Professional Golf - GolfeTips.com

Professional golfers are those who play for money and in tournaments that are organized at all levels. An amateur golfer is the one who does not play for money. Playing for money even once, he loses his amateur status for ever and is debarred from playing amateur tournaments after that. A professional golfer is not allowed to play in amateur tournaments. Once having lost his amateur status it is very difficult for a professional to regain it. So for playing in an amateur tournament if the professional golfer doesn't take money, then it doesn't mean that he has regained his amateur status.

There are two kinds of professional golf players or rather they can be divided into two categories.

The American English term of golf –pro is used for professionals that work in the field of teaching golf, dealing in golf equipment and running golf courses. A player whose main concern is teaching golf is known as a teaching professional, a golf coach or a golf instructor. These players only occasionally register themselves for playing tournaments but their main mode of living is not being earned through playing these tourneys.

The other category of players although small in number but more involved with the game directly, earn or aspire to earn their living by playing in golf tournaments. The earnings are in the form of prize money and endorsements. Such individuals are known as pro golfers in American English. Otherwise in official nomenclature they are known as tournament golfers or tour professionals.

The distinction between professional golfers and amateur golfers goes back into history. The 18th and the 19th century saw golf emerging as a pleasure game of the rich. However professional golfers were those who played during that time to earn a living form the game. Even in America when golf arrived in the 19th century it remained an elite sport.

The present day world however does not play host to any such class barriers and golf is played mostly by people from middle class background and also learnt by similar people. However in some countries golf is still reserved for the elite group. People from financially weaker classes worked their way up from caddy or course keeper. This is the way professional golfers have emerged from such countries. These professional golfers have gone on to earn a very reputable name with their astounding success.

Professional Golfer's Associations in various countries serve both these categories of golfers, professional and amateur. For women there are separate women's golfer's associations. The Professional Golfer's Association of America comprises of about 28,000 members, both men and women, The Association is a non profit organization, which dedicates itself to the advancement of the game and the upholding of certain regulations while participating in the game.

The idea for forming the association could be said to date back to 1916, when a few prominent amateurs and professional golfers, discussed the formation of a national organization that would promote the game of golf and raise the pedestal of the vocation of golf professional, met at a luncheon by Rodman Wanamaker, the department store magnate.

There are three other major tournaments that The PGA of America conducts apart from the PGA championship. These are The Ryder Cup, The Senior PGA championship, and the PGA Grand Slam of Golf. All professional golfers who are eligible participate and the craze for watching these tournaments worldwide has grown thanks to the widespread media coverage.

Two major trade shows of golf are conducted by the PGA, The PGA Fall Expo and the PGA Merchandise show. The PGA Merchandise show is conducted each year in Orlando, in January. The Fall Expo is held in autumn in the western United States.

The PGA has made an endeavor to and succeeded in establishing better standards of excellence by expanding the educational opportunities and programs for its members.

So Who is a Professional Golfer?

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