Turning Pro

[mattbbaker]

A little OT..but I have searched high and low for an well rounded answer to this question: What entails turning professional?

From reading the rules, it seems like all you have to do is say, "Hey, Im a pro" and accept money for play, teaching etc. That is a highly informal standard. It also seems to say that if by some miracle I got invited to a NW or PGA event I could just check the "professional" box if I so should choose. Or if I applied for the US Open, I could claim professioanal status if I so should choose. Secondly, if this is the case, is a professional required to keep and report a USGA index for the purposes of playing in events. IMO there should be a more formal process, maybe there is and I just don't know. Am I out in the woods on this one?

[GoingLow]

There will be better answers, but my understanding is that for purposes of playing tournaments for prize money, all you need to do is declare that you are a professional. The difficulty, of course, is qualifying or getting invited to play in tournaments with large purses. As for the mini tour events where everyone is basically paying an entry fee and the top finishers split the pot, I think you simply need to declare that you are a professional.

 

However, to be a official (PGA) teaching professional, you will need to pass both a written test and an on-course test (which requires you to shoot about 150 for two rounds).

 

For open qualifying events (e.g., US Open), I believe you need to be a recognized teaching professional to enter based on professional status. Otherwise, you need the required handicap index.

 

Once a pro becomes an official teaching professional, he or she need not carry and official handicap (although they may do so).

 

Best I can do.

[TheCapedAvenger]

what he said ^

 

If you're in it to make money, just take the money. You're a pro!

 

If you want to teach for money, you can go PGA (long road) or you can join one of the many silly teaching assosciations and become "accredited" and go teach. Easy enough!

[Swingtheclub]

the first gentlemans answer about turning pro was exact you just have to declare the intention, or take money for something involving golf.

 

Thats right if your local club pays you in cash for a tournament according to the rules of golf you are a professional.

 

There is a whole section on professionalism in the USGA rule book.

 

As far as PGA membership its a little more complicated than that. To be a class A member requires a certain amount of time in the apprentice program the player ability test and I am no longer sure how many business schools.

 

When I went through it the player ability test (you could take it as many times as you wanted) you had to shoot 15 over the course rating for 36 holes.

 

Then we had two one week schools with a written test at the end. About 55 percent failed the test so it was not easy.

 

Then finally we went through and oral interview. In front of a bunch of PGA members.

 

I became a class A in 1980 then got out of the business sometime around 1985 oh well.

 

I was always quite proud that I passed all the levels to get my card on the first go round.

 

Note I realize that the player ability test seems easy. But most five handicaps and up would not stand a chance . The golf courses are not set up easy and its a lot of pressure considering your career is on the line.

 

I knew a couple of guys that were fair players and got out of the business because they could not pass. One guy took it 18 times.

 

 

As far as these new teaching certifications schools I have no comment.

 

One more thing it is not nearly as easy to get your amateur status back as it is to give it up.

[bpalmer21]

Im loving this post, if you want to be a playing pro go make money. If you are thinking of being a teaching/club pro then your gunna have to do the bs.

 

I think the USGA would be more hesitant to return your am status if you go the im as pro route, then if your were to change jobs as a club pro. If you just wanna make some money on the weekend, I dont think it will be worth it to go pro.

 

As far as the playing test goes, I think something needs to be done about that process. To many guys that arent any good are getting lucky and passing or taking it so many times they get really lucky and become "pros." If you want to manage a golf course then call it something else, dont make people think that you can play, and we all know they never get time anyway, so they shouldnt be that good. I just hate seeing people watch the club pro hit 9 irons and thinking he is tour quality because we know they are mistaken. Im not saying that there arent good players out there, just hate seeing 3-5 handicaps posing as pros that think they should or could have been on tour.

[Pargolfr00]

I will sum all answers.

 

1. Professional Player- all you need to do is accept prize money or prizes over a certain value ( I think 750 but could be wrong) By just entering a tournament as a "Professional" you forfit your amatuer status.

 

2. Teaching Professional - Must go through a PGM or PGA of America program, or another "less acredited" program. PGA Class A Professional ( what must of your teachers at your club are) is a 3 level program. You need to pass your PAT first which is a player ability test. Basically 152 total for 2 days on a 6,700 yard course with middle pins. Don't wish to step on any toes but if you cant pass your PAT then you probably should not be teaching others how to golf. You do get 3 tries. With that said.. most good teachers are not that good of golfers. Just like any other profession that one accels at they have a good eye for things. After your PAT you have 3 levels of books which are VERY boring busy work and at the end of each level you have to go to Florida and test out. Test are surprisingly HARD.

 

So don't confuse your local Teaching Pro with a Professional Player. Both have very different skill sets.

 

Hope that helps.... but like most of my posts....probably not

[Swingtheclub]

I used to describe what you are saying by telling people I was a golf professional not a professional golfer.

 

Try to remember most of these guys trying to pass a players test as assisstants are working 50 to 60 hours a week in a golf shop.

 

Not exactly a lot of time to practice.

 

According to the rules of golf ti does not matter if you take one dollor or a thousand if you accept cash you just joined the ranks of the professional. I do believe you are right about the amount you can take in gift certicate.

 

I was just told the USGA changed the rule about excepting prizes for hole in one contest. You know where they have these car give aways and other things. Before if you acceppted the car or the jet ski you just turned professional.

[jmiller2]

I just wanted to clear some things up about the "teaching/ club pro".

 

The PGA PAT is set to be the course rating over 36 holes plus 15 strokes, so if the course rating is 72 for example you'd need a total of 159 over 36 holes to pass... here is the link: http://www.pgalinks.com/patinfo/pat.cfm

 

The CPGA PAT is 155 from what i have heard from a few guys that have that status...

 

here is a link to classifications of the PGA: http://www.pga.com/pgaofamerica/classifications/

 

 

According to the rules of golf ti does not matter if you take one dollor or a thousand if you accept cash you just joined the ranks of the professional. I do believe you are right about the amount you can take in gift certicate.

 

not exactly, That only applies to tournament prize pools not side games, (example the golf channel's amateur tour has an optional skins game) those winnings may not exceed $750. However the tournament prize (not a side game) you my not accept cash you can accept merchandise of any amount (i think). They have also added that if you make a hole in one on a designated hole during a round of play you can accept any amount as a prize without turning pro.

 

as for the tournament pro the answers above are good...

[Schilly]

Something I'm confused about is i reading things about becoming a teaching professional it talks about working under a head pro for a certain amount of time before you can take the PAT, is that true? Reason I ask being a teaching Pro is something I've been thinking about for 15 years or so, but I haven't really had the time to commit to being ready for the PAT comfortably.

[pols59]

During the middle of last year i began the PGA course in the UK. I dont think you have to work for a certain amount of time in a pro shop before you can take the PAT. You just have to register for the course, and i think you have to pass your PAT before you can continue with the rest of the course. In the UK you have to be playing off a handicap of 4 or less to do it, but if you are scratch or better then you dont have to do it, which is cool.

 

The first year can be quite expensive with all the fees coming to about £2000. Which might not seem alot, but when your getting paid £5 an hour and you have to pay for rent/food/travel expenses it can all add up! Also if you decide to chuck it half way through like i did then you still have to pay all the fees! :fool:

[jmiller2]

There is always the USGTF/WGTF for those people that don't want the multiple year commitment the pga takes and it's a lot cheaper, only issue with this is not many people have heard of it and that you might not get the same benefits as you would with the pga certification. I personally would like to know about this, because i have thought about it myself... I'm not one that really wants to work full time at a pga recognized facility I'd rather have the certification and have it as a side or second job...

 

Benefits that i know of from having the pga/cpga certification

cheap/ free golf anywhere you want to play you just have to tell them that you have the certification and prove it upon check in i think

big discounts on equipment and possibly free merchandise, etc. (i played with two CPGA guys three days ago and one bought a golfbuddy that retails for $400 for $275 not bad IMO).

there is probably more then that im not a pga member so i can't comment on it.

 

Benefits that i know of for the USGTF/WGTF:

link: http://www.usgtf.com/benefits.html

 

 

If anyone knows of a way to get a PGA certification without working at a PGA recognized facility, that information would be greatly appertained, both for my curiosity and others I'm sure.