For you guys that ARE your own boss...
12-14-2007, 05:09 AM
#22
Boone & Crockett
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location:
Posts: 11,472
RE: For you guys that ARE your own boss...
I've been self employed in the golf business since 92'. Early on when I was a weee little ladit was all about playing in tournaments and traveling around. I bounced from mini tour to mini tour, tourney to tourney, country club to country club, etc... I did whatever I had to do to try and make money, work on my game, andbetter yet gain competitive golf experience. Sometimes I made nothing and didnt' eat that week [:-]. I didn't really care. It was the road that had to be taken. I'd take my lumps along the way and come out a better player for it. Between practicing and playing I was 15 hours a day 7 days a week at LEAST (100+/week).
Then I got to a point where my game was really good and I was making some money at it. I was very confident in my abilities to compete at the highest level (that's the way you have to think anyway [8D]). So I took a few stints at Q-school along the way. Q-school being a stepping stone to get to the PGA tour. Got embarrassed a couple times, did so/so once, and came VERY VERY close to making it through Q-school to the big dance (my ultimate goal)once.
Since that point where I almost made it, life things changed. I got married and blessed with our first child (now have 3 boys). The days of travelling all over the place, working 100 + hours a week and being mentally and physically whooped were getting old. Especially now with a family.
So... I came across a golf course here in NY that I bought. It's a small 9 hole course that does very well financially. So I'm done beating my brains in trying to make it to the PGA tour. I've come to the realization that it won't happen and I'm allright with that. Nobody can say I didnt' give it everything I had at one point. I still work my tail off on my game and put in 100 hour weeks though. However these days I am found... practicing, hustling someone out of a paycheck someplace, giving lessons, mowing greens or fairways, working on irrigation lines, cooking hamburgers and fries, fertilizing or spraying, paying bills, clubhouse paperwork, booking tournaments etc...... I'm a man of many hats now (have to be). I'm more 75% running a business (with my wifes help) and 25% competitive golf. Believe me when I tell ya the pretty little golf business is noplace near as glamorous as it may appear [8D]. It's pretty much modern day farming.
Oh.... sorry about my rambling lol. I could have just said I'm self employed in the golf business. But, that doesn't really paint a good picture. Anyway that's the story. As far being self employed? Wouldn't trade it for anything in the world. The pros far outweigh the cons IMO. A lot to be said for freedom. Being able to come and go as you please. Even working 100 hours a week when it seems I'm there every second of my life anyway, it's nice to know if I HAD to go someplace I can drop everything I am doing and go.
Then there is hunting
. Come October the hours on the farm take a serious plunge [8D]. I go into shutdown mode and free up some time for hunting. Come November my job is hunting everything at the course is wrapped up, winterized, and shutdown
.
Then I got to a point where my game was really good and I was making some money at it. I was very confident in my abilities to compete at the highest level (that's the way you have to think anyway [8D]). So I took a few stints at Q-school along the way. Q-school being a stepping stone to get to the PGA tour. Got embarrassed a couple times, did so/so once, and came VERY VERY close to making it through Q-school to the big dance (my ultimate goal)once.
Since that point where I almost made it, life things changed. I got married and blessed with our first child (now have 3 boys). The days of travelling all over the place, working 100 + hours a week and being mentally and physically whooped were getting old. Especially now with a family.
So... I came across a golf course here in NY that I bought. It's a small 9 hole course that does very well financially. So I'm done beating my brains in trying to make it to the PGA tour. I've come to the realization that it won't happen and I'm allright with that. Nobody can say I didnt' give it everything I had at one point. I still work my tail off on my game and put in 100 hour weeks though. However these days I am found... practicing, hustling someone out of a paycheck someplace, giving lessons, mowing greens or fairways, working on irrigation lines, cooking hamburgers and fries, fertilizing or spraying, paying bills, clubhouse paperwork, booking tournaments etc...... I'm a man of many hats now (have to be). I'm more 75% running a business (with my wifes help) and 25% competitive golf. Believe me when I tell ya the pretty little golf business is noplace near as glamorous as it may appear [8D]. It's pretty much modern day farming.
Oh.... sorry about my rambling lol. I could have just said I'm self employed in the golf business. But, that doesn't really paint a good picture. Anyway that's the story. As far being self employed? Wouldn't trade it for anything in the world. The pros far outweigh the cons IMO. A lot to be said for freedom. Being able to come and go as you please. Even working 100 hours a week when it seems I'm there every second of my life anyway, it's nice to know if I HAD to go someplace I can drop everything I am doing and go.
Then there is hunting
. Come October the hours on the farm take a serious plunge [8D]. I go into shutdown mode and free up some time for hunting. Come November my job is hunting everything at the course is wrapped up, winterized, and shutdown.
