We Must Protect Amateur Golf

The word "amateur" comes from the Latin word “amator”, meaning lover. Not someone who does something poorly, but someone who does it out of love.

The opposite of professional isn't incompetent. It's unpaid. Unencumbered by the need to profit or earn. The amateur exists outside the economy of skill and validation.

When you do something as an amateur, you're free. You can follow curiosity down strange paths that lead nowhere productive. You can paint ugly paintings, write terrible newsletters(?), play songs no one wants to hear. The point is the doing it for the love of doing it.

We've professionalized everything, turned every hobby into a potential side hustle (laughed as I wrote this), every passion into personal brand content. But some things should remain sacred. Done for no reason except that you are alive and something in you wants to try.

I hadn’t paid much attention to the amateur golf circuit until I started this publication in May. I knew about the Crump, and loosely paid attention to tourneys like the Coleman or the Thomas, but never really dug into the specifics, or the guys who traveled across the country to play in these events.

The more I learn about the mid am circuit, the more intrigued I am by the mystique around it. The events will never be televised, and you’ll have to do a little digging to find the Golf Genius coverage of each tourney. It’s a true “If you know, you know” community.

Anyway, I was fairly shocked to learn about the sheer number of former professionals that have snuck into these events. 6 of 8 quarterfinalists at the US Mid Am were former pros! How can we possibly refer to it as an amateur tournament when pros litter the field, especially if they make up 75% of the final groups?

It’s unfair to the true amateur. The guy who wakes up and works a job Monday-Friday, with the occasional “pls fix” email waiting for him on a Sunday evening. These guys never had the luxury of giving golf their full attention. Most of them could have likely turned pro out of school, but opted not to. That choice should be rewarded!

When I look at the issue surrounding reinstatement, I see a vague process that allows just about any pro to regain amateur status in a year or two.

As someone mentioned to me on Twitter, it’s a money game for the USGA. I have no idea if the numbers or math is correct, but here’s what he said, verbatim. I’m inclined to believe him:

“Follow the money. The USGA wants to reinstate as many amateurs as possible. 500 pros apply for reinstatement every year, $350 a pop. All of them apply for a USGA event the minute they get their status back at $275 a pop. That’s north of $300k in revenue. And after losing $6m+ in US am and Senior Open entry fees since they changed the qualifying over the last 2 years they need the money. Donations down 43% 2024 over 2023 according to 990s. Nobody wants a ball rollback. It’s bad and they need money.”

Pretty convincing argument here. Hard to simply flush dollars down the drain, but why are they only charging $350? Should be 5-10x that, which would reduce the number of pros applying while keeping revenue steady ish. Not a numbers/math guy but that seems like it would work.

If I were USGA Czar for a day, here’s what I’d do.

1. Anyone who had conditional or full status on the KFT or PGA Tour cannot regain amateur status

2. Minimum 10 year waiting period + double the amount of years you were pro.

3. $3000 reinstatement application cost

4. Extensive professional earnings documentation

5. Panel hearing. Have to plead your case as to why you are worthy of regaining amateur status.

We must protect Amateur golf!

Pre 1900. Always plays.

As a guest at a club, always carry enough cash to pay for both caddies (if you are taking them). Try to pay the caddies before the member can.

It’s a simple gesture that the member will likely refuse if he catches you, but it’s certainly worth trying.

There won’t be many signs of me disappearing when I make it, but I may start to buy up the stock of vintage eBay putters and put them in my garage. I recently lost out on a grail all-original Teryllium. To cope, I’m dropping another grail here. Happy hunting all.

Talk soon,

BTG

Email me: [email protected]