Playing With a Pro | USHandicap Classic

Goynes42 Professional Champion
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Ever played with someone REALLY good? Like, WAY better than you? You ought to. I'm pretty lucky in that regard, as one of my good friends is a man named Rick Karbowski, who played on the Champions Tour from 2005 to 2009. (He's playing in this year's Senior PGA at Bellerive too!) He lived near me in Dallas, and I got to know him towards the end of his regular playing career, and actually got to play about twice a month with him, even caddied for him once. I probably learned more watching him rip my courses to pieces than I did from anything else. First time he played my home track, he shot a 67 and maybe missed 2 greens. Now, not all of us are as fortunate to know someone who actually played the tour, but we all still know our local pros. If you have a home course that you frequent, and people in the pro shop get to know you there, exchange phone numbers and try to play with them! Not a playing lesson, mind you...say "Hey, I'd like to play with you, when are you free?" These guys have to sit behind the counter or teach lessons most of the week, so believe me they LOVE to get out and actually play the game. And you'll learn a lot by watching them, especially if you're a higher handicapper. Pay attention to the shots they hit and the way they manage themselves around the course. Most club pros really appreciate it if you reach out to them and ask if they'd like to play. And you'll learn something just by watching. It's a win-win.
Mark Simmons Legend
# 1 5/6/2013 1:06:35 PM
Great suggestion. I've learned a lot from better players, but as your game progresses it is harder and harder to find those match ups.
njgolfer Legend
# 2 5/6/2013 1:21:10 PM
I never had the chance to play with a pro but I was fortunate enough to have played with individuals who were plus handicappers, one of which had qualified for the US Amateur. Now we are going back a number of years and both of the individuals at the time used persimmon woods. Even so what struck me was the sound the ball made when they struck it. Off the tee it was a loud crack and just seemed to hang in the air forever. Once when we played a particular par 5, I had already laid up. and one of the individuals was going for the green. I had moved ahead and to the side wanting to just watch. What I saw was a ball that came off the club face at a low trajectory and climbed. As it passed me it made a very distinctive sound as it passed through the air. During our local amateur championship I would follow them and was amazed how nonchalant they looked when they did get into trouble or missed a green as they knew exactly what and how to make sure they had the best chance to make a par. Lessons are terrific to take but playing along side or watching someone play is a great way to learn the game.
JayPet Legend
# 3 5/6/2013 1:22:41 PM
How about when one of those players is a 14 year old girl?!?! Was lucky enough to play with 2 pros in the past 5 years... one was Gary Player, who is the living, breathing definition of a golf ambassador. What a class act! Still has game. The other, as you can guess, was Lexi Thompson, who played with us at La Gorce CC in Miami Bch at a 4 Ball and she was 14 at the time. Tim, she was friggin incredible. At 14 she was 5'10" and smoked the ball almost 290. What was amazing was her short game; just awesome! I outdrove her by a little, but she was WAY better in everything else. Not even close. My buddy Danny is married to Meagan Stasi, who I've played with a couple of times and she will be defending her US Womens Mid Am title in the fall. She's won it 4 times and she's stayed an Am but has a pro game. You're right... their game is at a level that we can't touch but you learn A LOT.
BUCKNUT Legend
# 4 5/6/2013 1:25:20 PM
He wasn't a pro at the time but I played several rounds against Ben Curtis as a H.S. golfer. Our schools were 30 minutes from each other and in the same league. We were just kids so I really wasn't into the "watch and learn" stage yet. I was in the "shock and aww" stage that me being a Junior and Senior kept getting my ass handed to me by this Freshman and Sophomore that was beating me by 10 strokes even though I was posting high 70's. We were both our teams #1 & #2 men so we got to see each other quite a bit.
Mark Simmons Legend
# 5 5/6/2013 1:30:07 PM
...I had moved ahead and to the side wanting to just watch. What I saw was a ball that came off the club face at a low trajectory and climbed. As it passed me it made a very distinctive sound as it passed through the air. Kind of a fizzzzz sound.
njgolfer Legend
# 6 5/6/2013 1:36:57 PM
...I had moved ahead and to the side wanting to just watch. What I saw was a ball that came off the club face at a low trajectory and climbed. As it passed me it made a very distinctive sound as it passed through the air. Kind of a fizzzzz sound. That is exactly how it sounded Mark.
armygrunt47 Professional Champion
# 7 5/6/2013 5:00:10 PM
I have played with Jim Thorpe a few times and I went to school with Drew Weaver who was the British Amateur Champion before turning Pro. All that I can say about any of the Thorpe brothers is Wow!! All of them are great ballstrikers and can hit the ball a long ways. I have never seen Drew hit the ball in person but I have seen some video an he is an awesome player.
JayPet Legend
# 8 5/6/2013 5:38:28 PM
Here you go, Tim. I'm guessing the reason the picture is so grainy is because it's 4 years old and I took it with my old Blackberry. We played in a Citicorp outing with my friend. He gave us a putting clinic before the round and I was able to play 9 holes with him. Great man!
Mongo68 Legend
# 9 5/6/2013 5:38:38 PM
Haven't played with a pro but I play fairly regularly with a scratch golfer. Ed Abrams is a news anchor on CBS radio 1060 AM here in the Philly area. He is typically around par and I've watched him shoot a 4 under 68. A beautiful game in every way. I always find myself playing better when we play together. I've been telling him for years that he should join the Champions Tour and give up the radio gig to give himself time for more practice.
cogolfer1 LowIndex
# 10 5/6/2013 5:41:13 PM
I haven't played golf myself with pros, but when I was a standard bearer at the Senior PGA Championship 3 years ago I followed 6 guys over the first 2 days (Bruce Vaughn [won the 2008 Senior British Open], Jim Rutledge, Haijime Meshai, Bruce Summerhays, Dave Merriman, and Mike Malaska). None of them did all that well, which was probably since I was the one following them, but there's a difference in the ball striking for sure. More noticeably though is just how they go about things. They're so meticulous and precise on everything, it's scary.
Vincedaddy Legend
# 11 5/6/2013 5:46:03 PM
I'm sorry, I was looking for Daniel until I realized this post was playing "with" not "like" a pro. Sorry for the interruption, I'll be going now.
BUCKNUT Legend
# 12 5/7/2013 5:54:50 AM
I'm sorry, I was looking for Daniel until I realized this post was playing "with" not "like" a pro. Sorry for the interruption, I'll be going now. PLAY IT LIKE A PRO!
Geno929 Professional Champion
# 13 5/7/2013 6:17:49 AM
My wife and I got to walk with Lexi Thompson and Jennifer Song during the 2009 US Amateur at Old Warson CC here in St. Louis. It was amazing to see these young ladies play with such skill and composure! And what an unbelievable course! Ugh, wish I was a member of Old Warson! The level of skill between an "Average Joe" and a Golf Professional is vast and unfathomable to us weekend players! Many props to all of them!
Goynes42 Professional Champion
# 14 5/7/2013 8:25:29 AM
That's awesome guys. It really is fun to watch a pro take a course apart. Remember, the over-arching point I'm making is to get to know your LOCAL pros, and not just on a lesson basis. Play golf with them if your schedules line up at some point. Some of those guys are GREAT players in their own right, and--for the vast majority of us--far more accessible than a PGA or LPGA pro!
larryrsf Professional Champion
# 15 5/7/2013 7:12:59 PM
That's awesome guys. It really is fun to watch a pro take a course apart. Remember, the over-arching point I'm making is to get to know your LOCAL pros, and not just on a lesson basis. Play golf with them if your schedules line up at some point. Some of those guys are GREAT players in their own right, and--for the vast majority of us--far more accessible than a PGA or LPGA pro! I caddied in the Torrey Pines Pro-Am and got to see a dozen pros close up. I think the primary difference between us and them is that they don't cast. They don't look like they swing with more effort than amateurs do. But they hit it 50+ yards further! So they hit the ball with their club releasing at the ball and not before it reaches the ball. And that efficient transfer of energy creates that impact sound and ball in flight sound that is so different. It is doubtful that late beginners to golf EVER learn to delay their release like pros do. My PGA pro says it is just a matter of ingraining their downswing sequence. He says the only way to do that is slow motion rehearsals. Patience and persistence just like learning a new dance step? Larry

Goynes42

Professional Champion

Go to Last Reply

105 Views 23 Replies 0 Likes

Ever played with someone REALLY good? Like, WAY better than you? You ought to.

I'm pretty lucky in that regard, as one of my good friends is a man named Rick Karbowski, who played on the Champions Tour from 2005 to 2009. (He's playing in this year's Senior PGA at Bellerive too!) He lived near me in Dallas, and I got to know him towards the end of his regular playing career, and actually got to play about twice a month with him, even caddied for him once. I probably learned more watching him rip my courses to pieces than I did from anything else. First time he played my home track, he shot a 67 and maybe missed 2 greens.

Now, not all of us are as fortunate to know someone who actually played the tour, but we all still know our local pros. If you have a home course that you frequent, and people in the pro shop get to know you there, exchange phone numbers and try to play with them! Not a playing lesson, mind you...say "Hey, I'd like to play with you, when are you free?" These guys have to sit behind the counter or teach lessons most of the week, so believe me they LOVE to get out and actually play the game. And you'll learn a lot by watching them, especially if you're a higher handicapper. Pay attention to the shots they hit and the way they manage themselves around the course.

Most club pros really appreciate it if you reach out to them and ask if they'd like to play. And you'll learn something just by watching. It's a win-win.

Mark Simmons

Legend

# 1 5/6/2013 1:06:35 PM

Great suggestion. I've learned a lot from better players, but as your game progresses it is harder and harder to find those match ups.

njgolfer

Legend

# 2 5/6/2013 1:21:10 PM

I never had the chance to play with a pro but I was fortunate enough to have played with individuals who were plus handicappers, one of which had qualified for the US Amateur. Now we are going back a number of years and both of the individuals at the time used persimmon woods. Even so what struck me was the sound the ball made when they struck it. Off the tee it was a loud crack and just seemed to hang in the air forever. Once when we played a particular par 5, I had already laid up. and one of the individuals was going for the green. I had moved ahead and to the side wanting to just watch. What I saw was a ball that came off the club face at a low trajectory and climbed. As it passed me it made a very distinctive sound as it passed through the air. During our local amateur championship I would follow them and was amazed how nonchalant they looked when they did get into trouble or missed a green as they knew exactly what and how to make sure they had the best chance to make a par. Lessons are terrific to take but playing along side or watching someone play is a great way to learn the game.

JayPet

Legend

# 3 5/6/2013 1:22:41 PM

How about when one of those players is a 14 year old girl?!?!

Was lucky enough to play with 2 pros in the past 5 years... one was Gary Player, who is the living, breathing definition of a golf ambassador. What a class act! Still has game.

The other, as you can guess, was Lexi Thompson, who played with us at La Gorce CC in Miami Bch at a 4 Ball and she was 14 at the time. Tim, she was friggin incredible. At 14 she was 5'10" and smoked the ball almost 290. What was amazing was her short game; just awesome! I outdrove her by a little, but she was WAY better in everything else. Not even close.

My buddy Danny is married to Meagan Stasi, who I've played with a couple of times and she will be defending her US Womens Mid Am title in the fall. She's won it 4 times and she's stayed an Am but has a pro game.

You're right... their game is at a level that we can't touch but you learn A LOT.

BUCKNUT

Legend

# 4 5/6/2013 1:25:20 PM

He wasn't a pro at the time but I played several rounds against Ben Curtis as a H.S. golfer. Our schools were 30 minutes from each other and in the same league. We were just kids so I really wasn't into the "watch and learn" stage yet. I was in the "shock and aww" stage that me being a Junior and Senior kept getting my ass handed to me by this Freshman and Sophomore that was beating me by 10 strokes even though I was posting high 70's. We were both our teams #1 & #2 men so we got to see each other quite a bit.

Mark Simmons

Legend

# 5 5/6/2013 1:30:07 PM

...I had moved ahead and to the side wanting to just watch. What I saw was a ball that came off the club face at a low trajectory and climbed. As it passed me it made a very distinctive sound as it passed through the air.

Kind of a fizzzzz sound.

njgolfer

Legend

# 6 5/6/2013 1:36:57 PM

...I had moved ahead and to the side wanting to just watch. What I saw was a ball that came off the club face at a low trajectory and climbed. As it passed me it made a very distinctive sound as it passed through the air.

Kind of a fizzzzz sound.

That is exactly how it sounded Mark.

armygrunt47

Professional Champion

# 7 5/6/2013 5:00:10 PM

I have played with Jim Thorpe a few times and I went to school with Drew Weaver who was the British Amateur Champion before turning Pro. All that I can say about any of the Thorpe brothers is Wow!! All of them are great ballstrikers and can hit the ball a long ways. I have never seen Drew hit the ball in person but I have seen some video an he is an awesome player.

JayPet

Legend

# 8 5/6/2013 5:38:28 PM

Here you go, Tim. I'm guessing the reason the picture is so grainy is because it's 4 years old and I took it with my old Blackberry. We played in a Citicorp outing with my friend. He gave us a putting clinic before the round and I was able to play 9 holes with him. Great man!

Mongo68

Legend

# 9 5/6/2013 5:38:38 PM

Haven't played with a pro but I play fairly regularly with a scratch golfer. Ed Abrams is a news anchor on CBS radio 1060 AM here in the Philly area. He is typically around par and I've watched him shoot a 4 under 68. A beautiful game in every way. I always find myself playing better when we play together. I've been telling him for years that he should join the Champions Tour and give up the radio gig to give himself time for more practice.

cogolfer1

LowIndex

# 10 5/6/2013 5:41:13 PM

I haven't played golf myself with pros, but when I was a standard bearer at the Senior PGA Championship 3 years ago I followed 6 guys over the first 2 days (Bruce Vaughn [won the 2008 Senior British Open], Jim Rutledge, Haijime Meshai, Bruce Summerhays, Dave Merriman, and Mike Malaska). None of them did all that well, which was probably since I was the one following them, but there's a difference in the ball striking for sure. More noticeably though is just how they go about things. They're so meticulous and precise on everything, it's scary.

Vincedaddy

Legend

# 11 5/6/2013 5:46:03 PM

I'm sorry, I was looking for Daniel until I realized this post was playing "with" not "like" a pro. Sorry for the interruption, I'll be going now.

BUCKNUT

Legend

# 12 5/7/2013 5:54:50 AM

I'm sorry, I was looking for Daniel until I realized this post was playing "with" not "like" a pro. Sorry for the interruption, I'll be going now.

PLAY IT LIKE A PRO!

Geno929

Professional Champion

# 13 5/7/2013 6:17:49 AM

My wife and I got to walk with Lexi Thompson and Jennifer Song during the 2009 US Amateur at Old Warson CC here in St. Louis. It was amazing to see these young ladies play with such skill and composure! And what an unbelievable course! Ugh, wish I was a member of Old Warson!
The level of skill between an "Average Joe" and a Golf Professional is vast and unfathomable to us weekend players! Many props to all of them!

Goynes42

Professional Champion

# 14 5/7/2013 8:25:29 AM

That's awesome guys. It really is fun to watch a pro take a course apart.

Remember, the over-arching point I'm making is to get to know your LOCAL pros, and not just on a lesson basis. Play golf with them if your schedules line up at some point. Some of those guys are GREAT players in their own right, and--for the vast majority of us--far more accessible than a PGA or LPGA pro!

larryrsf

Professional Champion

# 15 5/7/2013 7:12:59 PM

That's awesome guys. It really is fun to watch a pro take a course apart.

Remember, the over-arching point I'm making is to get to know your LOCAL pros, and not just on a lesson basis. Play golf with them if your schedules line up at some point. Some of those guys are GREAT players in their own right, and--for the vast majority of us--far more accessible than a PGA or LPGA pro!

I caddied in the Torrey Pines Pro-Am and got to see a dozen pros close up. I think the primary difference between us and them is that they don't cast. They don't look like they swing with more effort than amateurs do. But they hit it 50+ yards further! So they hit the ball with their club releasing at the ball and not before it reaches the ball. And that efficient transfer of energy creates that impact sound and ball in flight sound that is so different.

It is doubtful that late beginners to golf EVER learn to delay their release like pros do. My PGA pro says it is just a matter of ingraining their downswing sequence. He says the only way to do that is slow motion rehearsals. Patience and persistence just like learning a new dance step?

Larry

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