What do plus golfers do with their game?

just wondering how GolfWRX plus-cap golfers compete/play? do club championships/small matches do it for you, do you seek out mini-tours, do you aspire for a shot at the bigger tours, etc. ?

It’s been a long time for me, but the state am, state open, etc along with the occasional USGA qualifier, a local tournament or two and rounds with local club pros did it for me. I’m ten plus years from that though. Maybe someone more current will weigh in.

sounds like the life of a single digit/scratch. At any point did you feel a level of separation in those events, or did it seem like everyone there is a plus cap?

I’m curious what guys are doing these days, especially long-ball plus caps. How good are you, why are you that good, and what do with it?

There are a couple plus handicappers in my golf group who seem perfectly satisfied with club tournaments and gambling on the weekends.

You have to post about 15 under to win the state am and open where I'm at, so scratch is happy making the cut. A single digit isn't making the field if that digit is over about a 2.

is there any trend to who typically does well? Are the guys that place top 5 in those ams trying to have a go at pro golf, or just guys enjoying winning at that level (potentially with day jobs, even outside of golf)?

2 mans, local am stuff, club tourneys, VSGA and some USGA qualifiers.

Basically what everyone else has said. I’m 40 but still a long hitter just don’t have the time to practice as much as I’d need to to be competitive in the bigger stuff.

Fifteen or so years ago I kind of found that magic so to speak and entered one of the bigger am tournaments here. Since I didn't have a handicap at the time I was required to play as scratch. Not a big deal I was just there for the experience.

Day one: Your get to make a tee-time with anyone you want friends, playing partners ect. I card a three over with probably 4 three putts. So I'm pretty pleased with how I managed myself ect.

Day two: Your paired with people that shot similar scores and are in the same flight. I'm now playing with 3 guys that have either won this tournament in the past or finished runner-up. All of them great to play with. This is the part where I find my tee to green game is actually pretty solid but on and around the greens I'm a total chop. These guys were so much better at saving par and putting it was shocking. However, I end up playing just as well as a couple of them. At this time I really put it in the fairways and hitting 14+ greens per round was pretty routine.

Day three: I'm playing with a couple of the guys from the previous day and another guy that is one of the better players in the state. We are all out of the running to win so it's pretty much just a nice casual round. As the round goes along we start talking about golf, life stuff like that. One of the guys could really really pound the ball. I asked him about aspirations to trying playing professional. He's instantly said "nope, not good enough." I tell them how I ended up in the scratch division, how I've got a 2 year old at home, married ect. and don't really practice at all. Every single one of these guys was single, no kids, never been married, ran off girl friends if they got in the way of golf. And they did nothing but work practice and play tournaments. And they all knew they weren't good enough to go any further. I found it all rather sad and depressing. They were certainly better players than I was, but here they were in the same grouping with a guy that doesn't even practice, and they just seemed lonely and obsessed. To this day I still don't know what to think of that.

I stopped playing am tournaments because Rhett too dang long. I like my game with my buddies. Maybe this year I'll play a few tournaments...

Like most here, I am 48 now, still fairly long with all clubs...I used to play local and state tournaments for the experience and learning how to deal with nerves, got pretty good at it, never won a tournament but finished top 5 a couple of times, that said, (like stated above), I played with guys that "I thought" were good enough to make the tour, however, "ALL" of them said, "I am not even close", my question to them was, "not close to get a win on the PGA tour or to qualify and be on tour?", their reply was the same "either one"...I can play well with my weekend warriors and maybe in a local tournament, but I know I am definitely not good enough to be on tour...I am in Afghanistan right now and haven't touched a club since December, and due to this COVID I won't be home until September at the earliest and y game is probably going to be very interesting. I think sometimes we put barriers on our lives and stick to what we know, not taking that leap of faith and go for "whatever the goal is", as I always say, family comes first, so I will sacrifice as long as it doesn't interfere with family...set a goal and go for it, if you can't make it at least you gave it a try with your all, that all we can do!!!!, stay safe, stay healthy and enjoy time with loved ones!!!!!!

many at the top of the leaderboard in top amateur competition are former pros or D1 golfers when younger.

I play scrambles for fun, love singles and team format. I play qualifiers when I can. I always thought I wouldn't play if I didn't compete but this potential layoff I can't wait to play. Its not always about aspirations more just like to compete, hope on that week you play well. I only keep my handicap by tourny's, I know it's not right but playing your own course and playing all over to a scratch is two different things. I admire anyone that wants to get better and can not understand someone happy with not getting better, it's just not me and hats off to people that are. I judge players by their attidtudes and not there games , I could care less if someone shoots 65 and is an A'''' to play with would far rather someone shoot 90 is great to pay with,. To many get caught up in them selves.

I'll add there are always exceptions and golf seems to, for whatever reason, have a lot more "late bloomers" then any other sport. I think it's the mental maturity aspect but if you're an am with aspirations of making it on either the Korn Ferry or PGA Tour and you aren't a top 5ish player in your state you have absolutely no chance. Just follow Monday Q Info on Twitter and see the scores these guys are shooting and not even sniffing making it through a Monday qualifier. Ive been playing for 25+ years and been around some very very good players, none of which could hold any member on any tours jock strap. It amazes me how many "scratch" players actually think they could make a run at it.

I work full time but maintain a + hdcp. I can't play in state ams or opens anymore due to work, so I play member guests and local tournaments. I try to do the US open qualifier every year but havent made it through that yet. I have won my club championship the last 2 years by 8 and 7 strokes and I win member guests every now and then. I have a couple friends that are trying to go pro and the only difference between them and me is they practice a ton. But even then they have a long-shot of making any money and will likely end up like me, except I didn't waste anyone else's money trying to sponsor me. The level of the players that "make it" on a tour is so insane and people don't realize it takes more than just 65's at your home course every day to make it.

So general consensus is you better be winning state ams and opens and be like a plus 4 that practices a ton to think you should be taking a sponsors money, everyone else should be happy winning their club and trying qualifiers.

Although a generalization I'd say it's pretty accurate. If you cant beat the best players in your state why would anyone think they could beat the top 125 guys in the world?

I will say there does seem to be a lot of smaller tours around the country that I'm sure you could make an OK living at but unless you live in the states with the bigger tours and dont have to pay a large amount for travel, accommodations, food etc those expenses would eat into most of your earnings. But even on some of those tours in say Cali where I have seen results posted those guys are still shooting six or seven under a round for two or three rounds under tournament pressure.

I think the problem is that most people shoot 90+ and have no idea how good tour pros really are. They see a plus handi and think they must be tour quality. They have no idea how good the next level is because they don't simply have no way to judge it, no frame of reference. Those of us that are fortunate enough to be on the lower end of the handicap system understand how big of a jump it is to the next level. I play with college golfers and golf pros all the time so I know where I stack up. I'm perfectly content with knowing that I can compete with most mid-Ams in my state, but understand that the reality is that I'd get smoked on PGA, Mini tour, and most D1 college events.

Here is what the plus golfers, (in my experience around our club), do. They find a way to somehow play off of a 0 - 2 and take all the money in the Wednesday and Friday games!

I've been a +0.6 at my best so not huge into plus territory. Albeit that was last year so i guess recent.

Just mostly club championships, interclub events and the occasional "other" tournament here and there.

I have never aspired to be a pro. I only took up golf at 22 so getting to scratch was my goal. With my job reasonably i don't think i can get any better

At least contending and I’d change that to +5 or +6 to be even realistic. Even then overwhelming majority will lose a ton of money trying.

Before even thinking about it you should be playing big amateur events and invitationals, Dogwood, North South, Northern Am, South Beach Am, Azalea, Western etc.

One of my students who’s a top mid am won the above event and has zero thoughts of turning pro because he knows he’s not good enough

My friend that turned "pro" and is attempting to make it down in Florida. At the beginning of last year during his final months as an amateur, he kept a handicap using his rounds at our home course. After 2 revisions the system gave him a +7.3. He has not won a state am or open, although many top 5's, and he still has a long way to go before making it even on the Canadian tour.

Something cool to look at, Phil Mickelson actually keeps a GHIN out of Arizona and you can look him up on there. He's a +6.0

I find when you get into guys in the +5 or better range it's almost irrelevant. Phil is a +6 and is one of the best golfers in the world, i have known guys who are +4's and can't make it onto any tour even minor ones. It seems like a relatively small difference

I agree. At that point you need to look at the type of rounds and the quantity of rounds they're posting. Another member of my club is a +4.5 because of 3 very good rounds in a row. He doesn't play golf a lot and I would call him a +1 at best.

I’ll just leave this here...

I'm currently a +1.3 and the lowest was +2.2 two seasons ago. I've played in club championships, US Open locals, USGA mid-am qualifiers, and state mid-ams. I love the thought of tournament golf and seeing how my game plays under pressure and when the courses play really tough. What you'll notice missing from the list are 4-day tournaments. My job performance is based on billed hours, and I have two kids and a marriage. So although I'd love to play in a state AM or state open, I just can't justify taking almost a full week of "vacation" to play 5 or 5.5 hour rounds. If I played in both the state AM and state open, that's almost two weeks. Of course, that's assuming I make it through qualifying, which is no guarantee. For me, golf is most enjoyable when I get 18 done in under 2.5 hours or with buddies in 3.5 hours or so.

I know that turning pro is not in the cards. I've been in the top 15 in US Open locals and still been 6-8 shots off the medalist, who is typically a mini-tour dude scraping by.

This is another huge point. I am in Virginia Beach and most state AM's are played in either norther or western VA. If i qualify not only is it using PTO to take time off from work but the price of hotel, eating out, tournament fee etc. It ends up costing me almost $1k to play in one.

At age 72, birthday yesterday, I mostly play with friends at the clubs where I have memberships and look around for weak courses where I can shoot my age. Years ago I played in USGA competition on the state and National levels, without much distinction.

Steve

I have been playing club championships for quite awhile now. Started playing state level events a few years ago in NM and have continued since moving to TX. I primarily play stroke play events so I avoid USGA events since they are almost all match play (I could try to qualify for the Women's Senior Open, but haven't worked up the courage). Now that I am retired it is easier to find the time. Happy to be an amateur. More than enough competition opportunities to keep me busy.

I've played with a million scratch golfers. I've played with many of the very best mid-ams in the world. I've played with many of the best senior ams in the world. I currently play with three of the very best Korn Ferry players in the world on a fairly regular basis. I also have played quite a bit with two guys who have each won over $20 million on the PGA Tour and senior tours, and I've played with both Rickie and Phil.

And ... it's weird.

I've played with this one top, national mid-am many times, who, when he's on, you just can't imagine golf being played better than that. I watched him shoot 61 at my home course in our member-guest one year and I've watched Rickie shoot 62, and their ball striking was similar. But he's obviously not Rickie or he'd be on tour. He played at Mississippi State and was a stud back in the day (he's 40-something now), but he's not a Tour pro. The same mid-am shot back to back tournament rounds of 61, 63 at The Plantation in the Palm Springs area a few years back. He was a +7.1 the next revision. LOL. I mean ... wow.

The Korn Ferry guys I play with are crazy good. On any given day, you would say they are better than the two guys who each won over $20 million on the big tours, one of whom looks like a club pro and in no way has an "impressive" game (except that every time you look near the hole, there's his ball - especially if he's approaching from inside about 160 or so!!!).

Then ... there are Phil and Rickie.

They are just ... different. It's like if you are a baseball player and you watch a guy like Pedro Martinez pitch and then you watch some 5th starter on a last-place team pitch. They're just ... different. They have a "command" that most other guys just don't have. But ... that said, I play with another guy (a struggling, long-time pro), who, when he's on, you ALSO just can't possibly imagine anyone hitting the golf ball better than he does, and that includes Rickie and Phil!

Golf is just crazy that way...

I play golf here and there, and typically just 9 holes when I do. Probably less than 20 a year.

Getting the handicap lower is having a decent game for sure, but mostly just course management and playing the back tees. Slope matters.

I think there’s plenty of club guys whose games don’t travel. When you’re comfortable and know the course well and the best places to miss shots. tons of experience playing holes and the best way to score for your game, you’re going to have a lower handicap.