Canadian Tour vs. Hooters Tour

[JHoward2010]

Pro and Cons of each????

I'm thinking about giving professional golf a serious go next year if I can round of some funds. I've been looking over the websites of both the Canadian and Hooters Tour, and was just wanting to hear what you guys think about the pros and cons of each tour??

It seems to me that the Canadian Tour is cheaper than the Hooters Tour in terms of qualifying tournament cost/entry fees. Is that correct? Also, one obvious difference is you have to finish Top 10 at the qualifying tournament to gain status on the Canadian Tour, and the Hooters Tour is basically pay and play to some extent.

Anyway...what do you guys think about this?


Thanks,
John

[honmagolf]

Hooters tour I would say would be your best route, no matter what tour you give a shot, funds are going to be the most important factor in getting started. Also give the Gateway tour a look as well as the Tarheel tour. In my few years of playing professional golf it has been tough but fun. Just don't get discouraged!

[FHal11]

Out of curiousity, whats going on with the cleveland golf tour/new england pro golf tour? I was on their site and there was no info for 2007 or beyond. . .is it still an active tour? Has the name changed again? Anyone know?

[maguy1970]

The Cleveland/New England tour is now the North American Pro Golf Tour (naprogolftour.com i believe)

 

Since Greens Worldwide or whatever they were called tried to run the tour last year and nearly killed it, Brian Hebb got involved again and started it back up. So far the events have been pretty small in size I believe compared with the last season of the Cleveland tour before GWW bought them. The tourney going on now is out west in Mass at Crumpin Fox (great course)

There is a member here who is on that tour, Jon Hom. Although he withdrew from the Crumpin Fox tourney, you might try to get in touch with him if you have any questions as he has played in the other two events this season. His handle here is Hom Stylz. Also, you can check out his stats online at the tour site. This could also be applicable in all the "what does it take to be a pro" threads. Obviously, a pro like Jon Hom exemplifies perserverance in teh face of adversity.

[Pargolfr00]

I am currently playing on the Canadian Tour. I have played on the Gateway Tour par season last year ( Scottsdale Series) and player the joke of the the US Pro Golf Tour. If you have more direct questions feel free to PM me with them. The Hooters Tour is one of the better tours in the states. The main thing about it is that it offers all 4 day events. This is something that I find to be on the top of the list of importance. I hear it is a good tour. However, I have heard some bad things on some of the courses they play. That, and the area and time of year they are playing is miserable. HOT and VERY HUMID.

 

I played some on the Gateway Tour. It was nice because events are right in a row with no travel involved. So if you like being grounded then that or the Adams Tour would be a good choice. Things I did not like about Gateway. 1. you can wear shorts and you ride in golf carts. 2.The atmosphere is nothing like a real tournament. The guys that run the tour are good guys though. I know some guys that have made a good amount of money on that tour.

 

I am currently playing on the Canadian Tour. I will be brief and start from the beginning. First you are somewhat wrong on qualifying for it. There are 3 different Q-schools for the Tour. One is in Sept, (Fall Q-school) They will take around 10-15 exempt member and about the same in Non-exempt. That school is in Toronto. The main, big Q-school is in April (Winter Q-school) That is where I qualified and they took 20 exempt spots and 10+ ties non-exempt cards. I will say that a non-exempt card is pretty close to a exempt card. You will almost always get into the first 5 events. Then it depends on how you have played from then on. rule of thumb is, if you make a couple cuts as a non-exempt you will get into all the events for the year.

 

I personally think that it is the next best tour after Nationwide. The quality of play due to the qualifying is great. Much deeper than other tours. The one BIG thing that is holding down the Canadian Tour is $$$$$$. I think that problem is starting to hash itself out. The past Commissioner tried very hard to keep the tour small and tried to keep it an all Canadian developmental tour. The Current Commissioner Rick Janes is great! He has a much better outlook for the tour and is doing great things. In the two years he has been in charge he has added 4 events and increased a couple of purses. I believe he is turning the tour in the right direction.

 

I know I said I would be short but it is hard!!!

 

I will say one more thing about the tour and that is that the events are VERY VERY well run. Score boards, ropes, galleries, name plates on range in some events and the courses up in Canada are GREAT! So let me know if you have anymore questions. I try to stay on the up and up for all tours around.

 

Thanks

[ColinMB]

I just witnessed the Free Press Classic (Canadian Tour) as a spectator. It seemed to be a bit lacking in viewership but what would I know?

 

Honestly I was pretty impressed with the... what's the right word....the professionalism of it; both in appearance and operation. As a spectator I really enjoyed it.

 

I realize this in no way, even remotely answers your question. lol I guess I'm just commenting on what Pargolfr00 said.

 

The local papers here actually made comment about the 'only thing missing' was some more cash. The Free Press classic I attended hadn't had a boost in purse in quite a while and this was all allegedly changing for the better.

[Jim_0068]

If i went pro, i'd go to the tour that was the most like the nationwide or the pga tour in resemblance and had the most consistent purse money.

[Pargolfr00]

If i went pro, i'd go to the tour that was the most like the nationwide or the pga tour in resemblance and had the most consistent purse money.

 

That is the problem. There is not one tour that has it "all". I think the Candian Tour comes the closest to having it "all". Just lacking bigger $$$$. Still is better than most tours, especially what you pay to get into the tournament (215 CND). Plus the weather in Cananda is GREAT right now, but then again that is a bias opinion cause it is 115* right now in Phx!!!

[utopiapga]

The Hooters Tour has joined forces with the Tarheel Tour! Go to www.tarheeltour.com and check it out. If you want to test your game this is the place to do it. Go out and play with "2 Gloves" Matt Cannon and some of the other boys out there and test your game. All the tournies are in close proxcimity of each other mostly in North Carolina. Travel expenses are lower and the prize money is still pretty decent.

Take this into concideration before you try.......Play your home course one step off the back of the back tees and put the pins in the most ridicuous places on the green you could think of and if you can't shot 66 or better don't waste your money. Get a sponsor if you can and try it out, I am just saying the talent out there is unbelievable. Like the PGA Tour sayd these guys are good, well I am here to tell you these guys are even better because they are hungry!!!! They want to get to the big dance and will do anything they can to get there. They are fearless, shooting at every pin and 9 out of 10 times pulling it off.

Last year we had 10 guys get some kind of statis out on the Tour either the PGA or the Nationwide. This is a very good Place to test your game, give Paul Wortham a call the Tarheel Tour Director, great guy and will answer any questions you have about the Tour. I tried it for a year and had a great time but realized I needed a real job so I went back into sales and now play alot of Customer Golf again but love the game!!!!!!!

 

Goood Luck in whatever you decide just make sure you go 120% or not at all!!!!

[JHoward2010]

Utopiapga...thanks for the reply, but please stick with the point of the post, I'm just looking for a comparison of the tours. I don't need/want to hear about how you got to shoot so and so score on your home course or about how ubelievable the players are. I've played in PGA/Nationwide monday qualifiers. I know how good they are, what the courses are like, and how much I need to improve. I've read post about how good the players are or how insane the course setups are. From personal experience, most people's views on those aspects are a little overblown.

 

I just wanted to hear people's opions about the cost/payment benefits of the tours and the basic stucture of the tournament operations.

 

Thanks to everyone who has chimed in so far.

[Pargolfr00]

Check the tour's websites. All the info is there.

[Pargolfr00]

:cheesy:

[307golf]

I don't think it was disrespectful at all. He asked a question about a tour comparison and his thread was hijacked about how good the guys on tour are... That wasn't the original topic anyway.

 

Your reply was however quite arrogant and full of personal attacks. Quite immature.

[Pargolfr00]

I've read post about how good the players are or how insane the course setups are. From personal experience, most people's views on those aspects are a little overblown.

 

I agree 100%, I think they are not as good as people think. Not too much different than your average club champion actually. I find it very easy to make money playing this game.

 

That's just my personal experience though. :cheesy:

[mikedivot]

I KNOW YOU GUYS ARE TALKING ABOUT THE CANADIAN AND HOOTERS TOUR BUT ANYONE HAVE AN OPINION OR PLAY THE HARMON TOUR IN VEGAS AND HAVE AN OPINION ON THAT. THANKS GUYS MIKE

[Shortknocker]

I played in a nationwide qualifier earlier this year and got to talking to the guys I was paired with. One had played a couple of seasons on the canadian tour and said that the money isn't the best, but its the next best thing to the nationwide. Gets you used to all the travel and the environment. I'm looking to go to the q-school next winter for the canadian tour. Should be a lot of fun. I look forward to it.

[jamesduncan]

Theres a guy playing on the Canadian Tour right now who is running a blog about it

 

http://blog.lukeswilor.com/

 

Its a good blog and he posts regularly on it. Hope that helps!

 

(BTW: thanks for keeping the thread on topic.)

[joey3108]

IMO Canadian Tour is the best for exposure out of all mini tour out there but not the best traveling wise.

 

my 2 cents!

[Jim_0068]

Take this into concideration before you try.......Play your home course one step off the back of the back tees and put the pins in the most ridicuous places on the green you could think of and if you can't shot 66 or better don't waste your money.

 

I don't believe this to be true at all, that essentially means you have to make 8 birdies each round because most good players will still make 1 or 2 bogies. Plus i have been looking at the scores of some of the Hooters Tour events and only on the easier courses are the scores ridiculous. The longer higher sloped coures aren't outrageously low scores.

 

I remember that the local Hooters Tour event in Chicago here (not last year cuz it was weather shortened but the year before) i think around -10 under won the event over 4 days.

[lbpound13]

I'm surprised that I haven't heard anything about the other big advantage the Canadian Tour has over the Hooters Tour: You can earn world ranking points. Nothing better to put on your resume than your World Ranking.

 

Also, after talking with recent Canadian Tour winner Dustin Risdon, he believes that the talent on the Canadian is pretty close to that of the PGA Tour, just that some guys are working on parts of their games to get themselves to the next level. I caddied for him at the Barton Creek events in Austin, TX last year and I'd have to agree with him.

[utopiapga]

My reply was not meant to discourage or question anyones ability just stating the facts. For those of you who don't believe this then you have never been out there abd tried or are just too nieve to realize it. I have been there and done that but now I have moved on. I would never tell anyone not to pursue a dream mearly know that facts before hand. It is not a cheap venture! It is a big investment to go out and try to play golf for a living.

As far as the non believers this is why I don't post much on here anymore because of alot of wanne be's and "think they know it all's" but no matter what you say or think until you have been there don't just assume anything.

 

As stated before have a great day and give it your all!!

 

Good Luck!!

[crippler1784]

JHoward2010:

 

I have a good friend (Ian Hessels) who has been playing the Hooters, Tarheel, Nationwide and Dakotas Tours for roughly 5 or 6 years now. He has openly stated that the Hooters Tour, although it is a great tour, is quickly becoming a harder and harder to make a buck. The players are stronger and better and the courses are getting harder and harder. He has done extremely well on the Dakotas Tour (2006 Money Title Champion) and managed to win roughly $25000 in the course of 6-8 weeks. I don't know what your travel ability is but if you want to ease your way in as many of the guys have said, it might be a good place to start. The entry fees are cheap and the payouts, depending on length and popularity of the tournament, are fairly significant. They have a variety of events, from 1 to 4 days, all paying out a pretty decent amount of money.

 

Because the Hooters Tour has grown in popularity, the entry fees, qualifying fees and membership fees are pretty big and he has had to find some investors to make it work financially. It's one of those deals where you really have to be on your game, week in and week out, to make any money. In the states, the Hooters is probably the next best thing to the Nationwide Tour. Look at some of the guys that have come out there, Zach Johnson, Chad Campbell, etc.

 

Just my 2 cents worth but on any note, good luck man, follow your dream and if you are gonna do it, go for it 110%. We'll be watching for you at the top bro!

[tigerphan]

One thing more about the Canadian tour if you finish top two on the order of merit, you skip pre-qualify, and ofirst stage of q-school for the pga/nationwide tour.

[MaueTitleist]

my uncle has played on the canadian tour and is trying to qualify again in a month or so and he says the tour is great but the problem is with the travel you need to come top 5-10 to make money or make ends meet and the competiton is getting better too which makes it even harder

just my uncles 2 cents

[Tmiller72]

I tried the Canadian Tour school 2 times (didn't get a card) and I've played in a few Hooter's Tour events. If I had a choice between the 2, I would rather play on the Canadian Tour. It is NOT a mini-tour, players can get world ranking points. Also, it has more of a PGA Tour feel to the events and the courses are better in my opinion. I believe the prize money is higher on the Hooter's Tour, but it costs more to play. You could always try some qualifiers for the Hooter's Tour to see if you like the tournaments. Having said all of that, both are good tours and would be great places to play. Good luck if you try one of them. The only thing that I can see holding you back is that you are an Alabama fan. Haha War Eagle!!