How To Become A Pro Golfer: Comprehensive Guide To Get Started

Are you passionate about becoming a pro golfer? Do you admire playing golf on the weekend and enjoying big paychecks for winning?

For people like me, golf is more than just watching a game on TV. Although learning how to become a pro golfer is challenging. It requires consistency, time, and the right equipment, and that’s why there are only a few famous players who made a successful career as a golf professional. 

According to Wikipedia, there are only 28,000 club professional members in the United States out of only 225 who play on the pro tour. 

But, if you are serious about pursuing a career in golf, this article will help you with insightful information that will lead you from beginner to pro golfer. 

Let’s get started!

Realistic Side Of How To Become A Pro Golfer

Before you step into becoming a pro golfer, it is important to set realistic expectations about what to get and what not.  There are only a few golf players that are doing well, which shows us how challenging it can be to become a golf professional. 

Although achieving success in golf is as difficult as getting an albatross in golf. But on the bright side, your natural talents and hard work can help you overcome these obstacles and become a pro golfer.

Although, age is an important factor that you should consider. According to Keiser University Of Golf, the average age of a golf player is 35.  This shows us that golf players start playing at an early age and spend decades to become professional in golf. 

Keeping that in mind, it’s never too late to start your golf career!

5 Ways You Can Make It To Become A Pro Golfer

The roadmap on how to become a pro golfer is long and challenging, there are several ranks you need to achieve to make it to the PGA Golf Tour. Below I have mentioned 5 ways that the majority of pro golfers have followed to make it to the top of the tour. 

1 – Sponsorship Exemptions

The European and PGA Tour event works with title sponsors, these title sponsors have upto 8 exemptions for bringing any player into the field. It means that even if you haven’t played on a field professionally, you still have a chance if you receive a sponsor exemption. 

Although, this option is not suitable for every golf player, because it’s hard to get 7 exemptions per year and make it up to a permanent “Tour Card”.  But we still included this option because one of the famous golf players Tiger Woods used this path by coming out of Standford.

His exceptional performance and skills allowed him to win a PGA Tour event in a single go which earned him a PGA Tour card. 

2 – Mini Tours

One of the fortunate ways of increasing your rank is by playing professional mini golf tours. Every year, there are several Golf Mini Tours that allow golf players to start their careers. 

If you have natural talents and play well on the field, these mini-tours will rank you up which eventually leads to the PGA Tour.  But, there’s a slight snag about mini tours, players who win mini golf tours don’t make enough money which can be struggling. 

3 –  Q School

If you want to learn how to become a pro golfer, this a path you shouldn’t ignore. Every year, PGA Tour has a “Q School” in which they organize a series of qualifying events giving you an opportunity to earn Korn Ferry Tour status.

Below I have mentioned steps that will lead you PGA Tour:

• You need to pass three qualifying additional rounds to reach the Q school finals.
• Once you reach at Q school finals, aim to finish in the top 45 status
• Play a season on the Korn Ferry Tour and earn yourself one PGA tour card.
• Once you’re on the PGA tour you have to maintain your playing integrity by always finishing in the top 125 or you will be knocked down to mini tours or Q school.

See? becoming a golf professional doesn’t seem an easy task, and that’s why not many people pursue a career in this. But, once you achieve this stage, big paychecks are always there waiting for you.

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4 – PGA Tour University

The PGA Tour University is a new way of getting into the PGA Tour. This program allows top college students to enjoy the perks of not involving in Q school or mini tours and directly secure a place in the PGA Tour.

College seniors who manage to make it in the top 5 in the season enjoy the privilege of playing the Korn Ferry Tour.  Although, there is a small number of players who achieve this because this program was designed to fetch the elite players from the rush of 2,500 players that are associated with golf college teams.

5 – Monday Qualifiers

Monday qualifiers are an important part of learning how to become a pro golfer. It’s a 1 day event in which 100 golf players participate competing for 4 spots in the tournament. 

It’s one of the hardest paths you can choose to position yourself in the PGA Tour. Although the entry fee for Monday Qualifier is $250 and if you are an amateur, it’s a must for you to maintain an index of 2.0 or less to enter. 

Improve Your Game To Become A Golf Professional

Becoming a professional golf player requires dedication, hard work, and consistency. It’s a skill and talent that any passionate player can acquire over time.  Below, I have mentioned some useful tips that will help you on how to become a pro golfer.

1 – Hiring A Golf Coach

There are only two types of players who can succeed in any sport, those who are made for it (natural talent), and those who invest hard work, time, and money in developing their gaming skills. Even if you are playing golf for a long time, you can always improve your game by hiring a golf coach. 

Learning golf lessons from your coach will help you improve the specific aspects of your game. Invest in hiring a qualified instructor and let him help transform your game to the next level. You can find your golf instructors conveniently at your local club, golf course, or online. 

2 – Stay Loyal To The Game

Golf professionals treat their game and career as a job, and just like a job they continually practice on and off the field, build skills for a specific shot, and invest in themselves. Investing in yourself includes your proper diet maintenance, mental approach, and workout routine. 

On the other hand, investing in the right equipment such as golf shoes, drivers, and so on is also important. 

3 – Choose Your Path Based On Your Current Age

When it comes to going pro in golf, choosing the right path is important. Your age factor is directly linked to the path you choose. For instance, if you’re in a high school or college, join your college’s golf team and participate in national tournaments. 

Doing this will provide you with the necessary training you need to level up your game. At this point, you can assess your skills and determine your weaknesses. Competing in various competitions will allow you to know if the next stage of how to become a pro golfer is right for you. 

Although, if you have completed college and decided to become a golf player, your journey will be more challenging. You will have the below three options:

• Competing in Amateur tournaments
• Becoming a PGA member
• Ranking up by completing the Professional Golf Management (PGM) Associate program. It’s a competitive test that only top 20% candidate pass.

What If I Fail To Qualify For PGA Tour?

As someone who tried to quality for PGA tour but left with nothing, I can understand the feelings you may experience. But, what If I tell you that you can still make a living by staying on golf course?

Wouldn’t it be great?

Even if you fail to qualify for PGA Tour, there are plenty of options that you can consider to make six figures. Below, I have mentioned some of them:

• Club Pro (Individuals employed by the club to handle running operations, tournaments, other duties, etc)
• Professional Caddy
• Golf Teacher
• Mini-Tour Pro
• Golf Course Designer
• Golf Course Superintendent
• Tournament Staff
• Club Manager

And so on.

To give you an idea of how much you can make as a golf professional, I have mentioned the salaries of golf pros in the United States.

Avg Salaries Of Golf Professionals In The United States

Occupation	Average Salary
Club Pro	$49,000 – $70,800 / Yearly
Professional Caddy	$19 – $29.57 / Hourly
Golf Teacher / Instructor	$76,438 / Yearly
Mini Tour Pro	$30,000 – $64,000 / Yearly
Golf Course Designer	$51,000 – 62,711 / Yearly
Golf Course Superintendent	$67,615 / Yearly
Golf Tournament Staff	$63,862 / Yearly
Club Manager	$52,395 – $73,000 / Yearly

Conclusion

So, what’s your take on how to become a pro golfer?

In short, it’s a passionate game that requires natural talent, and decades of experience to become a professional golf player. If you want to make it up to the PGA Tour, choose any of the paths that I mentioned above.

Make sure you invest in a golf instructor, and the right equipment to improve your game.