Inside The Ropes With Gary Bos

[SirShanksAlot]

Hello everyone.. I want to get right into some thoughts on golf pros in the world and where we all fit into the mix.. I have to clarify that there are two main categories of golf pro’s out there in the world today.. I like to distinguish between the two by calling the first group ‘Golf Professionals’, those being the club pros who work at a course and dedicate their life to club management and dealing with the public every day.. these are the guys who may show up to a couple of Canadian PGA Zone events every year and consider themselves at a social gathering of golf pros.. usually those will be the guys with a score somewhere in the 80’s next to their name.. and the second group I call ‘Professional Golfers’.. those being the players you see on the PGA Tour and all the other tours and any professional in the world who considers ‘playing’ his or her full time career (with absolutely no other job on the side)!

The problem here lies in the fact that many of us, myself included, find ourselves stuck somewhere in the middle for much too long.. I’ve been there for my entire professional career.. I’ve tried to do three things at the same time.. playing, teaching, and working in the pro shop.. I have learned and developed what is now my theory and that is that you cannot expect to do two, never mind three things.. and expect to do them well! I have spent countless seasons driving myself crazy asking myself how I can expect to play at such a high level while working over 50 hours a week and usually teaching on top of that.. that being said, I continued to try and try.. just waiting for a break.. getting into all the events that I could and trying to work all my hours into 5 days just so I could take two off for an event that could be the break I was waiting for.. never mind a practice round! I have to say that it feels like there isn’t anything I have not experience in this game, on the course and off.. I’ve been to every extreme and been through the relm of emotions on and off the golf course.. I’ve been to a point where I was so frustrated with my game and the business that I did not touch a club for over a year.. litterally did not touch a club.. that was close to 7 years ago now.. and given that.. here I am right back where I’ve always wanted to be.. stronger than ever and wanting it more than ever.. never looking back!

The bottom line is that you have to keep believing no matter how bleak things might seem or how bad your putting is or how unreal it seems that all the possible bad breaks in the world are happening to you.. remember you are not alone and through it all.. you have to dream and you have to believe!

For those of you in the business or thinking about ‘playing’ into the Canadian PGA.. be prepared as there is no part of your character and no part of your emotions and no part of your true self that this game and this business will not test! The beauty is that somehow.. someway.. at the end of it all.. the saying is true.. you get out of it what you put into it.. you have to believe that.. otherwise you would not still be reading this post.. Good Luck!

P.S. Questions.. comments.. visit my website and email me anytime!

Follow CPGA Professional Gary Bos as he chases his dream of playing on the PGA Tour. Check out regular updates on SirShanksAlot.com and Gary's own website. Gary is the Head Teaching Professional at the Grand Niagara Resort in Niagara Falls, Ontario.

www.sirshanksalot.com