What Handy Cap Do You Have Be Before You Can Try And Get Sponsorship?

What handy cap do you have to be to try and get sponcership? I am 14 will be 15 on the 30th August I a 12 handy cap played to 9 last year but as my friends did not go into are clubs cvomps I  did not go in, if I had I would be a 9 now I regret that, this year will be different I am going to work hard, as I am getting lower handy cap it is getting more expencive junior opens coaching fees new clubs, golf balls, all these do not come cheeply, my mum is not working I am a child actor so have had my own money to help not getting so much now although I do get a couple of cheques a year from being Tommy in Tommy Zoom each year it gets less. I have done quite a few adverts so am hopping to go to some of the companys I worked to try and get some sponcership, but what handy cap do you think I should get to to go to them to try and get help, my coaches have told me I should get to a 5 or 6 by the end of summer. Do you think that is low enough or do I have to wait till I get to a 1 or scrach to approch them?

Hold on you're actually Tommy Zoom.  Oh my, my kids would be amazed if they knew I had been chatting to Tommy Zoom!

Anyway.......

I'm not sure if there is a said level you'd have to get to?  I remember when I played for Wigan School Boys (Cricket), a few lads on their had a bit of sponorship as they played for Lancashire as well.  I know its nothing to do with golf, but they managed to get sponsored and this was back in mid 90's.

Throw your celebrity status in there, it may help!

You can only ask, they can only say no.  

Yes I am Tommy in Tommy Zoom , Tommy Zoom is me when I turn into a cartoon. There are a few eps where Tommy plays golf they wrote that in because they knew I played goll got permeision to pritice at the cricket club where we had lunch. There are 2 eps with me hitting a golf ball and one chipping and one with me putting it was good fun dog was great 

Ha ha quality stuff.  Get the BBC to sponsor you!

Hello Nathaniel, I would have thought that you would need to be around 2 or 3 Hcap to get sponsorship although I think with your " Celebrity status " you may get a few local firms sponsor you if your coach thinks this may lead to a big improvment in your game. Bit of a catch 22 situation. Cant get sponsors without low handicap, cant lower handicap without sponsors. I would also ask the pro at your clubs advise on this. I think he would have a bit more knowledge in that area. There is also the Faldo series for talanted youngsters. You obviously have some talent to get to 12 Hcap at age 14. I have to agree with Robert regarding your spelling and grammer, a bit of practice needed especially if you are going to write to firms for sponsorship. It would make a much greater impession. I wish you all the best in your project. Keep us posted on how you get on. PS my kids love Tommy zoom also. So hello from them.

Dave CAC handed Geordie.

Thanks I know my spelling is not great will have to take more time over it, would get some one else to help if I was writing letters. I was also Liam Butcher in EastEnders form 2002-2004 here are some of the things I have done  http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1519540/    have done about 20 adverts with lots of company’s  so will try them. I was having county coaching for 4 years from 8 till I was 11, I changed golf clubs, in the winter the boys would not play with me I lost my confidence, when I left and went back to my old club I was playing a lot worse then when I left 9 months before so I lost my place in the Essex Squad, I have my confidence back took over 2 years. I am now in  county coaching called CAP http://www.essexgolfpartnership.com/page.aspx?sitesectionid=349&sitesectiontitle=County+Academy+Programme+(
CAP)   which is giving people who just need a little bit more coaching to try and get us to county standard   have been told that I have talent trouble is if you want to make it have to have lots of coaching which I do not have the money to get. I have got to try and win some good comps this year which I hope to do. go into my club comps and hopefully get my handy cap down.

i would suggest the best thing to do is concentrate on your golf at the moment. A colleague of mine play on the European senior Pro Tour andf his son played off +3 when he was 15 and even he struggled at first to get sponsored even with his fathers help, however he now has a few sponsors as he plays off +5 or +6. So good luck and maybe keep going in the right direction and you could make one of the pro tours........GOOD LUCK

Nathaniel, sorry to disappoint but a handicap of 5 or 6 wouldn't even get you in a county U14 team so you really need to keep practising!  Just to give you an idea, a couple of weeks ago the McEvoy Trophy was played at Copt Heath GC.  The field was made up of 72 juniors.  The highest handicap in the field was 0.1.  Even for that tournament, not all of the top juniors were playing.

So far as sponsorship is concerned, you can't receive money from companies or anyone else unless you are a professional golfer.  At the very top end of the elite amateur game - the lucky few in the EGU national squads - you can get help with living expenses but that is about it.  As an amateur golfer, you are not allowed to make any financial gain either directly or indirectly from the game of golf.

Stick with the county academy programme and with hard work you might be lucky enough to get a place on the full county coaching squad.

Dave C - I would love to know who the golfer is off +5/+6.  They are few and far between.  The best handicap in the England Elite Squad is +4.2  The highest ranked amateur in the UK is Garrick Porteous, his handicap is currently +2.7.

Richard

I know all the boys in the Under 15 essex squad and they range from 1 handy cap to a 9 handy cap 

Nathaniel, I'm heavily involved in junior golf at club and county level and my own 16 year old son was U16 county captain last year and is in the county boys team this year.  He also plays in those national competitions which he can get in off his handicap of 3 - which is not too many!

To be honest, Essex must have a weak squad if they have 9 handicap golfers in it.  In my county, Warwickshire, you would need to be off a maxium of 5 handicap to be in the U14's team.  If a few are missing then 6 may just get in.

Richard

To be honust the 9 handy cap should not be in the squad but every year he gets in, his coach is the coach that picks the squad his father spends £100s of pounds on his coaching and at the trails his dad stands and bosts that his son will get in that year, I know boys who are lower handy cap and better players than him and he gets in over them, all the boys in the squad can not belive he still gets in every year.

Nathaniel, never give up and keep practicing.  Everbody develops at different rates.  One of our local golfers who is now doing quite well on the challenge tour never really made an impression at county junior level.  He went off to university with a handicap of 7 and came back off scratch.  He went on to get picked for the England Elite squad and played top amateur golf for many years.  Now, in his 30's, he has made the jump to professional golf and if he continues his good form he might just get a European Tour card next year.

Keep an eye open for him, his name is Matt Cryer.

Richard

Hi Nathaniel - even at club level our top juniors are 3 handicaps. Don't worry though as the juniors handicaps seem to plummet much quickers than ours! Just keep practising as much as you can and you will be down there in no time. 

With the sponsorship - as Richard said. You cannot accept money from anyone for your golf as an amateur but there are lots of schemes out there for juniors to help. Keep practising and I am sure you will selected/will qualify.

PS there is no y in handicap!!!!

I have always been very small for my age am still only 5ft 3in tall when I tee off with my 1 wood I can hit 250 yards or over my coach said that at my hight I hit the ball a long way so when I grow I will hit much futher I should make 5ft 8in as that is the hight my dad is in the last year have grown 6 ins. I am also very thin so when I start going to the gym that should help. Most boys my age who are 3 handicap are 5ft 7in or taller and and a bigger built.