreams. When we are younger, these are often quite ambitious notions – becoming a rock star, an astronaut, or a Hollywood movie star. Many goals are sport-related and becoming a professional athlete, major league baseball play or star quarterback are common. Once people start getting into golf, many dreams of making a living from it. They will wonder – how to become a golf pro?
While golf is a challenging sport to learn, one can achieve great results with practice. We could sum this article about how to become a golf pro up in three words, practice, practice, practice.
But don’t worry, we will go into a bit more detail than that. If you have aspirations of becoming a pro golfer, read on, We will clear some things up for you and explain exactly what the process entails.
What is a pro golfer?
By definition, a professional sportsman or sportswoman is one that gets paid for their sport. By this logic, even a golfing coach at your local course or driving range would be considered a professional.
There is, however, a distinction.
A Golf Pro or a Pro Golfer
In simple terms, a golf pro is someone that earns money from offering golf lessons, instructions, or coaching for a fee. A pro golfer is one that plays for money.
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A golf pro
There are more than 27 000 golf pros registered with the PGA ( Professional Golfers’ Association of America). That just accounts for the registered pros in the United States alone.
Most do some form of training or instruction as mentioned above. They often advise on equipment or do the fitting. Some coach school or college golf. They could also work in management or the business side of golf.
The title of PGA Pro will give you credibility and open doors for you in various aspects of the game.
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A pro golfer
These people make a living from playing golf. This could be at a lower level such as the development tours. These golfers are generally attempting to work their way up to the major tours as they gain experience and refine their game.
While many struggles to make a living this way, those that achieve wins or even places in the bigger tournaments make exceptional money.
There can well be an overlap where a golf pro could train or coach while also playing golf for prize money and therefore will also be a pro golfer.
By definition, any golfer that receives money for playing golf will lose their amateur status and will automatically be classified as a pro golfer. Amateurs are allowed to receive nominal cash incentives and still be deemed amateur. The amount is $750 under USGA rules and £500 under R&A rules.
Once one becomes a pro golfer it can be tricky to regain amateur status.
Top earners make some serious money. 2020 Has been an unfortunate time for the world and sport has been dramatically affected. Take a look at the 2019 PGA Tour Money Leaders. Exciting stuff.
Although the prize money is great, many pros make a lot of money from endorsements and sponsorship as well.
The road to success
The path to glory takes years of dedication and commitment. While many aspire to greatness only a few achieve professional and financial success. The rewards are massive but it is not an easy quest.
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Start young
With a few exceptions, most of the top pro golfers started young. Some very young. Many were winning tournaments and breaking 70 before their teens.
It stands to reason that starting young will give you more time to practice and prepare physically and mentally for professional golf. There are a few cases where players that started only in their late teens went on to greatness but they are rare.
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Practice
The single most important thing to do, in order to become a professional, is to practice. Ben Hogan is quoted as saying “There isn’t enough daylight in any one day to practice all the shots you need to.”
Natural athletic ability, coordination, and talent are important. The game also has a strong mental aspect to it so having the right temperament and mental ability is essential. It is training, however, that will determine success.
The top players practice much more than most of us mere mortals would even imagine. A few hours a few times a week will not come close.
The bare minimum is generally considered to be 6 hours 6 times a week, 36 hours a month. The truth is most pros practice much more than this.
All aspects of the game have to be practiced regularly. These include:
- Putts, short and long
- Short greenside shots
- Sand trap practice
- Approach shots
- Full swing shots (targeting and technical practice)
The quality of the practice is as important as the quantity. It is not just about putting in the hours, one has to have a strategy.
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Have a professional coach
Most sporting professionals have a coach and golf is no different. A good coach comes at a price but is an important investment if you wish to succeed as a pro golfer.
Some of the top players have made it big without a coach but they are the exception. There is no one size fits all when it comes to coaches so it is important to find one that will work well with you in order for you to grow and develop as a pro.
There is a range of coach types with some being general coaches covering all aspects and others specializing, for example a swing coach or putting coach. Many pros also make use of some form of mental coach to help with that aspect of their game and profession.
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Use technology
Modern technology has made swing analysis, practice, and coaching way more effective. There is a range of sophisticated swing analyzers and simulators that will give precise feedback on various aspects of your game.
They can help you identify problems and help you to solve them. They also track your progress so that you can measure improvements or quickly identify issues that might develop.
Most professional golfers or aspiring golfers take advantage of the better equipment available.
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Find a caddie that will lift your game
There is a special relationship between the pro golfer and his or her caddie. The good ones know your game and understand your strengths and weaknesses. The relationship varies from pro to pro but many rely heavily on their caddies and give them a lot of credit for their performance.
While some feel the caddies add very little value, others are treasured. The top ones can earn as much as 10% of what the golfer earns in prize money.
Apart from merely carrying clubs and cleaning them, caddies offer encouragement and assistance. They often scan the course before the match, check on the conditions, yardages, green breaks, and other issues. They also follow weather conditions and predictions. This knowledge can help with a strategy on the day.
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Physical fitness
Golfers need to remain physically fit so in addition to golf training most pros do aerobic, cardio, and weight training to keep supple and fit and retain strength.
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Running the business
Playing professional golf is just like any other business and one has to run it as such. Most players have managers and advisers to assist with the financial aspects of their careers.
This video will give you some insight into what it takes to be a tour pro.
Moving up the ranks
As we said earlier, the younger you can start, the better. Do not despair if you have left it a while but it will take you longer to catch up, if you have the ability and determination.
Start playing at the school level and enter as many competitions as possible. Practice as often as possible and get coaching if you can.
As you progress you need to compete in larger national tournaments. In the United States, these include the USGA Amateur Public Links Championship and the USGA Amateur Championship.
Playing at the college level is also a great way to get experience and exposure. You can learn a lot at this level.
From there you need to participate in Q-School or PGA Tour Qualifying Tournaments. These are the top-level tournaments you can enter to see if you are ready for the big leagues. They are extremely competitive and will prepare you well, if you make it, for the next level.
Aim high
Once you have managed to qualify, the hard work has only just begun. Unless you have exceptional skill and a fair amount of luck, it is still a long way before you start to see any real money.
It can be hard at first as you will have to cover transport and accommodation costs and even pay to enter professional tournaments. You need to ensure you have the budget for this.
You need to play in as many professional tournaments as possible while still keeping up a regular practice. There are many to choose from and you can start in the smaller tournaments first to develop your skills, confidence, and mental game. The key is to play often.
Final thoughts
The good things in life do not come easy. You will have to invest a lot of time and energy into becoming a pro golfer. It will take sacrifice and dedication. Even the best golfers have bad shots, an off day, or slumps. You have to work through them, remain motivated, and keep trying.
It will be hard work but is worth it in the end. Practice hard and good luck.