Opinion & Analysis

Inside the Ropes: 5 things you didn’t know about playing on the PGA Tour

Published

8 years ago

Jan 19, 2018

Golf finds a way to take a hold on you… whether you become entranced by the skill of the world’s best professionals, fall in love with the feeling and beauty of a well-executed shot, or simply enjoy getting outside and having fun — the game is addictive.

I started playing at the age of 4 and began watching the pros on TV dreaming what it would be like to play golf on the PGA Tour. When I earned my PGA Tour status for the 2014 season, that dream became a reality. And like anything, it’s not until I actually experienced that life did I have any idea what it entailed.

For those of you who are curious what it’s like to be on the PGA Tour, here are 5 things to describe it.

1) The Culture

Traveling the world to various cities can be fun, and it’s an underrated part of the Tour lifestyle; you get to see new landscapes and taste the cuisines that define different regions across the country and the world. Unlike some other professional sports, where players stay in one place for maybe a night or two, we get to stay in places for a week or more, which allows for plenty of time away from the course to see the sights and get a feel for what the cities and their cultures offer.

2) The Show

The setup and time that goes into planning an event — the grandstands, concession stands, volunteers, and the whole network that makes these tournaments run — is beyond impressive. We see the finished product at the event in the epicenter of it all, but the planning goes on behind the scenes all year. When it’s game time and the golf ball gets teed up, it’s time for us players to block all of that out, but we certainly appreciate all of the hard work that goes into putting on an event. It may feel like being in a circus at times, but performing in the show is a thrill.

3) The People

The game of golf in general brings people together, but especially so on the Tour. Thousands and thousands of fans come to watch the golf action and enjoy the festivities. The Pro-Ams are a great way for the fans to get an up-close look at what goes on at a Tour event, and they’re also a great way for us pros to interact with fans and maybe provide some helpful swing tips, too. In my opinion, one of the best events of the year is the Pebble Beach Pro-Am — a gathering of pro golfers, athletes, musicians, actors and other celebrities. It’s a testament to how the game can bring people together from different walks of life.

4) Inside the Ropes

The Tour is almost like a private school of sorts. It’s a select group of a couple hundred guys traveling around playing these events. The jocks, the nerds, the geeks, the loners; you see a little of everything. As much as there’s a sociable aspect to traveling on Tour and getting to know these people, it’s a dog-eat-dog world where everyone is playing for their livelihood and playing privileges.

5) The “Pressure”

A season-long race can come down to a single shot making the difference — for some it’s between winning and losing a tournament, and others it’s between keeping and losing your card. The cameras, the grandstands, the noise… it can all be quite distracting. The idea is to block all of that out and pretend you’re playing like a kid, focusing with pure imagination for the shot. All the extra attention can help heighten the focus further, adding inspiration to “give the people what they want” and hit even better golf shots.

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Kevin Foley

Kevin Foley, originally from Somerville, NJ, is currently a Web.com Tour player. He won the 2013 Panama Claro Championship, ultimately finishing 24th on the Web.com Tour's regular-season points list that year to earn his PGA Tour card in 2014. His best PGA Tour finish was a T35 at the 2014 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. He also competed in the 2016 U.S. Open at Oakmont. Foley holds the Penn State University record with six NCAA tournament victories, and he's won the 2009 Sunnehanna Amateur and the 2011 New Jersey State Open.

10 Comments

BG

Jan 21, 2018 at 4:07 pm

My comment is awaiting moderation 😮

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allan

Jan 20, 2018 at 5:52 pm

6) The Commercialization
Tour pro golfers are walking advertising signs for the sponsors they endorse. They can double their income p!mping equipment, clothes, shoes, banks, accounting firms, whatever! Golf is only the vehicle to make tons of money.

Reply Report comment
Kurt

Jan 20, 2018 at 12:11 pm

6) The Commercialization
Every tour player is a walking advertisment for the equipment they play. If they didn’t have the endorsement contracts their paychecks would shrivel away and they would be beggared! And that’s why OEM equipment prices are so high; gearheads are suckers for the stuff.

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ray

Jan 19, 2018 at 11:29 pm

At least this article, while being unimaginative and boring on its own, isn’t simply recap of existing threads on WRX that Ben A. and other WRX “staff” writers simply summarize and treat as an original topic instead of coming up with a subject on their own. The front page articles on WRX need a major upgrade.

Reply Report comment
- allan
  
  Jan 20, 2018 at 5:55 pm
  
  But look at the WRX audience of equipment slobbering gearheads and desperate hackers!!! The articles must consist of one sentence paragraphs of no more than 140 character twitter blurt equivalents. That’s reality!
  
  Reply Report comment
Joey5Picks

Jan 19, 2018 at 3:33 pm

Superficial article. Nothing in here even a casual golf fan didn’t already know.

Reply Report comment
- allan
  
  Jan 20, 2018 at 5:56 pm
  
  Superficial but significant to the gearhead audiance who can still read the English word.
  
  Reply Report comment
John

Jan 19, 2018 at 11:49 am

haha. travelling the world and seeing different cultures as a pga player. playing in the US isn’t travelling the world.

Reply Report comment
- Jon
  
  Jan 19, 2018 at 12:51 pm
  
  Ignorant comment. The actual PGA tour has events around the world, then you have the world golf championships and many other tournaments that are outside of the USA. Most all PGA tour pros have played all over the world. Good luck with your critiquing skills.
  
  Reply Report comment
Lee

Jan 19, 2018 at 11:04 am

Click bait title but a nice article nonetheless.

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Opinion & Analysis

AVL: My U.S. Amateur local qualifying experience

Published

6 days ago

Jun 5, 2026

Andrew Von Lossow

This past Monday, I played in the U.S. Amateur local qualifier at Rock Creek Country Club in Portland, Oregon. A full tee sheet from 7:30 a.m. to 1:55 p.m., the top 11 scores would make it to the U.S. Amateur final qualifying.

I teed off at 10:48 a.m.. With the 7:30 am tee time, you can get a feel for the leaders’ pace, and they were off and running on the challenging setup at Rock Creek.

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Getting to the highlight of the round on the par five 17th, a drive up the left side and 212 yards left to the front hole location. I took out a 5-iron with plans of middle of the green. The ball ended up 8 feet left of the hole, pin high. A slight downhill putt dropped in for an eagle 3 on the 17th. With the cut line looking to be anywhere from -2 to even par. This was the boost I had been waiting for all day.

With making par from the trees on 18, it was time to wait for a potential playoff with a posted score of one under par 71.

Three hours later, it was playoff time. 8 players for 6 spots. I made par on the playoff hole, which was good enough to advance to the U.S. Amateur final qualifying in July. USGA qualifiers sure deliver on all of the emotions in golf!

Club Junkie

Building my 2026 gamer WITB: Ranking the contenders and new putter projects – Club Junkie Podcast

Published

7 days ago

Jun 4, 2026

GolfWRX Staff

The annual What’s In The Bag build is underway, and on this episode of Club Junkie, Brian breaks down the clubs currently leading the race for a spot in his 2026 gamer setup. From drivers and fairway woods to irons, wedges, and shafts, he ranks the equipment that’s performing best and explains what’s separating the front runners from the rest of the field.

Brian also heads into the workshop to discuss several putter projects currently on the bench. From head options and shaft choices to build ideas and testing plans, he shares what he’s working on and which putters could become serious contenders for the bag this season.

If you’re a gear junkie who loves equipment testing, club building, and the never-ending pursuit of the perfect setup, this episode is for you.

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Club Junkie

Tour Edge Exotics mini driver review + TaylorMade Spider ZT Max first look – Club Junkie

Published

2 weeks ago

May 28, 2026

Brian Knudson

On this episode of Club Junkie, I put the new Tour Edge Exotics Mini Driver to the test and break down the performance, forgiveness, distance, and where it fits compared to a traditional driver or strong fairway wood. If you have been curious about adding a mini driver to the bag, this one is worth a look.

I also dive into the new TaylorMade Spider ZT Max putter that was recently spotted and discuss the growing zero torque putter trend. Plus, there is a closer look at the new Project X Titan Yellow shaft showing up on the PGA Tour and what makes it different from other profiles currently out there.