Best career to have that allows one to play a large amount of golf...

[ace036]

I have just searched the entire site regarding careers in the golf industry. I am currently in school and will soon graduate with my bachelor's degree in real estate and property management. However, I love golf and would like to have a career that allows me to be around this great game as much as possible. What do you think are the best jobs to have that allow ample playing and practicing time? I have heard that a career as a school teacher is the best due to the fact that you get the summer off. I too have been contemplating whether or not to enter the golfing industry via asst. club pro., club pro., sales, etc... But a lot of the information I have come across seems to steer and push me away from the industry...Anyways I don't mean to ramble on and on...My question once again is: What do you think are the best jobs to have that allow ample playing and practicing time? Opinions, suggestions, and comments are more than welcome.

[jared]

Honestly why not go out and pursue a job that affords you the ability to afford a country club membership and time off etc. Pharma sales is a great industry for that angle.

[Konrad]

Professional Golfer

[MBuckler]

do not get into the golf industry on the professional side if you want to play...trust me.

 

club and sales reps get a fair amount of playing time depending on the territory.

 

real estate/mortgage industry affords quite a bit of playing time, you'd be supprised how often my boss and i require our sales staff to take clients golfing.

 

if you can stand teaching its not a bad route for playing either...depending on where you go though its tough to make decent $ and getting a credential can be a pain.

[SadTrombone]

When I was in insurance sales, I had a LOT of time to play. Well, not necessarily a lot of time, but I could make my own schedule.

 

-mini

[jared]

Go get a job that will make you some money. Unfortunately the club rep jobs take FOREVER to move up unless you live in Montana or something and the head pro angle is not great either. Take crap from everyone and make no money.

 

All depends on what your definition of quality of life.

[Shandy G]

Teacher...You have all summer off to golf. And if your like me, you can try to get a job at local course part time, and play for free.

[slicer90]

i agree with Shandy G, except i work in a golf retail during the summer (I am a school teacher). Since i dont get free golf i go broke during the summer. So make sure you have a job in the summer that pays well or gets you free golf. Remember school teachers arent in it for the money!

[jcigars]

Gold digger :cheesy:

[CowtownTexas]

Any job where you need to entertain will get you on some golf courses. I probably get 5-8 rounds a month during typical "work" hours and I expense it all. Traditional banking, real estate, many other sales jobs, etc. will get you there.

[david seale]

if you want a career in the golf side of a country club, i dont believe you will get THAT much playing time until you get into the upper management like head pro or director of golf. the DOG at the private club i work at plays so much golf its ridiculous. heck, im an assistant pro right now and i would say i get a fair amount of playing time.... but i am single(with a girlfriend), im allowed unlimited golf at my club, and i live very close.

 

like someone said. get into a career that will allow you to get a membership at a club and play as much as youd like. i see some of our members... heck, even DAILY. but most 2-4 times a week.

[oldgoalie]

Sales is a good angle, especially to take clients out.

 

Oh, and don't have kids. They really put a damper on the golf.

[stevestrike]

By brother got "in trouble" at his job awhile back for not playing enough golf. He actually doesn't play, but he is supposed to take his clients out. He manages a large car rental store for a company you've all heard of. Of course, he works on the weekends. Retail hours are a b****.

[BEND OF THE RIVER GC]

1. Sales

2. Teacher

 

 

PGA pros (not the touring types) are too busy working to play all that much.......

[chfd098]

Firefighter. I work 24 hours shifts 9 or 10 days a month the other 20 are mine. The only thing that sucks if that all my friends have sucker monday-friday jobs and aren't around to play during the week and I hate playing weekends. Factor in personal time and vaction and I work about 100 days a year and if your really need a day off you just get someone else to work for you.

[Sesh]

Bartender. I'm poor , I have to pay alot for my own health insurance, and get off work late, but... I have a very deep tan from all the golf I play and alot of club pros will trade free drinks for cart fees. Also most golf destinations have lots of bars. So I can work anywhere. :cheesy:

[jscw]

Another thought -- Go for the graduate school for a PhD.

During your "working hard" PhD study, in whatever field/majors, you will get LOTS time to play golf by student price (choose the one w/ golf course, of course.) For different reasons, most people can not get the degree very very soon no matter how many hours they spend on the "research stuff". Use golf for your mental health, it will do good for your research and the body.

 

Just my 2 cents.

[mspeedpika]

teacher for sure, I play every weekday 18 to 27, tough day tomorrow wake up watch the open play at noon then another 9 at 6 with my buddies that work all day

[bulldoggie15]

Another teacher here. My club has a "young adult" membership 178 a month unlimited, if I want a cart it is 13.00.

[raidernut1234]

Outside Sales. where you have a territory and travel, and make pure commission.

This way you keep the clubs in the back, and when you hit your goals for the week, your reward is to take the afternoon off and play the local hot course as a reward ( 3 weeks ago my reward was playing trump national).

Best thing is you usually tee of at 3:30-4PM, you miss all the traffic you would be driving in, and you get to pay twighlight rates.

better yet, find a hotel with a stay&play package and you get to expense the hotel and get free golf.

 

If you are going to consider going into sales and have no prior experience, PM me and I'll PM you a library of resources to read that will help you TRULY evaluate if its' the field you should enter. I thing you will be surprised at how much integrity, fortitude, and honesty it requires (just like this magnificent game we enjoy playing).

good luck

[Chunkywedges]

Letter Carrier - most finish around 2-3 in the afternoon. Not gonna be rich but you'll be able to play alot. My last carrier played 3 days mid week with a bunch of other posties and then with his buddies on the weekends. He did belong to a club tho.

[canvasback13]

I am a stock broker, my tee time is 1:00 today.........

[dmboak]

1. Sales

2. Teacher

 

 

PGA pros (not the touring types) are too busy working to play all that much.......

 

 

 

I will agree with this.

 

I'll also throw out Firefighter and any profession that allows flex hours so you can start really early or really late.

[HipCheck]

When I was in insurance sales, I had a LOT of time to play. Well, not necessarily a lot of time, but I could make my own schedule.

 

-mini

 

Two votes for this. I miss it....well, the golf aspect of it anyway. If you're an insurance broker (commercial, not personal), you can golf a LOT.

[ace036]

A big thank you to ALL for the input, I really appreciate it.

[mhccap]

insurance, insurance and insurance...

 

a few years back pharmaceutical and medical device sales wouldnt have been bad, however, the new laws in place dont allow it any longer. plus if you get into pharmaceutical sales you will be pigeon-holing yourself both with salary and a lot of sales industries like medical device sales(which is a lot more lucrative) wont hire a pharmaceutical salesperson...sales is getting pretty specialized.

 

all sales are changing so much nowadays that they arent like the sales positions like our fathers and grandfathers had where they were wining and dining and taking clients out to golf. most positions are setting you up where you are attached to gps so they can monitor your every movement and everyone is tightening their belts as far as "buying" their clients and customers.

 

work for yourself and sell insurance if you want to play a lot of golf.

[BILL12x]

Sales - Make alot of money by working hard when you're young and still having time to play golf, then retire and play lots more. Worked for me.

 

Oh, and it helps to have a wife still working for the insurance, etc. :-)

[Grimace45]

So far in my career I have done the following:

 

1. Analyst for money manger - played a ton

 

2. Big 4 audit manager - did not have time to sleep and eat, let alone play golf.

 

3. Financial Reporting analyst - play a lot on off months.

 

Sales seems to be the best route to playing a lot since the schedule is at your discretiona and it is acceptable to take client's out to play.

[shook23]

Good to see commercial insurance represented, selling that (or working as a broker) gets you on the links a lot. Other people that I've met while playing, that get to play a lot as well, was a letter carrier, and a day trader.

 

Along the day trader line, any time you open up your own business or work for yourself, you can make your own hours and play when you want. That may or may not have an effect on your bottom line though.

[larrybud]

What do you think are the best jobs to have that allow ample playing and practicing time? Opinions, suggestions, and comments are more than welcome.

 

Any business that you own yourself. Of course, if it's a struggling business, it could be the complete opposite.

 

But if you want to be told what to do by others, any kind of sales job is good start.