Transitioning out of Professional GolfI

[GAL007]

Hey WRXers,

 

I'm probably just shouting into the void, but I thought I'd come here to see if anyone has advice or experience to share. I spent 8 years grinding it out on the mini tours chasing my dream of playing on the PGA Tour. Obviously, I didn't get there. I now find myself completely lost as to what to do next. I'm 35, I have a wife, a 3 year old and a 2 year old. I don't have a degree. I left school a few separate times due to alcohol issues. At 25, I finally got sober (and have been since then) and I was at a crossroads : I could go back to school and get a degree or I could turn professional and go after the thing I had always wanted. Knowing full well what the risks were, I chose the latter. I knew there was a real chance of ending up right where I am, but I couldn't live with myself if I didn't chase my dreams.

 

I never had a backup plan, it was my feeling that if you're worrying about what to fall back on, then your mind is not in the right place to be a professional tournament golfer. Some (or many) of you may think that sounds reckless, naive, or just downright foolish. I don't necessarily disagree with you! Hindsight is 20/20, maybe I should have taken some programming courses while I was on the road! :black eye:

 

I spent last year as the tournament director for a very strong and rapidly growing developmental tour in the Southeast. I really enjoyed it but the financial backer that was basically providing my salary fell out about 3/4 of the way through the year. I ended up staying on and finishing the season at about 1/2 pay because I believed in what we were doing and I have too much respect for the guy who runs the tour to just pull up the stakes with tournaments left on the schedule.

 

Now, it's time to figure out what the next career path could be. I'm hoping to hear from any former playing professionals about their experiences transitioning out of the game, any business owners or employers with ideas of how to leverage my experience as a golfer and get my foot in the door, or anyone else's experience and advice about career transition, viable options for a non-degreed job seeker, etc, etc. Thank you to anyone who took the time to read this and I look forward to any responses that community members are willing to give!

 

Chris

[jaymayor]

You seemed stressed, you should go play some golf.

[golfandfishing]

Real Estate. I don't think you need a degree to go to real estate school and get a license.

[GolfNuts4]

Real Estate. I don't think you need a degree to go to real estate school and get a license.

Yes, this is a good idea, also you could try selling insurance, I don't think you need a college degree and you can build up a portfolio of clients from relationships you have developed as well. All the insurance guys I know play a ton of golf.

[GAL007]

Real Estate. I don't think you need a degree to go to real estate school and get a license.

Yes, this is a good idea, also you could try selling insurance, I don't think you need a college degree and you can build up a portfolio of clients from relationships you have developed as well. All the insurance guys I know play a ton of golf.

 

Insurance is one of the areas I am focusing on. I think professional golf will have prepared me well for hearing "no" day in and day out

[One_Putt_Blunder]

Insurance is a good gig with a lot of different areas to explore. Everything from sales to claims or service. On the commercial side underwriting is fairly well paying and there are programs like CPCU or AU to take that can help get the knowledge down and get your foot in the door. I have my P&C license I'm a little too old to start my own agency now but I'm looking at completing my AU to become a commercial underwriter eventually. Then I will complete the CPCU once I get a job that pays a bonus for CPCU completion.

 

A good way to start is try to find a corporate gig that pays you while in training and trains you to take the P&C test. Even if you end up not liking the corporate structure after you pass the test and start work, you've learned a fair amount, got paid for it and can walk away with your license.

 

At 35 starting your own agency even with one of the big national carriers State Farm, Farmers, Allstate, Am Family etc is a tough go for the first 5 years or so. If you really grind it out and dedicate your time and money to build up a book and hire the right staff it can certainly pay off in the long run. My old boss was in his early 50's had a 20+ year old book that he built up. We saw him for about 4 hours a day he prob played golf 4-5 days a week and let us run the show.

[GAL007]

Insurance is a good gig with a lot of different areas to explore. Everything from sales to claims or service. On the commercial side underwriting is fairly well paying and there are programs like CPCU or AU to take that can help get the knowledge down and get your foot in the door. I have my P&C license I'm a little too old to start my own agency now but I'm looking at completing my AU to become a commercial underwriter eventually. Then I will complete the CPCU once I get a job that pays a bonus for CPCU completion.

 

A good way to start is try to find a corporate gig that pays you while in training and trains you to take the P&C test. Even if you end up not liking the corporate structure after you pass the test and start work, you've learned a fair amount, got paid for it and can walk away with your license.

 

At 35 starting your own agency even with one of the big national carriers State Farm, Farmers, Allstate, Am Family etc is a tough go for the first 5 years or so. If you really grind it out and dedicate your time and money to build up a book and hire the right staff it can certainly pay off in the long run. My old boss was in his early 50's had a 20+ year old book that he built up. We saw him for about 4 hours a day he prob played golf 4-5 days a week and let us run the show.

 

Great insight, thank you very much. My inclination is toward the P & C side. I've spent a good deal of time reading debates on the merits of going with a captive agency vs an independent and my feeling is in line with yours...try to find a big national carrier with solid training and get my foot in the door, get licensed, learn and see where I want to go from there

[TerpFangolfer]

Little different since my brother was never a tour player - just ~20 years as a club pro. Never could score the long-term "peach" job that would make his career, so he decided to get out at age 40.

Since being a club pro is a lot of hospitality & sales - he transitioned nicely into retail, and then into hotel mgmt. Both positions obtained thru contacts he had made as a club pro.

 

Probably different for someone used to grinding by themselves...but yeah, sales, hospitality, real estate are things you don't need a degree for - and as mentioned, utilize contacts to find good opportunities.

[MidwestGolfBum]

Several of the former pros that I know (anywhere from club pro to web.com) have gone into insurance, car sales, and real estate. The only one of those hasn't been mentioned before was the car sales. Some of their success in any of those was coming from a very social thing in golf and though the connections that they made, they have made a fairly good living after getting through the initial pains of building a base.

[oldpalchamp]

A number of legitimate colleges and universities offer an adult fast track program that would allow you to work and go to school. Believe me, 35 is not too old to work towards a degree.

[ydanusas]

You have plenty of years ahead of you. Question for you, other than golf, what are your other interests? Kudos to your wife for supporting your decision to try and make it to the tour. My wife would have knocked me over w a rolling pin if I told her I'd do the same thing.

[GAL007]

You have plenty of years ahead of you. Question for you, other than golf, what are your other interests? Kudos to your wife for supporting your decision to try and make it to the tour. My wife would have knocked me over w a rolling pin if I told her I'd do the same thing.

 

She was (and is) very supportive. We met after I had already been playing professionally for a while, so she kinda knew what she was getting in to! I love comedy, I love to read, I want to learn woodworking, and I am working toward fluency in Spanish (I'm about halfway there). I am an independent person, I've always kinda liked to do my own thing. I think I'd really enjoy being a golf writer. I got a lot of joy and satisfaction out of being a tournament director, but the mini tour industry is just too volatile. I'd like nothing more than to stay involved in golf, I just don't want to be a club pro. How's that for a convoluted non - answer?