Reinstating Amateur status

[Rosey31]

As someone who worked in the industry 12 years ago I was thinking of applying for reinstatement to the USGA. In order to play in various tournaments and leagues down here in Florida. I want to preface this as I was just a club pro and really only played to maybe a -4 hcp. I took a hiatus from the game shortly after leaving and just recently started playing again. 

 

I was wondering if anyone here has done the same and honestly if it's even worth it. 

[caniac6]

I would guess it would be worth it if you wanted to play in amateur tournaments sanctioned by the state golf association, or the USGA. I heard some guys talking about this very issue on XM, and they seemed to think that if you were just a club pro, or a guy that played mini tour, but had been inactive for a long time, getting your am status back could be pretty easy.

[bladehunter]

14 hours ago, caniac6 said:

I would guess it would be worth it if you wanted to play in amateur tournaments sanctioned by the state golf association, or the USGA. I heard some guys talking about this very issue on XM, and they seemed to think that if you were just a club pro, or a guy that played mini tour, but had been inactive for a long time, getting your am status back could be pretty easy.

Yep. Shouldn’t be too bad.   There are some guys here who’ve played at higher levels and got it back.  I think @b.helts is one of those ?   He may have some insight . 

[dcmidnight]

Keep in mind this was a few years ago.

 

But although I'm employed full time - not in the golf industry - I used to play on a local handicapped "fun" tour that was for cash prizes. In the last couple of years I did it, I won around $700 each year. And thats gross BTW - to say nothing of entry fees which typically were $80-100 or so per event.

 

Anyway the USGA said I would no longer be considered an am for their purposes and I would have to apply to get my status back if I wanted it. At the time I had designs of maybe playing in some actual am events so I went through the process. It really wasnt that hard. I emailed the USGA, they asked for a few details about how much I made and when the last date was that I won money - then 12 months after that last date I got a letter stating that am status had been approved.

 

Seemed like a bit of a money grab to me for someone in my position - but it was easy enough. Turns out I never needed it but if you really want to do it, its not that hard.

[b.helts]

Yes. As @bladehuntersaid, I’m a reinstated amateur. I got my amateur status back 10 years ago. I had to fill out a form and detail all the money I had made that broke the rules of being an amateur. That was easily the hardest part as I had played for almost 10 years on a dozen mini tours and PGA Section events. 
 

I submitted my paperwork and after the maximum two year wait I was an amateur again. It’s not hard but it can be tedious.

[Rosey31]

59 minutes ago, dcmidnight said:

Seemed like a bit of a money grab to me for someone in my position - but it was easy enough. Turns out I never needed it but if you really want to do it, its not that hard.

 

This is kind of what i was thinking. I worked in the industry and never played competitive golf.  

 

Did you have to wait from the time you submitted an application, or is it based on the last time you played or in my case when I left the industry 12 years ago?

[Abh159]

I've known a few people who have done it (old college teammates who tried to make it on the mini tours for a few years before giving it up). 

 

As the others have mentioned... It's not necessarily a difficult process. It's just a bit of a PITA and takes some time to get it approved. 

[Newby]

16 minutes ago, mantismike said:

 

This is kind of what i was thinking. I worked in the industry and never played competitive golf.  

 

Did you have to wait from the time you submitted an application, or is it based on the last time you played or in my case when I left the industry 12 years ago?

I know a couple of ex club pros who had left the industry some years previously and applied for reinstatement. In both cases the R&A (in this case) granted the applications pretty well straight away.

[Shilgy]

On 11/5/2021 at 6:28 AM, b.helts said:

Yes. As @bladehuntersaid, I’m a reinstated amateur. I got my amateur status back 10 years ago. I had to fill out a form and detail all the money I had made that broke the rules of being an amateur. That was easily the hardest part as I had played for almost 10 years on a dozen mini tours and PGA Section events. 
 

I submitted my paperwork and after the maximum two year wait I was an amateur again. It’s not hard but it can be tedious.

Two years may be common but it is not the maximum.

 

http://read.nxtbook.com/global_golf_post/global_golf_post/20181001/nugent_col.html

[rogolf]

The Rules of Amateur Status have been updated and the new Rules come into effect on January 1, 2022.  Not sure what has changed about being re-instated though.

https://www.usga.org/content/dam/usga/pdf/2021/rules/12321 USGA Rules of Amateur Status.pdf

[caniac6]

I'm pretty sure it's been covered somewhere, but this new NCAA NIL has really got to be a big can of worms as applied to amateur status.

[BrianMcG]

I did it.

I just emailed the USGA.  They then had me write a letter containing how long I was a club pro and what it is I am doing now. And of course a $20 check.

 

I received a letter about a month or so later stating that as long as I stayed an amateur as described in their rules then I would have my amateur status back on a date they specified.  

 

That was about 20 years ago. I have yet be in a tournament that required amateur  status. LOL. I could have saved $20.  

[Hawkeye77]

On 11/7/2021 at 12:40 PM, Shilgy said:

Two years may be common but it is not the maximum.

 

http://read.nxtbook.com/global_golf_post/global_golf_post/20181001/nugent_col.html

He's out, he's in, lol.  Went looking to see what became of all the pub Peterson was getting/promoting - can't find anything after 2019 so maybe he's trying to become an am again or . .  not.  Aside from him, good info in there on what most of the guys in the club pro ranks are having to deal with as far as wait time. I can understand making guys like him wait quite awhile.

 

Here's his big news after Tiger won the Masters.

 

https://www.si.com/golf-archives/2019/04/25/john-peterson-retirement-comeback-professional-golf

 

 

Edited November 14, 2021 by Hawkeye77

[Rosey31]

On 11/7/2021 at 10:31 PM, BrianMcG said:

I did it.

I just emailed the USGA.  They then had me write a letter containing how long I was a club pro and what it is I am doing now. And of course a $20 check.

 

I received a letter about a month or so later stating that as long as I stayed an amateur as described in their rules then I would have my amateur status back on a date they specified.  

 

That was about 20 years ago. I have yet be in a tournament that required amateur  status. LOL. I could have saved $20.  

 

I just looked at it again on the USGA site and they have upped the fee from $150 to $200. This really seems like a cash grab at this point. I know in other sports, being a professional or being paid to play really does not limit you from playing in local leagues. I have played ice hockey in several leagues where we have had ex NHL and minor league players mixed in with ams. 

Edited January 7, 2022 by mantismike
additions

[BrianMcG]

On 1/7/2022 at 12:42 PM, mantismike said:

 

I just looked at it again on the USGA site and they have upped the fee from $150 to $200. This really seems like a cash grab at this point. I know in other sports, being a professional or being paid to play really does not limit you from playing in local leagues. I have played ice hockey in several leagues where we have had ex NHL and minor league players mixed in with ams. 

Wow. $200 bucks is crazy. For that I expect the president of the USGA to come to my house with some kind of framed certificate. 

Edited January 8, 2022 by BrianMcG

[Shilgy]

They probably found they were paying some office workers full time just to do the work on the increasing requests for reinstatement. 

[5 O'Clock Charlie]

I took this route. Was a PGA member from 2003 to 2016, played in my last State Open as a PGA Member in 2017, then applied for re-instatement. I had to sit out 2 years (it's 1 year for every 5 years of service). 

 

Got my AM status back in 2019.

 

You can play in Open events while you await re-instatement, provided you get approval from the committee running the event and that you agree to not win any prize money. You can also play in your local club events with the same conditions and the PRO / Membership committee approves it.

 

I'm glad that I did it. I may uptick my AM events in the next few years or not, still haven't decided.

[GolfCsty]

I did it long time ago. Relatively painless since I had only worked as an assistant and didn’t  have a competitive record as a pro. But, despite having the reinstatement letter, my amateur status was rejected by the NCAA when I returned to college a few years later. Apparently giving a few lessons for money once upon a time is (or at least was) worthy of a permanent ban from NCAA competitions. 

[Rosey31]

I just submitted the application. I figured it's a small price to pay to be able to play in local events....

 

and 6 hours later I got my approval and reinstatement letter. 

Edited February 28, 2022 by mantismike
additions