Earnings from golf

First topic message reminder :

A bit like football, the astronomical earnings of the top golfing stars make headline news. But what's life like lower down? Winnings sound pretty good on tour, but when you factor in the costs of caddy, coach, other advisers, hotels and travel, how much do you have to win before you break even? And how much do players earn from sponsorships?

I would be interested to hear from those who a bit closer to the pro's so are in the know. What's a typical pro like, say, Jason Kokrak taking home? And what about in Europe? Can you make a living on the Challenge Tour or Europro tour?

Would seriously doubt that many people have it within them to practice productively five hours a day, every day, all types of weather, distractions be damned. Unless it was actually playing.

I think if I believed I had the talent Kwini, then I could put in the work. 5 hours is not very much and I used to practice a hell of a lot and really enjoyed it. However, I'm at least 25 years too late to actually do it in order to see if I could make a living out of it.

Had I not given up at 13, I might have had a shout, but it's very much a hindsight thing. At my age now, I know I have the dedication to do something if I want to, but my teenage self had nowhere near that level of focus, and that's probably the same problem virtually everyone has.

Kwini. Do you really think 5 hours a day is a lot. I bet most of the top 100 put at least that much time in.

5 hours a day golfing, sorry effective practise of golf (ie rather than just playing a lap and a half or being at the course/range for 5 hours)?

Yes, that's a long time and I'm sure the best players in the world do do that, otherwise they wouldn't be where they are. It's still a long time each day though.

If you're attempting to make your living from golf and are on one of those minor tours where you have to come top 3 to make any sort of money, I would think that 5 hours a day would be MINIMUM I would expect to be doing in order to be even marginally successful.

I could easily think of how I would manage that.

Mac,
I think you answered your own question.

Unless you're actually playing, perhaps with three balls, trying to hit different clubs, I would think a focussed five hours a day, every day, is mind-numbing.

It's only mind numbing Kwini if you just stand there hitting balls all day as I agree, without focus that is mind numbing. You have to vary it up and have dozens of practice drills and methods to keep it from being boring , besides there is more to being a golf pro than hitting balls.

You'd have to treat it like circuit training, a bit here, a bit there, a bit somewhere else, easy to fill 5 hours doing that.

Dedication...like a lot of others I just wasn't dedicated to spending day after day practicing. Uni, girls, beer, other sports, going out - all got in the way.

It's amazing how much difference a bit of practice makes to my game now though. A couple of hours for three days in a week and suddenly I'm thinking I could be Open Champion. Unfortunately all I can ever do is improve a bit over what I've been managing recently, and as SR says that's light years away from the standard needed. These guys on Tour are seriously good.

If super bought himself a chipper he'd be elite :P

My chipping is already top notch. Best part of my game.

Morning.A friends son is on Europro this year after several expensive  years as a top county level player.Reality is he has earnt about £500 shoots levelish and will a have to find another way of making a living from the game.Great player and dedicated with a relative paying some of the bills
but he has had a right good go at it.
However if he gets himself a good local club attachment and a sponsor for car and travel then it is possible to make a reasonable living by playing 2/3 midlands pro comps each week,county winter alliance all winter and teaching but you have got to be at the upper end ability wise and picking up the prize money .Matt Cort is a good example but still in the best three in the midlands.

Yeah, most of those on Europro are just fooling themselves Dyna, I've got a friend who's been flogging that particular horse for the last 3 years. I think for every £10 he wins, he spends about £100. Fair enough he's got confidence, but he has to realise sooner or later that he just doesn't have it within him to progress. Must be hard to give up on your dreams though, so sympathise with those who keep trying even when it looks a hopeless task.

He came close to winning on one occasion but bottled it and finished 6th for a derisory cheque.

Just checked and our man has picked up about £1700 and shooting more like 74s. Matt Cort has won the thing though.Our lad was truly a dedicated young man hitting balls in the garden into a net until it was dark and 54 holes a day in the school hols.I would congratulate him and the family on the effort they have made but it gives you an idea of just how good you have to be.He should be able to make a modest living if he continues.
A good 20 years ago my three regular partners played with a certain assistant pro Robert Rock in his very first pro event at our club and at the time came back with all the superlatives including distance that all turned out to be correct in his case.

He'll make bugger all if he's shooting 74 and taking home just 1700 season.

To make any money on that tour you need to be shooting your three rounds in the 60's as only the top 1-5 make anything which could cover your outgoings.

There's 4-5 guys on that tour who are miles and miles ahead of anyone else. Guys shooting 74 (like my mate and yours) just don't make the grade.