Hi, my name is Barry, I’m a golf pro. I contacted StatFox in response to articles I seen floating around the internet, talking about those who love to gamble, being degenerates, low-life’s, living half-baked lives. For some reason reading the responses from people, they seem to relate, which I find stupid, frankly. Here’s another perspective as told through a StatFox writer.

It’s Monday July 7, 2008, and here’s background on me. I’m a head golf professional at a higher end golf facility, who has a number of high rollers and guests who have lots of money to play at this club for a good chunk of change. I grew up at a country club, thanks to my dad being able to keep me and my brothers on the pretty straight and narrow. My dad loved to gamble playing golf, the stakes weren’t important, winning was, that’s where I got the bug for the action I guess. In high school, I was a very good player, with college scholarships waiting for me to decide where I wanted to go and by then, I could beat by dad regularly and he started using me in money games against his friends. Playing golf at this age was fun, but it was the action of playing for money, even if it wasn’t my own, that got me going.

My dad and I seldom lost and though the amount of strokes we had to give increased, we always did well. At college, I played four years, bouncing around from the best player on the squad to almost being cut, depending on my mood. While in college, I started betting on sports thru a guy on campus. This guy was so cool, always had fast cars and faster women, with more cash on hand than anyone I’d seen to that point. I loved betting on sports, the action stirred my guts, just like playing golf against my dad’s cronies. I went through all aspects of learning to become a golf professional, because I did love golf and it afforded me the chance to hang with people who had money and were all too confident they could win playing golf. I called it the Michael Jordan-syndrome, a three handicapper, until they started playing for a dollar ($100) a hole or nickel ($500) Nassau’s.

I’m on my third job as a head pro, always moving up, married, with two daughters approaching teenager years. I don’t play golf with members for money, since that is bad for business, but money games frequently come my way, which I take when I can. I consider myself a fairly normal gambler when it comes to sports, playing “dollars” and “nickels”. I know every important book (bookie) in my town and we respect one another. They know I’m good for the money and I know they’ll pay up. I bet college and pro football, a fair amount of college hoops and pretty regular with baseball.

To this point, my golf swing and baseball betting habits are about the same starting today (Monday), fabulous. I play mostly favorites in baseball, mostly at -140 or less, since the juice eats away too many profits. For years everyone’s told me to bet dogs in baseball, my problem I don’t find them enough and end up hitting such crappy percentage, the losses don’t out-weight the W’s. Starting this week, hitting just under 59 percent and am a bit concerned about upcoming week after our biggest members event over four days for the Fourth of July weekend. The 12-13 hour days are hard enough, but this event has me and the staff pushing 16 hours a day.

Decided to cool it today, just betting the Brewers against Colorado. A guy taught me years ago, a tired mind will make bad judgments, this applies to betting and most parts of life. The Rockies stink on the road and Milwaukee is winning two-thirds of home games and has to excited about getting fat-boy C.C. Sabathia. Bet fifty cents ($50.00) on Milwaukee and was p----d to find out they lost to that Rox pitcher Jimenez, who hadn’t won on the road this year. Can think of a lotta of words to use, will stick with “stinks”.

Slept better, but still tired. Tuesday is Ladies Day and as long as you go along with requests, it works out fine. Liked the Tuesday card, lousy Atlanta on the road in L.A., Texas starting a rookie lefty against the Angels, who have been destroying guys throwing from that side and Florida as a short +107 dog. Got home to find out the Angels were losing late to the Rangers, scoring only two runs. The Braves and San Diego jumped off to big leads against my teams and once the Angels lost I was staring at 0-3 day and 0-4 to start the week.

Golf has taught me to have patience. I can start bogey, double (double bogey) and still come back to shoot under par. That’s why I like the grind of betting baseball, it’s everyday and only those that can be mentally competent can survive. I can’t tell you how many people I’ve played golf with who start badly and are mentally finished after a few holes. I’ve seen buddies do the same betting, lose a few bets and their bottom tightens so badly, they could make a penny out of an inch thick piece of copper. Don’t think I not p----d about losing, I hate it, I just think I got the rest of the week to still show a profit.

On Wednesday, taking a rare long shot on Baltimore at +142 at Toronto, like the pitching matchup. The Angels are going up against another Rangers rookie and Detroit -140 at home against Cleveland, who reeks. Got home at reasonable hour and both my girls were at friend’s house and wife was doing margaritas with female members at the club. I absolutely love MLB.TV, think it’s one of the best 50 inventions of the millennium. I probably don’t receive my true money’s worth like most would, but when I have the time, dig it.

Have to be honest, really liked my three plays and Detroit is down 6-0 and Baltimore 8-1, this sucks. Thirty minutes later, the Tigers score six runs over two innings to tie the score and O’s score six and I’m back in business. The Angels are cruising up 4-2 and suddenly my original feelings about these games are coming true and I have a shot. Detroit takes advantage of Indians bullpen and wins 8-6 in bottom of the ninth, and Baltimore comes up one run short, thanks to having runner thrown out at the plate. I’m disappointed the O’s lost, but know I was lucky Detroit came back for win and besides, K-Rod has two-run lead in the bottom of the ninth at Texas with one out, time for bed.

Arrive at work at just before six, turn on computer thinking 2-1 day is more my style and like a blinking light on my computer –Josh Hamilton’s walk-off shot lifts Texas-. It took a second to have that sink in, meaning that was the Angels and K-Rod who lost. Suddenly, my mood switched from pretty good, to sick. I’m now 1-6 this week and my luck is turning against me. After getting everything in order at the pro shop and meetings, go back to find out that was the first time in 203 games the Angels had lost with a lead of two runs or larger going into the bottom of the ninth. Starting to believe it’s not my week. Things were pretty slow at the club and didn’t have time to look at any of the afternoon games, decided to pass and lick my wounds down $795 this week. Went home hugged my wife, talked to kids and started feeling better. In fact, not betting today was a relief; since I was having too may negative thoughts and had big money match at another club first thing Friday morning.

Played fantastic, made serious cash against a couple of guys who thought they were hustlers. Sent those pigeons home and laughed in the car, thinking about them asking me to join them for poker later. Didn’t see that one coming, not. Felt good about Philly at -138 and Washington at +123 and both came in. Now 3-6, down -349, break even within sight.

Got a call from a friend telling me to unload on Arena Football game. I know about as about Arena Football as Canadian Football, which means nothing. He was trying to talk me into dropping a dime ($1,000) and I told him he was freakin’ crazy (or similar words), I don’t throw that kind of money around unless I REALLY know what I’m doing. He was quite passionate about San Jose covering against Grand Rapids and he told me of mutual friends who were also on the game. I called two of them and they both said it’s as close to a lock as you would find in this sport, so I called my friend back and told him to put me down for a “nickel”.

In baseball, all over the Angels, after losing at Oakland with Santana and St. Louis to crush Pittsburgh with unknown pitcher. Went out with wife and girls to eat Saturday night, feeling pretty damn good knowing received top notch information as San Jose won handily. While many bettors would be angry wishing they had placed a larger bet, I was pleased about seeing prudent in trusting my instincts and fully realizing I could have lost just as easily.

Later while having a glass of wine with the love of my life of 16 years, opened laptop to check a few scores and nearly choked seeing the Cardinals had lost 10-4 lead in the 8th inning, regained lead in extra innings, only to lose on walk off home run. It was at that point I realized it was just one of those weeks, the old ---- happens and even though I was on the right side of the game, at least in my opinion, I lost.

It’s Sunday morning, the members will be bustling and at least the Angels won. I’m up for the week and will bet on the Cards again, believing the Pirates were just lucky and have pitching matchup in my favor. No way Detroit losses four in a row at home with Verlander pitching more back to form. Sunday’s are always great days at the club, with members generally in a good mood and the smack talk flying.

I consider myself extremely fortunate. I’m doing what I love for work and I play on what I love to do. If that makes gambling degenerate, well that’s somebody else’s opinion. I have balance and fun in my life and am able to be, as they say, “liven the dream”.

Editor note- St. Louis and Detroit won Sunday.