The self medicating thread about strippers having a dehumanizing job made me start to think about jobs, and then I saw some golfers on TV, and it got me thinking... Being a professional golfer has got to be one of the best jobs you can have:
Off the job you have to stay relatively fit and healthy, but you don't have to train to the extremes that football players do, on the job you walk around for exercise and you are in the sun getting plenty of Vit D, you're outside and not cooped up in an office all day, not to mention you're playing a pretty leisurely game... and you're making good money. There may be jobs that people individually prefer due to their own personalities and idiosyncrasies, but in general I think golfing looks pretty great. Tons of money for going outside and hitting a ball more accurately than most.
Its great if you are one of the ranked players or can score a decent endorsement deal or even a sponsor to help defray some of the costs, but most don't make any money and are constantly traveling with no one to cover their expenses. But despite all of that I know many who would enjoy it.
CaraLynn, I know that was a comical jab, but in all honesty it's scary how 8 years in office for the past 3 presidents made them almost look like they aged double that in those years. They all look like a shell of themselves when the leave office. As far as white collar jobs go, it's scary how draining it is on them and I don't envy them for a moment.
Most of them practice 4+ hours a day, plus work out daily Go to one of the minor tours and see how much fun you think it would be? I like to golf but I think it would lose it's attraction if I were out pounding balls on the range day after day.
Golf is highly competitive and even if you have the talent, it takes serious commitment to hone the skills. Then there's the mental aspect some golfers can't overcome. Odds are as little of being a professional golfer as there is being a professional baseball player. I know of some who've played on the Nike circuit and it's a bitch to maintain your card, money is fluctuating, and life on the road is always a juggle. So many try for a few years and get vanilla paying jorbs!
I totally agree with your entire post and have often thought of the exact same thing as you've written. Some of these other posts are explaining some of the bad sides of golfing star potential, but I think that they are missing the point. If you were lucky enough to be good at this sport, then that wouldn't be to bad of a 9-5 job compared to just about all others. That's all, that's it. Stop looking too deep into the post.
I have noticed that no better replacement job has been yet mentioned. lol
Congressman or woman. Just talk, vote yoursel a pay increase, criticize others, repeat for 3 to 8 years. Even if the public fires you, you still get a congressional pension for life. Used to be able to do insider trading too legally but they made it slightly more restrictive I think.
Tenured professor at a medium/big university. Teach for about 6 hours a week, couple months off in the summer, occasionally take an entire semester off to "write", trips abroad to do "research", plethora of college age women and a six figure salary.
Getting to that position is kind of a bitch, but once you get it you're made.
Al1215 gets it... I was a competitive distance runner in high school and it's really hard fucking work to become the fastest runner in the world... and you don't get paid shit. A football player has to work his ass off in the gym and on the field and be genetically superior mentally physically etc and gets paid huge money.
But, a professional golfer , e.g. Tiger Woods? Does he have to work as hard as the NFL player? No. Does he even have to work as hard as the distance runner? No fucking way. He doesn't need huge muscles, he doesn't need an exceptional cardiovascular system, all he needs to do is be really good at hitting a standardized ball accurately over long distances with standardized clubs. He has to travel a lot... so do half of the people on TUSCL!
I'm not advocating that anybody take up golfing with aspirations of becoming a millionaire. All I'm saying is, Tiger Woods is one lucky mofo.
I think architecture would be fun. I kinda wish I'd gone for my bachelor's for that instead of policy sci! When I was a little kid I'd draw up blueprints for schools, houses, etc... Just for fun. It was cool.
A guy I went to high school with chased the dream to be a pro golfer. He was good, but not great, and the earnings are really concentrated at the top.
Another guy I went to HS with was a pro hockey player. He made the NHL (wasn't drafted) and actually ended up the #5 defenseman on the team that lost the finals one year.
Dude made serious bank even at that middling level and is locally famous where we grew up.
Poker pro has to sit for hours behind a computer or at a table indoors. Personally I think humans are designed to be active outside and function best when they live accordingly. Golfing is like being paid to exercise leisurely outside in the sun.
I'm not trying to be negative, but what some of the others have said is correct. The top 100 players in the gold world make decent to outstanding money everyone else is making scraps in comparison. if you can be that good more power to you, but ask you have to do is watch a show like "big break"to see talented players who are trying to make ends meat on the satellite tours trying to make it to the pga and lpga tours. These top 100 players are elite and work damn hard at their craft to be as good as they are. While the other players not highly ranked work hard, there is a lot of stress wondering how to pay bills when you don't make a cut. Putts get difficult the day they are passing out the money. -- Lee Trevino
I know it's probably more work than I know - but I'd love to be a sports broadcaster. One of those guys like Costas or Nantz. It's not one of those jobs that buries you in a specific sport - as you are the commentary guy - who goes to the big events - and makes big money too. You also get to see some incredible athletes - and amazing performances too.
It seems effortless for those guys - but that's because they are very good at it.
^^. OT, but I saw Jim Nantz at an airport once. He plays a "nice guy" on TV but was a real asshole in person. A young man asked him about the game he was in town to cover and he was a jerk to the kid. I guess if he isn't getting paid to talk about sports, he doesn't want to.
A friend's son played in the minor league tours, played scratch golf but never made the PGA tour. He took a job as the pro at a wealthy private club with a 6 figure salary. In addition he kept the money from private lessons and got a piece of the action from the golf carts. This totaled over $225,000 and, being in the Northeast, the club was closed from November to April when he went to play in Florida with other club pros and usually came home with more than he left with. Np where near the pressure of the top golfers, lots of hot young chicks for lessons, and a decent salary. I'd do it.
I have no idea who currently holds the job, but there's no pressure. If they were attacked by an act of war he knows the U.S. military would bail their ass out.
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last commentDo a shitty job for 2 years, golden parachute, set for life
I have noticed that no better replacement job has been yet mentioned. lol
Getting to that position is kind of a bitch, but once you get it you're made.
But, a professional golfer , e.g. Tiger Woods? Does he have to work as hard as the NFL player? No. Does he even have to work as hard as the distance runner? No fucking way. He doesn't need huge muscles, he doesn't need an exceptional cardiovascular system, all he needs to do is be really good at hitting a standardized ball accurately over long distances with standardized clubs. He has to travel a lot... so do half of the people on TUSCL!
I'm not advocating that anybody take up golfing with aspirations of becoming a millionaire. All I'm saying is, Tiger Woods is one lucky mofo.
Another guy I went to HS with was a pro hockey player. He made the NHL (wasn't drafted) and actually ended up the #5 defenseman on the team that lost the finals one year.
Dude made serious bank even at that middling level and is locally famous where we grew up.
Putts get difficult the day they are passing out the money. -- Lee Trevino
It seems effortless for those guys - but that's because they are very good at it.
I have no idea who currently holds the job, but there's no pressure. If they were attacked by an act of war he knows the U.S. military would bail their ass out.