Golf pros aren't scam artists.

I would define a scam artist as someone who is trying to profit through manipulation. . .i.e. Bank of America, who send me five times more offers for "free" life insurance, "free" credit cards and "free" magazine offers than actual statements stating how much money they are trying to take from me.

Your neighborhood pro is different. Golf pros dedicate their lives to the game. Rather than the ordinary life of any old weekend hack, he spends countless hours on the country club range, going on weekend retreats to Traverse City or Hilton Head, and gabbing in the pro shop about the new Big Bertha demo they just got in. It's a lonely life of the polo, full of inventory reports and telling the cart boys to stop doing jumps off the 2nd tee box after sunset.

The club pro watches PGA events with a tear in their eye, knowing instead of playing for million-dollar checks, they have a 2 o'clock with old Betty Johnson, who can't hit the ball 50 yards anyway. He can try and teach knee-kickers the art of putting, but all they want to do is sword fight each other with the shafts. I salute you, club pro.

Okay to be honest, pros are an easy target. It's easy for writers to shun them or poke fun. But I would like to say in my competitive days, the pro I saw regularly was a giant help, a Mr. Dave Kendall up at Miles of Golf in Ypsilanti. His rates for students was over half off, and he'd always throw in a quick freebie here and there too (are you listening, Bank of America???). Also, what is a bigger waste of money, 400 bucks on a series of lessons or 400 bucks on a bigger, badder titanium weapon that won't do a damn thing to your score? Give me the lessons and an ol' persimmon wood.

Checkout:
http://www.travelgolf.com/blogs/brandon.tucker/2005/04/30/a_tribute_to_your_club_pro