For those that don't know, the Tarheel Tour is a notch below the Nationwide (similar to the Cactus Tour out west)...anyway, I play to a +1 handicap on my home course. My wife has chided me about trying to play more tournaments and see if I could make a tour as she thinks I am the greatest golfer on the face of the universe and could hang with Tiger. Anyway, the lowest score I've posted on my home course is 66.

I told her, let's go out and watch some of these guys play and have lunch at the club. So we did and watching some of these guys hit it was amazing. They put the ball in positions on the course that I could only dream about reaching (and I average about 280 off the tee). I pointed that out to her. Then, we watched their iron play and everything was crisp (which I also pointed out to her). Then, we watched the guys putt...the first hole we watched was a made 15 footer, 10 footer and 8 footer (I pointed this out to her). Then at the end of the day, I pointed to a number she couldn't fathom...the course record of 63 was broken. One of the guys posted a 62...on a course he hadn't seen before the day before they teed off.

I looked at her and said, "Still think I can play one of these tours?" She said, "don't quit your day job."

Simply amazing to watch.

Impressive isn't it. I remember going to a smaller tour event in Australia last year (Von Nida tour event) . Never heard of the guys but they could play.
You could have played for $1075 I think it is.

It really is an eye opener. It is amazing how good professional golfers are. My wife and I go watch the LPGA at the Michelob Ultra Open Every year. Like your wife said, Don't quit your day job.

ive always been both amazing and bewildered by the tar heel tour/mini tour guys.

i mean i watch the scores posted during the season and i know JUST how good these guys are.

but then come 1st/2nd stage of Q school and some of them just implode.

i think getting on the PGA or Nationwide has just as much to do (or even more) with whats in btwn the ears as to ballstriking.

not trying to take anything away from these guys as they are just all great great players.

its just interesting thats all. pressure is something we sometimes only put on ourselves.

and just to add: if you have a dream to play pro, i say go for it. give yourself a 5 year plan and try to have enough to bank roll a good run so you can concentrate on practice and playing in events. (-/+ $40,000 per season to play on a local mini like the tar heel so you dont have to travel too much, then prep for q school at the end of each season)

ofcouse i should make it clear, i also dont have a wife! lol

They go very low on that tour. Although I have to say that Lake Hickory (Catawba Springs) is pretty easy. I played the Jones Course at Rock Barn today in a tournament, pretty tough course to play when you;ve never seen it.

Just remember as well, this is their job. When you are given a gift, and then cultivate it for years, and years, work your tail off and give all you have to it, you are bound to be pretty good at it.

But just the same, lets see them come to your job and do it as well as you are.

From a guy who once tried it, and now has a great job living at home....I prefer this every day!

And you should give it a try once, just so it you can say you did.

Tmiller,

I agree that Jones Course at Rock Barn is pretty tough....it's a little funny though, because my low round came on that course (65)...but, we couldn't count it at the time, because it was business golf and we were forced to play from the blues instead of the blacks (these guys shot 100 from the blues)....so, the Pro there (Jeff Isenhour) told me he couldn't count it. The guys I was with hemmed and hawed about it, but I knew he couldn't count it. Heck, he couldn't technically count it because it wasn't in tournament play, which most courses honor. We had quite a few beers to celebrate that night anyway!

Was the 65 a course record or your personal best? The gold tees do seems to be quite a bit longer than the blues, but that 65 is still damn good!

Yes, some of the players on this tour are quite good. Last year one of the players tied our course record of 62 I might go watch them play this next month when the stop at one of our neighboring courses near by.

Yep, some crazy good players on that tour. Had a friend play some events and do alright. One funny finish that illustrates how deep they take it though was a tourney where he shot -11 for three days ...that was only good for a tied for 20th place...yikes.

David Robinson is killing it on that tour this year..

I've seen a few Hooters Tour events up here and I can assure you that they are very good, but I honestly believe some of them are kidding themselves. I've seen a few guys not even break 80 from a 6800 course. It's not a challenge at all, I have shot under par at that course. But I know that I couldn't pull out three straight 68's like the winner did.

If they are shooting 80 all the time, then you are right about them kidding themselves. Just because they had a bad round on a course you normally shot better score doesn't mean they are kidding themselves. Everybody has bad rounds. Tournament golf is much different than regular golf. Throw in playing for your living hoping to make a check and now it way different. You should enter next time they play that course and see how you do. Of course you'd have to make it through monday qualifying first.

Even state opens give you a good idea as to how much better professionals are. I played in the CT open this week and while I was just trying to come back to make the cut (80-70), the pros were shooting a couple under, and this was on a course that is very tough to go under par at all on (Round Hill Club in Greenwich).

**However I should note that an amateur won the event. There was a playoff between him and a pro who has won the event 3 times. The playoff was at 7 under.