Becoming a scratch player on USGA

Question
QUESTION: I am 47 and started playing golf late in life unfortunately.  However I play off 13 on the mens tees, (6,000)so I went around my course about 5,200yds of the ladies tees, to see how well I was doing and I went around in Par.  How do I get the recognition to be either a scratch player or professional.  I do still have a way to go with my 7 iron but would love to achieve professional status in my lifetime even if I only win some amateur tournaments to begin with. Been playing about 5.5 years.

ANSWER: Hi Sue:
Congratulations on your rapid progress.  It's hard to become a scratch golfer let alone a Professional.  In order to gain recognition at all, you must have a USGA handicap.  It is your measure of success and is the true measure of progress.  If you don't have a handicap yet, get one.  Go to your local golf course and get signed up or check with your state women's golf association.  Then, start playing in some local amateur events on a competitive basis. It is through competition that you improve and see where you stack up.  Once you pretty much beat all the other women in your state on a regular basis in tournaments, then you might consider turning professional.  To turn professional, you simply have to say so and enter a tournament as a professional.  Once you play for pay, you are a pro.  But if you want to play the LPGA Tour, then you must go through the qualifying tournaments to get there.  That is a long way off though.  One step at a time, get a legitimate handicap and start competing.  Again, check your state women's golf association website for all this info and tournament schedule.  Good luck in your quest...it's a great journey.  

Eddie Kilthau
PGA Member

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Hi Eddie

Thank you so much for a quick response.  I am already on the USGA with a handicap of 13 but all my scores have been put in using the mens tees.  It is only a 9 hole course mind you and obviously I will have to see how I got on, on say, a Robert Trent Jones course or something now off the ladies tees.  Do you know of any good places to attend in the state of Alabama?  I did check out the ESPN golf schools but it does not give any indication if age is an issue.  I find it very hard to find many female golfers here and would like to enter some of the tournaments on offer, and in Alabama, there does not seem to be many for ladies.  Where are the qualifying tournaments for the LPGA not that I am at all ready for that, especially due to the very young brilliant players. Sigh!!!! wish I had got the opportunity to play when I was younger.  Would I be too old now to be considered or would qualifying do it at some stage.

Answer
Hey Sue:

Go to www.womensalabamagolf.com and poke around.  My suggestion is to call them and ask all your questions.  They could help you.  In reference to qualifying for Tour, here is the question that will be asked of you  "What did you shoot?"  No one cares how old you are.  If you can shoot the scores, you get the goods.  That is how golf is played and that is why golf is so cool.  No barriers, only shooting low scores.  Good luck Sue.  

Eddie