Where does a golfer leave the "Weekend Warrior" tag behind?

[Obee]

Pretty good list, but I think you're missing one level for the scratch guys for large states. I find it helpful to use the term "regional" instead of "state" as the level below national. And then there are a couple of levels there, as well.

for instance, there are several hundred players who are competitive at the state level in California, but if you had to go down several hundred players in a state like North Dakota, you're looking at a completely different set of players.

[klebs01]

Those irons and wedges are still conforming so long as you aren’t playing in an event with the CoC in place.

[tiderider]

i currently have about a 2 hcp, report all scores faithfully & can generally stripe it around a golf course for an 80 or lower every time i play, regardless of the course (for the most part) ... but i do not play in tournaments and therefore still consider myself a weekend warrior since i have no idea what my hcp would be if i played tournament golf ...

[grm24]

It's well under 50% of all golfers in the USA have a handicap index. There is a Golf Digest article from 2014 that estimates 2 million people in the USA have an index via GHIN. There are well over 20 million golfers in the USA. Your Handicap Index: How Do You Stack Up?

[grm24]

Until at least 2024.

[braincramp52]

I think we throw the word "elite" around too much. Colt Knost just retired from the PGA this year after 13 years. He finished 3rd just 4 times over his career. He just played in some tournament in Denver where he shot -8 and lost by 20 strokes. What I'm trying to get at is, he said that most of the guys that beat him can't even sniff the Korn Ferry tour. I only see elite players on my TV.

[ChronicSlicer]

You loose the weekend warrior tag when golf becomes your only source of income, it's now your job. You become elite when you fly private to the next Major.

[Floris]

In my country we still use the older European Handicap system. This means that if you drop below a 4.4 handicap, you can only play Qualifying in official matches. I'd say this is the drop-off for 'better than average' golfers. Looking at the USGA link someone gave in the thread this would be somewhere around 10% of US players. On my homecourse we have only 8 active members playing 5 or less, on over 500 active members.

I can't wait to start using WHS as I can finally play qualifying outside of matches, somehow I always get teamed up with people that make me uncomfortable or at least not play my best.

To get back to the question: it depends on what you'd call elite. Looking at the 12% OP mentioned, we're looking at somewhere between 5.0 and 5.9 handicap. Let's make it 5.5 :) In golf it seems these numbers are a bit different, playing to a 5 handicap is considered 'quite good', but far from 'elite'. Even a 2 handicap player isn't exactly considered to be elite, eventhough he/she is in the top 4%.

For me personally I'm looking at gross scores:

Travelling and consistently being able to shoot sub-80 I consider to be a very good player.

Travelling and consistently being able to shoot sub-75 makes me jealous so that's better :P

Travelling and consistently being able to shoot level I'd consider to be elite amateur.

Anything better than that and I'd say you should be able to play top100 amateur in my country.

[Floris]

I'd call that professional, not elite. :)

[Naptime]

When you get your card on any pro tour or win a USGA amateur event.

[twidener]

I played D1 College, lots of city tournaments where club professionals were allowed to play in the Championship flight with the amateurs and the amateurs were very good. The club professionals never won or finished in the top 10 in any of the tournaments. The amateurs all could shoot in the mid-60's on a 7100 yd. course. And this was back in the persimmon and balata days.Had a +2 hdcp. I played in a couple of USGA Public Links Championships, before they discontinued that championship. Quite a few former professionals who had regained their amateur status played in that tournament and lots of guys who played in the US Amateur also played in the Public Links Championship. Also played in 3 or 4 US Open qualifiers and came close once. All of that was fun but during that time I still played most every weekend with a big group of guys for $5 on the front, back and 18. No presses and no one used their handicaps. Just played straight golf. And that was some of the most fun I ever had playing golf. I loved the pressure of playing in the bigger tournaments but being a Weekend Warrior and playing with my friends was the best.

[disco111]

Where does a golfer leave the "Weekend Warrior" tag behind?

On Monday...............

 

[ChronicSlicer]

According to the PGA theres about 27,000 golf pro's in the world. I doubt they all fly private, or fly at all.

[Petethreeput]

We can't have it both ways in this forum. In the Instruction forum people are quick to point out, the majority of people will never be "elite" due to either physical or mental individual limitations. Yet, this thread is all about what result can a player drop the moniker of weekend warrior.

For me, if a guy/gal practices to improves and strives to continually get the most of their game whether they shoot 110 or 59, they are no longer a weekend warrior. To me, I am now the WW. I go out to drink beer and hang out with my friends with very little given to practice. For the last couple of years I would not have classified myself as such because I was spending an awful lot of time at the chipping green trying to improve an obvious weakness.

[Mudguard]

On 7/27/2020 at 4:37 PM, grm24 said:

It's well under 50% of all golfers in the USA have a handicap index. There is a Golf Digest article from 2014 that estimates 2 million people in the USA have an index via GHIN. There are well over 20 million golfers in the USA. Your Handicap Index: How Do You Stack Up?

It's an interesting philosophical question. 

Are you a golfer if you don't have an official handicap?

I can swim, but I am not a swimmer!

[naval2006]

Elite belongs to cycling and running, and triathlon. Golf is pro or amateur. And amateur can be national, college regional or club level when talking tournaments. So there  are different ways in which you can be a good player. Now at different levels they all have some things in common: the love of practice to keep a game and the drive for competition. These types of players no longer hit balls to get an A swing. They practice to shoot as low as they can.   This way you no longer belong to the weekend warriors ranks. 

[hoselpalooza]

40 minutes ago, naval2006 said:

Elite belongs to cycling and running, and triathlon. Golf is pro or amateur. And amateur can be national, college regional or club level when talking tournaments. So there  are different ways in which you can be a good player. Now at different levels they all have some things in common: the love of practice to keep a game and the drive for competition. These types of players no longer hit balls to get an A swing. They practice to shoot as low as they can.   This way you no longer belong to the weekend warriors ranks. 

> Elite belongs to cycling and running, and triathlon. Golf is pro or amateur.

 

this is false. the USGA recognizes amateurs can compete at an "elite" level in its explanation for "What does it mean to have “golf skill or reputation”?"

https://www.usga.org/rules-hub/amateur-status/amateur-status-faq-d8bb60a9.html

[naval2006]

You're right, that elite is the top national/college amateurs, mostly on their way to pro golf.   The thing is in golf everybody mixes up so it's not uncommon to see on the same line a low single digit with a weekend warrior on a Saturday Muni round.  But probably that elite the amateur satus talks about is a guy like Viktor Hovland prior to becoming a pro.  Or Bobby Jones back in the 1920's.  That elite is unreachable.  

[hoselpalooza]

3 hours ago, naval2006 said:

You're right, that elite is the top national/college amateurs, mostly on their way to pro golf.   The thing is in golf everybody mixes up so it's not uncommon to see on the same line a low single digit with a weekend warrior on a Saturday Muni round.  But probably that elite the amateur satus talks about is a guy like Viktor Hovland prior to becoming a pro.  Or Bobby Jones back in the 1920's.  That elite is unreachable.  

 

it sounds like you've made up your mind so i'm not going to try and change it; but you're wrong.

 

for anyone else who is unsure, here's what the USGA has to say in a rules decision about the definition of "competes at an elite level":

 

Quote

 

6/1 

Meaning of "Competes at an Elite Level"

Q. The Definition of "Golf Skill or Reputation" provides that an amateur golfer is considered to have golf skill or reputation if, among other things, he "competes at an elite level." What is meant by "an elite level?"

A. The phrase "elite level" is purposely broad so as to take into account the great variety of competitions around the world. In general, national championships and other gross stroke play competitions that draw top players from outside the state or county are considered to be of an "elite level."

 

 

so, according to the USGA, anyone who competes in a gross stroke play competition which draws players from outside of their state is elite.

 

keep in mind this takes into consideration not just ams but mid ams. and if you want to stretch the definition to include anyone who appears on the men's and women's WAGR list, there are about 10,000 people to choose from. 

[Newgs]

Monday??? JK, LOL!

[ConcernedBoutCOVID]

top 1%

[naval2006]

How are league or club tournaments organised when there are so many frequent golfers without a handicap?  In my country the vast majority of golfers have a handicap because weekends are tournament days all over the country. Wednesdays or Thursdays are also 9 hole tourney days so we need a national handicap. Do clubs and courses keep any type of internal handicap for members?

 

I believe anyone playing the game often and trying to improve is no longer a weekend warrior regardless of their having an official handicap or not. 

[USCdrifter]

I feel like the weekend warrior is fine with drinking beers on a sunday with the buds and not blink an eye shooting 110+.  You've graduated from that level once you start practicing to play competitive rounds whether it be a tournament, club championship, or even local skins game.  You've left the weekend warrior tag once you go practice alone, grind out some putting and short game, or even go play by yourself for practice.  The major difference is someone just going out to play versus the mindset that you're working on something to play better or be more competitive.  

[ALIF]

On 7/21/2020 at 8:38 AM, Guest said:

Ha! Isn't that the truth. The top guys racing 40-49 masters are often putting in 20 hours a week and still rocking 4% body fat, with a few pros scattered in! Kids are partially grown up and careers are established...or in a sometimes more negative light, 20 hours a week of training has contributed to a newly recent bachelor situation and plenty of free time. Even as a top-of-my-game Cat 1, there were guys in their mid 50's who could hang. I would have liked to have seen a pee test sample though...it didn't seem natural for that age.

I was USAC road race 35-39 national champion a few years back but, honestly, that division isn't as competitive. Guys are still flying but there are fewer of them.

I just turned 50 and thought wow I could race masters 50 to 59. Then I looked at some of the guys I’d be racing against and I said I don’t think so. Their kids are grown and they can ride a million hours a week. I have three little kids. One in kindergarten, second grade, and third grade. I don’t want to miss their lives. Maybe in a couple years I’ll go to Leadville again to get a sub nine hour finish as a 50+ year-old dude.  To me that would be a little more fun. I’d rather race against the clock versus a bunch other guys. The only problem is time. It’ll probably never happen. It’s a nice thought though. At least with golf my little kids like to go to the range and hit balls and go on the course and they take lessons to so it’s something we do together as a family. However, it would be fun to go back in time about nine years and be 4.5 W per kilogram for a few days. LOL. Enjoy your golf! And keep enjoying your bike! I would like to enjoy both myself. 

[RRFireblade]

When your game is off and you still put up a good numbers. 

[glm]

when you play 4 days a week

[HackDaddy360]

On 8/28/2020 at 8:30 AM, hoselpalooza said:

 

it sounds like you've made up your mind so i'm not going to try and change it; but you're wrong.

 

for anyone else who is unsure, here's what the USGA has to say in a rules decision about the definition of "competes at an elite level":

 

 

so, according to the USGA, anyone who competes in a gross stroke play competition which draws players from outside of their state is elite.

 

keep in mind this takes into consideration not just ams but mid ams. and if you want to stretch the definition to include anyone who appears on the men's and women's WAGR list, there are about 10,000 people to choose from. 

The USGA explanation feels right.  
 

I’m a good player, but not an elite player as a scratch golfer.   
 

Can I get hot and drop a 67-68 here and there?   Sure.  But that’s not every round (and particularly not of late...).  So I can play some “elite” golf, but not consistently.  Thus I can’t say I’m elite as sure I could get hot at the right time and make it into some cool stuff but it would be just that - woke up on the right side of the bed and got hot -  has to be sustainable to be “elite”.   
 

Elite is state/regional/section/national event contenders or those with exemptions to those events - and anyone who gets paid to play tournament golf as their source of income.  

[Obee]

Yes on the USGA thing. I would say I'm one full level below "elite" for my amateur age bracket (50+). Guys like Tim Hogarth, Robert Funk, Randy Haag, Gene Elliot, Brady Exber, Craig Davis, Casey Boyns, Craig Hurlbert, Paul Simson, Doug Hanzel, and Jeff Wilson, et al. are "elite" senior players. My goal is to be at their level in two years. Hopefully win another local event or two and ideally a regional one.

 

That's my goal, at least. Need to improve my physical fitness and my ability to stay focused for a full 18 holes under the gun. I still hit too many very poor shots. Usually one or two per round that lead to bogey -- usually on holes where I'm "pressing" and feel uncomfortable leading up to, or just prior to pulling the trigger. Can't be that guy and contend in elite events when you hit it as short as I do.