Would you pay $100 bucks to play with a pro?

[ballgolfconvert]

ballgolfconvert made a post that he would gladly pay $100 to play a pro-am with a chance to draw Macbeth or similar as a partner for the round. This is not my thing, but got me thinking. Perhaps there are many that would love the chance. Here is a poll and please feel free to tell us why you would or would not and whom you would pick to play with.

Just as background, the PGA Tour does this before every event and for much more money than I am talking and very successfully. I am also not referencing pro-am tourneys where the pros play separately from the amateurs. Pros would be on a card with 4 amateurs, playing best ball (low score not scramble) format. Ams would also play at their preferred tee pads, giving them a chance to be a factor on the team .Lets say each am puts up only $50. that is $200 per card that can be used to pay pros appearance fees, provide a pro-am purse, and add a bit to the pro payouts in the actual tourney.

i would jump at a chance to do this.

 

[ballgolfconvert]

I wouldn't pay to play with a pro DGer. It just doesn't appeal to me the way playing a ball golf round with Tiger or Rory would. I feel like after 3-4 holes McBeth or Ricky or whoever would be tired of watching my less than perfect form and waiting for me to work my way up to the basket while they patiently wait parked 3 feet away.

Now if we change it to playing with a celebrity like Bill Murray or Bob Weir or someone of your choice- I'd gladly pay over $100!

You don't think Tiger would get tired of watching you hit after one shot? The PGA pros do it to help build the sport and maintain interest. The PGA also requires them to play the pro-ams idf they want to play the tourney. PDGA pros should be more than happy to do it, since generally most of them have zero shot of earning a living otherwise.

 

[JC17393]

Just as background, the PGA Tour does this before every event and for much more money than I am talking and very successfully. I am also not referencing pro-am tourneys where the pros play separately from the amateurs. Pros would be on a card with 4 amateurs, playing best ball (low score not scramble) format. Ams would also play at their preferred tee pads, giving them a chance to be a factor on the team .Lets say each am puts up only $50. that is $200 per card that can be used to pay pros appearance fees, provide a pro-am purse, and add a bit to the pro payouts in the actual tourney.

i would jump at a chance to do this.

The big difference between PGA pros and our pros is that your average amateur ball golfer (and even some professionals) are never going to get a chance to play with a Dustin Johnon or Rory McIlroy unless they pony up for one of those pro-am things.

In our game, unlike PGA, tournament courses are rarely ever closed off to non-tournament players except for the event itself. If you know that your favorite pro is going to be in town for a tournament, all you really have to do is hang out at the course during the week and you're bound to run into a few of them. And if you're out there playing anyway, they might even accept an invitation to throw a few holes with you. Sometimes it's their first time on a given course and they're happy to have a guide regardless of skill level.

There's also the factor that some have already alluded to, and that's that most of these tournaments are open for anyone to sign up. You don't necessarily have to pay $50-100 at a pre-tournament event to play with a pro if you are willing to throw down similar cost to play the tournament itself.

Until we reach a point where pro tournaments are more exclusive and fill with only the top tier players, I think pro-am events like you see at PGA tour events are still a ways off in terms of usefulness. There are just too many other opportunities to interact and even play golf with these players without needing the contrivance or the cost. But maybe someday....

 

[Jay Dub]

Last year the week before the Idlewild Open quite a few of the locals posted videos of them playing a round with Mcbeth (he was calling his aces and making them ). I'm pretty sure all that cost them was 3-4 hours of their (the AMs) time.

 

[ballgolfconvert]

The big difference between PGA pros and our pros is that your average amateur ball golfer (and even some professionals) are never going to get a chance to play with a Dustin Johnon or Rory McIlroy unless they pony up for one of those pro-am things.

In our game, unlike PGA, tournament courses are rarely ever closed off to non-tournament players except for the event itself. If you know that your favorite pro is going to be in town for a tournament, all you really have to do is hang out at the course during the week and you're bound to run into a few of them. And if you're out there playing anyway, they might even accept an invitation to throw a few holes with you. Sometimes it's their first time on a given course and they're happy to have a guide regardless of skill level.

There's also the factor that some have already alluded to, and that's that most of these tournaments are open for anyone to sign up. You don't necessarily have to pay $50-100 at a pre-tournament event to play with a pro if you are willing to throw down similar cost to play the tournament itself.

Until we reach a point where pro tournaments are more exclusive and fill with only the top tier players, I think pro-am events like you see at PGA tour events are still a ways off in terms of usefulness. There are just too many other opportunities to interact and even play golf with these players without needing the contrivance or the cost. But maybe someday....

This is actually an idea to help get quality pro fields at more tourneys. And to try to give more Tiger or Phil feeling about top PDGA pros. How many people here have played with a top 20 pro for an entire round? Saying hello to them is not at all the same as playing a round with them. You can say hello to Tiger at most events he plays as well. I seriously doubt that Macbeth or other top pros would accept many invitations to play with let's say a rec player in the area, under most circumstances, unless they were getting paid.

 

[VictorB]

While it would be fun to play with a top level pro as a partner, I don't think I'd pay extra for the opportunity. I already have a good idea of how much better those players are than I am, and in the theoretical case of getting one of them as a partner for doubles, we'd be taking very few of my shots anyway.

So playing with a top level pro would be fun, but I wouldn't pay extra for the opportunity.

 

[Chaz58]

I voted #3. At my age, and with my body in revolt half the time I try to play now, there is nothing I could really pick up from them at this stage of my life/playing. If I was around my early 20's and had some spare cash I wouldn't mind in that situation. Either way, it's not like any of top rated pros are gonna be in my neck of woods any time soon, and even IF I was younger/healthier I sure as heck wouldn't be driving the hours to do so in another part of the country. The closest tournament of any worth mentioning is probably a good 3 hour drive one-way just to want to go watch one. I do believe about a year ago Philo was out doing some playing at The Canyons in Lockport (my bro was there to get a signed disc from him) but as far as I know (and I don't know much ) that was the most recent sighting of a top tier pro in my area in quite a while.

 

[Emoney]

As a historically ~935 rated player it's not too hard for me to play casual rounds for free with guys in the low-pro range.

This.
Just keep constantly trying to get better at the game and you will eventually be around high rated players.

I played with a 1000 rated innova sponsored pro yesterday. All i did was pick his brain about shots and technique. If he asked me to give him 100$ for that... I would politely and firmly tell him to go kick rocks

 

[ThrowaEnvy]

I answered yes but that was more hoping that I might get some instruction other than that I think it would really depend on who the pro is . I would jump at the chance to play with Michael Johansen for 100 bucks.

 

[JC17393]

This is actually an idea to help get quality pro fields at more tourneys. And to try to give more Tiger or Phil feeling about top PDGA pros. How many people here have played with a top 20 pro for an entire round? Saying hello to them is not at all the same as playing a round with them. You can say hello to Tiger at most events he plays as well. I seriously doubt that Macbeth or other top pros would accept many invitations to play with let's say a rec player in the area, under most circumstances, unless they were getting paid.

You'd be incorrect to doubt that. They obviously can't accept invitations from every player, but they absolutely will play with locals in a practice round setting. A friend of mine played out the back nine of a casual round with Grady Shue last year when he was in town for an A-tier (and this friend is a sub-800 rated "Rec" player). The same week, Ricky Wysocki dropped in at a couple different courses during the week and played with folks, as well as playing a league night at one place.

I've had David Feldberg stay at my house for a tournament and we played practice rounds for that as well as hit up another local course. Other folks in my area alone have done similar things with other players. I have to think it's the same deal with most every stop on the tour right now. These guys aren't yet to a point where they're inaccessible to the average player. In some cases, they still rely on them when they come to town.

That said, the players themselves are creating these pro-am type opportunities with their clinics and challenges. Like I posted before, Luck of the Draw and Champs vs Chumps are just a couple examples of events designed for people to play with pros, not just "say hi". I just don't think that there is as much of a market for the PGA style pro-am events prior to tournaments just yet.

Primarily because the tournaments themselves can serve in that capacity for willing players. No need to pay $100 to play a pro-am prior to the tournament when you can play the tournament itself and still get grouped with a top player. I got carded with Ricky last year in the first round of an A-tier. If it wasn't him, it could have been Kevin Jones or Garrett Gurthie or AJ Risley or Grady Shue. Probably the same odds then of drawing a similar caliber player in your proposed pro-am event. In the past, I've been carded in a similar fashion with the likes of Avery Jenkins, Steve Brinster, and Jeremy Koling.

I'm not saying your idea is without merit. I just think it's still a few years away from being a true moneymaker for an event.

 

[Blobfish]

I wouldn't pay $100 because there's so much more I can still learn without embarrassing myself alongside a pro. That said, you'd have to think that over the course of a round, the pro would likely offer some friendly advice here and there just because (pity? some sense of obligation?). I think if I feel like I've peaked and consistently do well at the MA1 level, then I'd probably not only pay the $100, but I'd consider it a bargain, if nothing more than just the chance to talk through a round with one of the best. But I'm nowhere near that point in my game.

 

[pearlybakerbest]

This is actually an idea to help get quality pro fields at more tourneys. And to try to give more Tiger or Phil feeling about top PDGA pros. How many people here have played with a top 20 pro for an entire round? Saying hello to them is not at all the same as playing a round with them. You can say hello to Tiger at most events he plays as well. I seriously doubt that Macbeth or other top pros would accept many invitations to play with let's say a rec player in the area, under most circumstances, unless they were getting paid.

I ran into Johne and his wife practicing when they were in town for an NT event back in 2014 and he was happy to have a local to play along. When it comes to technical courses where the shot isn't always apparent, having a local who knows every route people take can be a real advantage.

 

[rj29274]

just play Open

 

[brutalbrutus]

^Yup... There are a couple dozen or more guys out there paying $200 to play in DGPT events in the hopes they might get paired with top level guys...


I wonder how much Weema has spent on this "experience" in the last two years?...

 

[BogeyNoMore]

It's kind of funny, because:

The concept of paying a $100 registration fee to play a Pro/Am event makes sense at face value, while the idea of simply paying someone cash to play with you seems a bit... crass.

But when you stop to think about it, the latter gives you control over who you're playing with, and you'd probably get to spend more "quality" time with that pro during a casual round.


That said I think I'd be willing to pay to play in a pro/am event, but not $100.

 

[ilmcgee]

Voted not 100, but less. The pros are great and all, but as a casual player, I would just be wasting their time. Now if they just wanted a relaxed casual round, or a boost to their confidence, I'm their guy.

 

[zontar]

I'd rather have a beer with a pro, honestly....

 

[GoobyPls]

I paid 30 to play in a random draw doubles thing Nate Perkins organized, and ended up with him as my partner. Awesome experience that I'd do again given the opportunity.

 

[jeffmonty]

There's a few guys around here that could likely school me on anything a top pro could show me in an hour, and do it for nothing.
I wouldn't pay a pro $100, but I also wouldn't say that they don't deserve that kind of money, I think they would if they gave a solid lesson.

 

[HarkeyPuck]

I am fun.