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19th Hole

GolfWRX members debate the merits of a career in the golf industry

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6 years ago

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Would you work in the golf industry? Perhaps you have? From caddying in high school to serving as a respected head pro at an esteemed club, to working as an equipment or apparel rep, the jobs in the service side of the golf business are numerous, and there are options wherever you’re at in life. If you add to the equation all jobs at golf-related companies and golf-relates manufacturing, the range of opportunities is even greater.

But this is no glossy brochure for “A Career in Golf!” Fears over industry contraction, the future of the game, the paltry salaries of assistant professionals, and other factors combine to cast a long shadow over employment related to this maddening game.

Still, the majority of hardcore golf nuts have likely considered working in golf at some point.  GolfWRX member JJHarrs2 is one such individual. He started a thread looking for advice about whether he, at 29, should explore a career in golf. He’s primarily interested in becoming a playing pro (who isn’t?), club pro, teaching pro, or working as an equipment rep.

He expresses not only uncertainty about taking the plunge, but concern for the future of the industry.

“The main thing I’m wondering is when I look out 20-30 years from now, I really don’t see golf being in a good place. I know that a ton of the money spent on golf is by people over 60, so when they die or get too old to play, what will take their place? Will people my age pick up the slack?”

Now, before we get to the responses from GolfWRX members, I’d like to offer a bit of perspective for Mr. JJHarrs2, as someone who worked at both public and private courses before transitioning to typing for a living. Regarding the future of the game, you can look at club closures in the past decade and get depressed, or you can look at the number of new golfers year-over-year and be encouraged, which is to say, basing your decision on macro data is always going to be difficult and is, in some sense, a distraction from the real question: do you want to do this/these jobs?

Having seen the lot of the equipment reps who pulled their wares from the back of packed trucks and vans to present to pros for perusal, and having seen the contraction in that job space, I would advise anyone who is drawn to the road warrior life of an equipment rep to be comfortable with the prospect of eventually working another traveling sales job. To be a successful rep, you have to love the job/lifestyle, not just golf.

Also: Read Ryan Barath’s “Confessions of Golf Equipment Tech Rep” for some perspective.

Regarding the club pro/teaching pro path. It’s important to mention that head pro jobs are few and far between and the life of the career assistant with little teaching income is a dreary one: think “folding shirts and answering phones for $30K per year.” Head pro jobs are rare, competitive, and often political; it’s best to instead think of yourself as a small business owner…not of the pro shop, but rather, of yourself. It’s vitally important to work at a club that will cover the cost of the PGM Program and (at least some of) the additional certifications you must pursue to gain a competitive advantage.

Don’t love teaching? You better start to! Not only is a steady stream of pupils vital to your pocketbook, but creating instructional content online is essential to building your student base and potentially setting yourself up for other revenue streams in the future. Twitter! Instagram! Facebook! YouTube! GolfWRX! You’ll want start the virtuous cycle of expanding your knowledge and showcasing that expansion early. For example: attend an AimPoint seminar, talk about it on social media, make a video explaining the fundamentals, or some such.

I also recommend reading Michael Breed’s “Advice to PGA Professionals.” 

Have you ever worked in customer service? Have you ever heard the expression “the customer is always right?” Well, if you work at a private club, get used to the expression “it’s literally impossible the member is wrong in any way.” Never forget they’re paying your bills, as difficult as this may be when you’re being asked to walk half a mile to the 10th hole to pick up two pullcarts a pair of golfers left out or wondering who the hell has the last cart out of the barn, darkness having long ago descended.

You’ve got to be a self-starter, in it for the long hall, and comfortable playing relatively little golf, honestly. If you’re not tied to one geographical location, all the better (heading to Florida to caddie for the winter should be considered). Maybe you’ll wind up as a head pro somewhere, but you have to hedge against the possibility that you won’t, constantly investing in yourself, expanding your knowledge base, and creating content. It’s definitely beneficial to get Class A PGA certification ASAP and to be involved with your PGA Section.

I’ll draw the curtain on my advice and point to a couple of the more interesting responses from the forums.

golfandfishing says working for a top teaching pro is the way to go

“Here’s the best thing to do if you can play at all:  work for a teaching pro. ..Teach, hold clinics, pick the range, etc for your 50/60 hours a week and collect your $550 paycheck. Then play section events as often as you can. Monday Pro Ams, the State Open, your section championship, various events with mostly other club pros. Collect another $2k a month…Club pro? Hope you enjoy divorce.,,Manufacturers rep? Any of the handful of worthwhile positions are taken and then already in wait when the spot comes up. You’ll be repping plastic tees, ball washer towels and cigar holders. Do not be the teaching pro with his name on the door – work for that guy. Enjoy the lack of responsibility, collect meager pay and exploit the privileges.”

tatertot is a bearer of difficult truths

“Realistically …

– You’ve got .01 chance of being a touring pro at 29.

– Ask yourself “Why would someone come to me for lessons?” If you can think of a good reason, you might have a shot as a teaching pro.

– Ask yourself “Why would any club hire me to be a pro?” Lots of applicants from lots of guys who have gone to school for this sort of thing.
– Do you have a business/marketing degree? Because there are lots of guys applying for sales reps jobs that do.”
jmck strikes a similar dour note

“Hate to say it, but listen to the pessimists.

There are pretty much zero jobs in the golf industry that combine the following:

– Play a lot
– Work less than a 60 hour week
– Make more than $50k per year
– Keep your significant other happy

Frankly it’s a minor miracle if you can find a job in the golf industry that combines two of those, and if you need to even think about practicing to pass your PAT there’s zero chance you’re good enough to play on even a crappy regional mini tour…If you really love the game you’re better off as a banker, lawyer, real estate agent, drywaller, ditch digger, or beer truck driver.  It’s a brutal industry, has been for decades, and is only going to get worse.”

You’ll want to read the rest of the responses in the thread. 

What do you think, GolfWRX members? What advice would you give to

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19th Hole

Why Ludvig Aberg is my new favorite player – GolfWRXers discuss

Published

13 hours ago

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Apr 24, 2024

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In our forums, our members have been discussing one of the new sensations in the world of golf – Ludvig Aberg. The 24-year-old finished solo second at the Masters a couple of weeks ago, and gained many plaudits, including from several WRXers.

One member, RoyalMustang, took to the forums to explain why Aberg is now their favorite player, saying:

“I loved the way the Ludvig was out there, having a great time, not taking himself or the situation too seriously. Even after the double at 11, he was like “well, that’s golf!” Loose and relaxed: that’s the way to play. It’s obvious he loves what he’s doing, he loves the big moments, and he loves being a part of it all.

Arnold Palmer was viewed that way. Just like Brooks Robinson was forever viewed as not just a great baseball player, but a great human being and friend to Baltimore.”

And our members have been reacting and sharing their positive takes on the young Swede.

Here are a few posts from the thread, but make sure to check out the entire discussion and have your say at the link below.

  • redfirebird08: “Ludvig has a great attitude, a great smile, and a great golf swing.”
  • otto6457: “I’m very lucky to have talked with Ludde several times at the Rawls Course at Texas Tech.  He’s a truly nice guy and very friendly.  Always said hello when we passed each other in the club house and was always smiling. Watching him hit balls on the range was a joy.  He has “that sound” and trajectory to die for.  There were many times he was out on the range in 30+ mph winds just hitting the most beautiful shots that just seemed to ignore the wind.  World class ball striker. And yes……..I am a fan boy.”
  • konklifer: “I like him. In an era of endless waggles and laboring, his swing and pace of play are a joy to watch.

Entire Thread: “Why Ludvig Aberg is my new favorite player – GolfWRXers discuss”

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19th Hole

‘Absolutely crazy’ – Major champ lays into Patrick Cantlay over his decision on final hole of RBC Heritage

Published

3 days ago

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Apr 22, 2024

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Over the past year or so, PGA Tour star Patrick Cantlay has taken a great deal of criticism for his pace of play.

Now, Cantlay is once again under fire for a questionable decision he made on Sunday at the RBC Heritage.

After the horn sounded to suspend play due to darkness, Cantlay, whose ball was in the fairway on the 18th hole, had a decision to make. With over 200 yards into the green and extreme winds working against the shot, conventional wisdom would be to wait until Monday morning to hit the shot.

On the other hand, if he could finish the hole, he may just want to get the event over with so he could get out of Hilton Head.

Curiously, Cantlay chose neither of those options. After hitting 3-wood into the green, and still coming up short, the former FedEx Cup champion chose to mark his ball and return to chip and putt on Monday morning.

Ian Woosnam, who was watching from home, took to X to give his thoughts on Cantlay’s decision-making.

Cantlay would end up getting up and down for par when play resumed at 8:00 Monday morning.

Following his round, Cantlay explained his decision to wait to hit his third shot the next morning:

“I really did want to finish last night, so I felt like if I could get the ball up there maybe in an easier spot, maybe I would have finished, but as I got the ball up near the green, I realized it would be easier to finish this morning. That’s what I decided to do.”

GolfWRX has reached out to Patrick Cantlay’s management team for a response to Woosnam’s comments.

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19th Hole

Vincenzi’s 2024 Zurich Classic of New Orleans betting preview

Published

3 days ago

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Apr 22, 2024

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The PGA TOUR heads to New Orleans to play the 2023 Zurich Classic of New Orleans. In a welcome change from the usual stroke play, the Zurich Classic is a team event. On Thursday and Saturday, the teams play best ball, and on Friday and Sunday the teams play alternate shot.

TPC Louisiana is a par 72 that measures 7,425 yards. The course features some short par 4s and plenty of water and bunkers, which makes for a lot of exciting risk/reward scenarios for competitors. Pete Dye designed the course in 2004 specifically for the Zurich Classic, although the event didn’t make its debut until 2007 because of Hurricane Katrina.

Coming off of the Masters and a signature event in consecutive weeks, the field this week is a step down, and understandably so. Many of the world’s top players will be using this time to rest after a busy stretch.

However, there are some interesting teams this season with some stars making surprise appearances in the team event. Some notable teams include Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele, Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry, Collin Morikawa and Kurt Kitayama, Will Zalatoris and Sahith Theegala as well as a few Canadian teams, Nick Taylor and Adam Hadwin and Taylor Pendrith and Corey Conners.

Past Winners at TPC Louisiana

  • 2023: Riley/Hardy (-30)
  • 2022: Cantlay/Schauffele (-29)
  • 2021: Leishman/Smith (-20)
  • 2019: Palmer/Rahm (-26)
  • 2018: Horschel/Piercy (-22)
  • 2017: Blixt/Smith (-27)

2024 Zurich Classic of New Orleans Picks

Tom Hoge/Maverick McNealy +2500 (DraftKings)

Tom Hoge is coming off of a solid T18 finish at the RBC Heritage and finished T13 at last year’s Zurich Classic alongside Harris English.

This season, Hoge is having one of his best years on Tour in terms of Strokes Gained: Approach. In his last 24 rounds, the only player to top him on the category is Scottie Scheffler. Hoge has been solid on Pete Dye designs, ranking 28th in the field over his past 36 rounds.

McNealy is also having a solid season. He’s finished T6 at the Waste Management Phoenix Open and T9 at the PLAYERS Championship. He recently started working with world renowned swing coach, Butch Harmon, and its seemingly paid dividends in 2024.

Keith Mitchell/Joel Dahmen +4000 (DraftKings)

Keith Mitchell is having a fantastic season, finishing in the top-20 of five of his past seven starts on Tour. Most recently, Mitchell finished T14 at the Valero Texas Open and gained a whopping 6.0 strokes off the tee. He finished 6th at last year’s Zurich Classic.

Joel Dahmen is having a resurgent year and has been dialed in with his irons. He also has a T11 finish at the PLAYERS Championship at TPC Sawgrass which is another Pete Dye track. With Mitchell’s length and Dahmen’s ability to put it close with his short irons, the Mitchell/Dahmen combination will be dangerous this week.

Taylor Moore/Matt NeSmith +6500 (DraftKings)

Taylor Moore has quickly developed into one of the more consistent players on Tour. He’s finished in the top-20 in three of his past four starts, including a very impressive showing at The Masters, finishing T20. He’s also finished T4 at this event in consecutive seasons alongside Matt NeSmith.

NeSmith isn’t having a great 2024, but has seemed to elevate his game in this format. He finished T26 at Pete Dye’s TPC Sawgrass, which gives the 30-year-old something to build off of. NeSmith is also a great putter on Bermudagrass, which could help elevate Moore’s ball striking prowess.

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