A golf Pro-Am is an event where amateur golfers get to team up and play a round with a professional. In this article, you’ll learn exactly what a Pro-Am is, the different ways they're played, and most importantly, how an everyday golfer like you can get in on the action.
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What Exactly Is a Pro-Am in Golf?
The term "Pro-Am" is simply a shortened version of "Professional-Amateur." At its core, it's a tournament format that pairs one or more professional golfers with a group of amateur (non-professional) players to compete as a team. You aren’t playing against the pro, you’re playing with them.
Think of it as the ultimate golf fantasy camp experience. Instead of watching your favorite pros on TV, you’re walking the fairways alongside them, getting their advice, and contributing to a team score. These events typically feature a team of three amateurs paired with one professional, forming a competitive foursome for the day.
Pro-Ams are often held for charity, raising significant funds for great causes. They're also a staple of professional golf tours, usually taking place on the day before the official tournament begins (like the popular Wednesday Pro-Ams on the PGA TOUR). It’s a chance for sponsors, VIPs, and celebrities to mingle with the pros in a relaxed, competitive setting.
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The beauty of a Pro-Am is that it’s designed to be fun and reduce pressure, not expose your weekend slice for the world to see. The formats are team-based, which means you’re not solely responsible for your score. The two most common formats you'll encounter are the Scramble and the Best Ball.
The Scramble Format (The Most Popular &, Fun)
A scramble is the most common format for charity and social Pro-Ams because it’s incredibly fun and accessible for golfers of all skill levels. The pressure is low, and teamwork is high.
Here’s how a four-person scramble works on every hole:
Step 1: Everyone Tees Off. Every player on the team (the pro and the three amateurs) hits a tee shot.
Step 2: Choose the Best Shot. The team walks or drives up to where the four balls landed and decides which drive is in the best position. It could be the longest one, the one in the middle of the fairway, or one with a great angle to the green.
Step 3: Everyone Hits from the Best Spot. The players who didn't hit the chosen ball pick theirs up and place it within one club-length of the best ball's location (no closer to the hole). All four players then hit their second shot from that spot.
Step 4: Repeat the Process. You repeat this sequence - choosing the best shot and having everyone play from there - for every shot until the ball is in the hole. The team records one single score for the hole.
The advantage here is enormous. If you hit a bad drive, no worries! Hopefully, your pro or another teammate hit a good one. It lets you swing freely and gives you a chance to contribute without carrying the weight of a bad shot.
The Best Ball (or "Better Ball") Format
This format is a bit more traditional and is often used in the more serious Pro-Ams, like those on professional tours. In a Best Ball format, there is still a team score, but every golfer plays their own ball from tee to green on every hole.
How it works for a foursome team:
Step 1: Everyone Plays Their Own Ball. Just like a regular round of golf, all four players play each hole independently, marking down their own individual scores. Don't worry, you still get advice and camaraderie from the pro.
Step 2: Take the Best Score. At the end of the hole, the team compares the four scores and writes down only the single best score as the team score. For example, if the players scored a 4, 5, 6, and the pro made a 3 (birdie), the team’s score for that hole is a 3.
This format allows you to experience the course while still playing your own game, and you can still lean on your pro for advice. If you have a blow-up hole, it usually doesn't hurt the team, as someone else will likely have a better score.
How Can You Actually Play in a Pro-Am?
This is often the first question golfers ask. For many, it seems like an unreachable experience reserved for the wealthy or well-connected. While some Pro-Ams fit that description, there are several accessible routes for the average golfer to get a spot.
Compete in a Charity Tournament
The most common and accessible way to play in a Pro-Am is through a charity event. Thousands of charities across the country host golf tournaments as their primary fundraisers, and many of them use a Pro-Am format to attract players. You can often find these by searching online for "charity golf pro am [your city]" or by keeping an eye on announcements from local non-profits. The entry fee is typically a tax-deductible donation to the charity, and it gets you an incredible day of golf, food, gifts, and a round with a pro (often a respected local club professional or a touring pro with ties to the area).
Seek Corporate Sponsorship Opportunities
Many professional tour Pro-Ams - like the ones at PGA TOUR, LPGA Tour, or Champions Tour events - sell spots to corporate sponsors. If your company is a sponsor of a tournament, there’s a good chance they have an entry. This is a common way business professionals network and entertain clients. It's always worth checking if your company has any involvement in local sporting events.
Buy a Spot Directly
For the big-time events like the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, spots are extremely limited and come with a very high price tag. For regular tour stops, however, some tournaments sell a limited number of Pro-Am spots directly to the public. These can range from a few thousand to tens of thousands of dollars, so it’s a significant investment, but it’s an option for those looking for a bucket-list experience.
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So you’ve secured a spot. Congratulations! Now comes the mix of excitement and nerves. Knowing what to expect will help you relax and get the most out of the day. As a coach, this is the advice I give my students before they head out.
Your Guide for the Day: A Walkthrough
A Pro-Am day is more than just a round of golf. It's usually a full-day experience.
Registration &, Gifting: You’ll start at a registration table where you’ll check in, learn your starting hole (it’s often a shotgun start, where every group begins on a different hole at the same time), and receive a fantastic gift bag. This "swag" is usually high-quality and might include a golf shirt, a hat, premium balls, and other nice branded items.
Warm-up &, Meeting Your Pro: After checking in, you'll head to the practice range and putting green. This is where you'll typically meet the professional assigned to your group. They’ll shake hands, learn names, and get a feel for the group. It's a casual, friendly introduction.
The Round Itself: Once play begins, you'll settle into the rhythm of the round. Don't be afraid to chat with the pro! They’ve done this hundreds of times and are usually experts at making amateurs feel comfortable.
Post-Round Festivities: The day almost always ends with a lunch or dinner, an awards ceremony where prizes are given to the top teams, and often a charity auction or presentation. It's a great way to wind down and share stories from the course.
Tips for Interacting with Your Golf Pro
This is your chance to learn from the best, but there’s a right and a wrong way to do it. Here’s a bit of etiquette to keep in mind:
Ask for Strategic Advice, Not Swing Lessons: The pro is not there to give you a full swing overhaul. Instead of asking "What's wrong with my swing?", try asking questions like, "What club would you hit from here?", "Where's the best place to miss on this green?", or "Can you help me with the line on this putt?". This is where their expertise is most valuable during a round.
Be a Good Conversationalist: Remember, they're people too. Ask them about their travel schedule, their favorite courses, or life on tour. They appreciate talking about things besides golf mechanics for five hours.
Be Mindful of Their Job: Especially at a tour event, the pro is using the round to prepare for the tournament. They'll be checking pin locations, finding sight lines, and getting a feel for the course conditions. Give them the space they need to do their own "homework."
Keep Pace: This is a big one. Keep your pre-shot routine brief and be ready to hit when it’s your turn. If it’s a Best Ball format and you're already out of the hole, pick up your ball and cheer on your teammates. The pro will appreciate you helping maintain a good pace of play.
How to Handle the Nerves
Shanking your first tee shot in front of a tour pro is a classic 'fear' for any amateur. Just breathe. They have seen it all before - the good, the bad, and the ugly. They are not judging you. The format, especially a scramble, is designed to take the pressure off. Laugh off the bad shots, celebrate the good ones, and focus on enjoying the unique experience. You paid to have fun, not to perform like a pro.
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A Pro-Am offers a rare and exciting opportunity for golfers to step inside the ropes and play alongside the men and women who master the game. It’s a day built around camaraderie, charity, and celebrating the sport, giving you a story you'll be telling at the 19th hole for years. Whether through a local charity outing or a larger event, it's a bucket-list experience that's more attainable than you might think.
When you're preparing for a day like a Pro-Am, having a solid game plan gives you confidence and lets you focus on the experience itself. Instead of bothering your pro with basic "what-should-I-do-from-here" questions, you can walk onto the tee with a smart strategy already in mind. We designed Caddie AI to be that on-demand course expert for you, analyzing tricky lies from a photo or suggesting the best way to play the hole. It can help you make simpler, smarter decisions on your own, so you can save your questions for learning how they read that impossible breaking putt.
Spencer has been playing golf since he was a kid and has spent a lifetime chasing improvement. With over a decade of experience building successful tech products, he combined his love for golf and startups to create Caddie AI - the world's best AI golf app. Giving everyone an expert level coach in your pocket, available 24/7. Caddie's mission is simple: make world-class golf advice accessible to everyone, anytime.
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