How do we get back to this level of excitement?

This is a guest post written by Shane Bacon.

 
The famous old quote goes, “there is golf and then there is tournament golf, the two not much the same.” It is something I try to explain to countless friends and fellow golfers that have never had the luck of playing in an event where all the putts mattered, and the lowest score won. When you’re standing over a tee shot with a guy announcing your name, a scorecard in your back pocket and a pin sheet explaining all the bumps and undulations to you, the golf swing becomes a little less familiar.

That is the case for us humans. The guys that can’t go out and shoot four rounds of 66. We have long acknowledged that even though we don’t carry the game that some of these mindless beasts on the pro tours do, we still want to know how it feels.

That is the transition between amateur and professional, but consider this; maybe the biggest change in the golf world is one of the smallest. It’s when a kid that can play stick finally decides to start doing it for a living. That’s when the test really begins.

 

 
Playing in junior events is the beginning. That’s when you learn how good you really are. It isn’t the ones that you play at your local golf course, or the area event that hands out medals for wins. The junior events that matter are the ones with a global field, where you’re playing with a guy that can’t speak your language and you sure as hell can’t speak his. That is where you take your first big steps in the golf world. “Can I do this or not?”

The next move is college. You move your little pawn to a dorm room and a golf coach and 6 AM runs. Your life has been focused on golf for years, but this is a completely different focus. You exchange jeans for college-embroidered sweatpants and your Titleist cap for a school one. This is where you eat, sleep and study golf, while your friends that couldn’t make as many birdies as you are partying and traveling abroad and joining the Greek system.

The transitions are mighty, but they still have nothing on the day you decide that you aren’t checking the box that’s marked “amateur” anymore. Today, you’re a pro.

See, putts just matter more when they’re for your rent money. Or for dinner, or to help pay off some loans you were lucky to land from a local supporter. There is absolutely no way to truly explain the low a person feels when he is playing mini tour golf and has missed four tournament cuts in a row. You think the PGA Tour guys have it hard? Try playing for your livelihood.

All that time you spent over the last 15 years winning events and competing against the best and high-fiving your golf coach after another sub-par round have all led to this moment, when you need the 12-footer on 18 to make the cut. Or to finish in the top-five. Or to, if you’re lucky, win.

I could name you a hundred players that came out of college that I thought would be dominating the golf world right now. Hell, I could name you 200 junior golfers I thought would have PGA Tour wins under their belt. Bubba Dickerson, Chris Nallen, Matthew Rosenfeld, James Vargas … the list goes on and on.

It’s just … learning how to do it for a living is very similar to any business a person might start. Normally it isn’t diamonds and furs the first time out for anyone, and golf is the same way. While it seems like it should be (“you’re doing the same thing you’ve always done!”), it just isn’t.

You have to learn the grind of the pro circuit, no matter how big or small the tour. You have to figure out the best plan of attack that fits you and nobody else. Some spend a dozen hours a day on the range, others like to focus their practice on actual golf. Some like to play a practice round like it’s the actual tournament, others just try and hit certain shots they might face during the week.

The interesting goal about being a professional is finding that mindset you had when you weren’t a professional. Going out and playing golf like the money doesn’t matter, and then invite the checks as they start flowing in.

That is the interesting thing about pros. While we see these guys post scores that 99.9 percent of us will never even sniff, like clockwork, there will be moments when, just like us, the choking begins. And when it starts, it doesn’t stop. Like so many “no-name” pros in U.S. Opens have shown us, being a pro might mean you are a stud for most days, but every once in a while you do the same stuff we all do.

Learning to be a pro means you have to accept those days, forget about them and hope the next day brings you the fortune you usually expect. If not, your clubs will end up at the bottom of a lake and your next job will be at Radio Shack.

Shane Bacon

As the talent pool of junior golfers continues to grow, it has become increasingly difficult to land a college golf scholarship. Junior golfers ranked in the top 20 or so nationally are naturally on every major college coach’s radar, but what about the other guys? When you consider that the NCAA only allows divison 1 college golf programs to give out 4.5 scholarhips across a roster of 10-15 guys, marketing yourself to stand out as a potential recruit is imperative.

First, you should definitely buy a copy of the PING American College Golf Guide. It covers the ins and outs of every college golf program in the entire country and provides information on everything from team rosters, facilities, player stats and contact information. It is the college golf bible. They have a new online version that costs $19.95 and it’s a must have for all aspiring junior golfers in grades 10-12 (disclosure: I have no affiliation with PING or the PING American College Golf Guide).

Here is a rundown from their website:

-coaches names, addresses, phone numbers and scholarship availability

-email and fax numbers for more than 1,200 coaches

-NCAA, NAIA and Junior/Community College rules on eligibility, testing, letters of intent recruiting and detailed information on the NCAA Eligibility Center

-Campus visits and phone calls the rules and important questions to ask

-link with Golfstat to include option for PING Guide-Golfstat Interactive Score Conversion of junior scores to college tournament scores

-letters to junior golfers and parents from college coaches at all levels of competition regarding schools, education, playing opportunities and scholarships/financial aid

-SAT/ACT average scores for recent freshman classes at most 4-year schools (a few schools don’t release that information)

-learn about the SAT and ACT, the differences in the tests and why consider taking both

-calendar and step-by-step procedure of what to do from your freshman through senior year of high school

-sample resumes and letters to get yourself noticed by college coaches

-rating chart to help in comparing prospective colleges

-complete scores from more than 200 college conference, regional & national championship tournaments via link with Golfstat (see your adjusted scores placed in the tournament results on your computer screen with Interactive Score Conversion)

-complete team and individual scores for over 2000 college tournaments played during the year in our NEW —EXPANDED PING Guide/Golfstat Program (see your adjusted scores placed in the tournament results on your computer screen with Interactive Score Conversion)

-information on junior tours, rankings and important websites

-detailed information and requirements for international students

-information on Professional Golf Management programs/degrees

 


BE YOUR OWN AGENT

After realistically accessing where you may fit in with some college golf programs, it is time to begin marketing yourself. Don’t wait for coaches to contact you! Make yourself known. Let them know why they should WANT you playing for them and if they don’t already know who you are, they SHOULD. Coaches get dozens and dozens of boring form letters sent to them daily, so it is important for you to stand out. I can tell you from experience that the majority of stuff that comes across the desk of a college golf coach is automatically thrown away. Be different. Be original. Be persistent.

HOW DO YOU STAND OUT?

I have broken it down to 5 things you must do. Eventhough I was a top-ranked junior golfer, this is exactly what I did when I was coming out of highschool and deciding where I would play college golf. I signed with #3 ranked TCU (Texas Christian University), who had not even been recruiting me until I sent them my “marketing package”. If you do the 5 things I’ve outlined below, I guarantee you will get the attention of numerous college coaches and land a spot on a roster somewhere. Remember to be professional in the way you present yourself. Use your creativity and show your personality!



1. PICTURES
- professional, high-res frame by frame shots of your swing from various angles
- pictures of you in action during competition

2. VIDEOS
- professional quality footage of your swing from various angles (real time and frame by frame)
- videos from lessons with your instructors
- highlight reel of you in action during competition

3. RESUME
- accolades/accomplishments
- tournament scores and finishes
- highschool transcript
- SAT or PSAT scores (if you’ve taken them)
- leadership positions
- volunteer work / community service

4. PRESS
- newspaper clippings
- magazine articles
- blog posts

5. RECOMMENDATIONS
- letters from teachers, coaches, golf instructors, mentors, influential friends and alumni

 
If you need any help or have any questions, I’d be happy to answer them in the comments.