Is pursuing a golf career worth it anymore?

yellowballs · May 10, 2018

Best of luck to you man. I'm 31 and trying to change careers as well - although I'm trying to get into Law Enforcement. It's not easy though. I'm leaving a successful job in finance to do it - scary stuff, but if you know you'll love it and can do decent enough, I say go for it.

Would you mind telling me what was your job in "finance" and why you're leaving?

jim rockford · May 27, 2018

good thread....

someone else at least alluded to this, but can you do a golf career part-time for awhile and see how you like it and how it goes.

some ideas:

do you have to be affiliated with a golf club to give lessons? maybe start your own small academy. something like online for all players in asia. or a long drive specialist.

must be all kinds of small golf co's that could use a shared rep and/or shared local person.......... my old golf club had a nancy lopez demo day and her company had a rep there.... maybe a travelling fitting center that fits for flex and other things but not exact club.

these things are perfect for part-time...... personally, i love golf so much that i got out and watch and volunteer at some really low level local events (one event i think only 2 out of 70 women broke 100)

BNGL · May 27, 2018

I am a superintendent and I absolutely love my job. Granted I am at one of the most elite private esteemed clubs in the world, but getting here was a great journey, and I have met tons of extremely nice and smart people in the industry, many of whom I keep in touch with regularly. To those that say, you never have time for golf...they are straight up BS'ing you. There is plenty of time for golf, if you're willing to make the effort. What I mean is, yeah it can be some long hours in the office, BUT if I want to play, I can slip out and play a few holes here and there in addition to my regular weekly games with members. Just like any job, when you first start out, you won't get the "perks"....asked to play with members, the 10-4 midday shift which let you play both before and after work, invites to the dinners or other functions, invited to Masters or other events by members etc. That equity takes time to build up, but just like with the game of golf, the work you put in is what you get out, the business can be the same. At least in my opinion. So my advice would be this, if you love golf and want to work in the golf industry go for it! It can be extremely rewarding, and while all can say that golf is circling the drain, it'll be fine. Not the level of tiger boom, but it'll be fine.

Theres a very real labor shortage in golf maintenance, unemployment is under 5 I think, and most think that maintenance is unskilled labor....it aint. I got three undergrads and a masters degree adorning my office (BA Philosophy, BA PreLaw, BA Horticulture, MS Horticulture). Everyone in our office has at least a BS and is working on/completed a graduate degree. Clubs all across the country are seeing increasing capital investment budgets, they would not make that investment if they were going to close. While the industry isn't the boom that it was, its not going backwards.

jmck · May 27, 2018

A superintendent who works a 10-4 shift???? And plays before and after work??????? At "at one of the most elite private esteemed clubs in the world"?????????

Llolollololololololololol.

iteachgolf · May 27, 2018

A superintendent who works a 10-4 shift???? And plays before and after work??????? At "at one of the most elite private esteemed clubs in the world"?????????

Llolollololololololololol.

He’s not lying. He’s at a VERY nice facility

jmck · May 27, 2018

A superintendent who works a 10-4 shift???? And plays before and after work??????? At "at one of the most elite private esteemed clubs in the world"?????????

Llolollololololololololol.

He's not lying. He's at a VERY nice facility

I'm not saying he's lying. I'm saying that his experience is in no way typical of what the average superintendent's gig looks like.

Read the OP's post again. He's looking at making a career change in his late 20s, coming into the golf industry from another, totally unrelated industry. AND he's married already.

You really think the OP is going to end up working as a super, on a 10-4 shift, at one of the most elite private clubs in the world, playing before and after work every day? Come on. He's going to be trying to learn Spanish from youtube, getting to the course at 6am six days a week. That's a heck of a lot more realistic than that post above.

deathbymuffin · May 27, 2018

I don't know much about the superintendent side of things, so I won't speak to that. But I had two close friends growing up whose dreams were to work in the golf industry as teaching/club pros. One attended a professional golf school in Florida and is now the head pro at a solid public course in a mid size city back east. He absolutely hates his job and regrets committing so much of his life to golf. He rarely plays...maybe just a few times a year, and has to supplement his income with construction work to support his family.

Other friend ended up going to college on a free ride as an Evans Scholar. Decided early on that he'd rather make golf a hobby. Killed it in undergrad, went to med school and is now a doctor making about $650k. His wife is an MD too and he owns a million dollar home and has a country club membership before age 40. Golfs all the time.

BNGL · May 27, 2018

A superintendent who works a 10-4 shift???? And plays before and after work??????? At "at one of the most elite private esteemed clubs in the world"?????????

Llolollololololololololol.

He's not lying. He's at a VERY nice facility

Thanks dude!

Chef23 · May 27, 2018

I know someone commented on the recent publicity about teachers but if 50-60k a year is all the income you are requiring and you want to be able to play golf I would say look into teaching. If it is a warm location you can play year round, get lots of time off and maybe you could coach a golf team.

If you want to play a lot of golf entry level jobs in the golf business can be tough.

Chef23 · May 27, 2018

PGA Club Pro (more likely Asst. Golf Pro) Classroom time, internship, pass the PAT. That stuff take time and effort.

Your starting pay at decent facility - $25k plus part of the fee from the very few (initially) lessons you give. There are quite a few of these jobs available.

Is it worth it?

A) Yes, if you have a good personality, can help improve student's games, and like helping others.

B) Yes. If you're in line to receive a Million dollar inheritance.

I work at a large, upscale club with 8 assistant PGA certified pros. Several make a good living and several don't.

Like others have stated, if you love playing golf, don't get in the golf business....unless that inheritance is coming in soon.

8 assistant pros? What on earth for? They are all pga members, none are apprentices?

Nine actually. 54 hole private club. 900+ golf members. All but one are Class A PGA pros. Ladies league, mens league, senior men, junior league, 30-40 outings annually on Mondays. Hosts a PGA Champions event. It's a huge facility. We do leaderboards for every event. Two bay fitting center. It takes a lot of people to oversee all these things. And, they give a lot of lessons. We'll do over 400-500 rounds on a nice weekend day.

How many clubhouses and/or golf shops?

One.

Post deleted.

BNGL · May 28, 2018

A superintendent who works a 10-4 shift???? And plays before and after work??????? At "at one of the most elite private esteemed clubs in the world"?????????

Llolollololololololololol.

He's not lying. He's at a VERY nice facility

I'm not saying he's lying. I'm saying that his experience is in no way typical of what the average superintendent's gig looks like.

Read the OP's post again. He's looking at making a career change in his late 20s, coming into the golf industry from another, totally unrelated industry. AND he's married already.

You really think the OP is going to end up working as a super, on a 10-4 shift, at one of the most elite private clubs in the world, playing before and after work every day? Come on. He's going to be trying to learn Spanish from youtube, getting to the course at 6am six days a week. That's a heck of a lot more realistic than that post above.

You’re correct it is not typical. But I’m approaching this from a manner of, if you want to do something then do it the absolute best that you can to be the best in the industry. You’re going to have to put in the time, but could he get there? Absolutely he could. I’ve met many people in my line of work, and my families (pilots and baseball players) that limit themselves because they buy into others perceptions of who they are and what they can do, because they can’t do it themselves and it kills me every time, when a young assistant comes in and says I can’t do this or that....we’ll have you tried? Actually tried to accomplish what you’re striving for? Maybe it’s just a generational attribute, maybe it’s something else idk.

yellowballs · May 28, 2018

You're correct it is not typical. But I'm approaching this from a manner of, if you want to do something then do it the absolute best that you can to be the best in the industry. You're going to have to put in the time, but could he get there? Absolutely he could. I've met many people in my line of work, and my families (pilots and baseball players) that limit themselves because they buy into others perceptions of who they are and what they can do, because they can't do it themselves and it kills me every time, when a young assistant comes in and says I can't do this or that....we'll have you tried? Actually tried to accomplish what you're striving for? Maybe it's just a generational attribute, maybe it's something else idk.

This post really hits home with me. I think I have limited myself my whole life. A classic underachiever. I don't know why I am this way and I don't know how to stop.