So you want to be a professional. You want to be like Tiger Woods, Darren Clarke, Padraig Harrington. You want to hole a 10-foot putt on the 18th green at Augusta to claim the US Masters title. The beguiling lifestyle of golf's elite would appeal to any young golfer, but, with the exception of a tiny minority, it is simply unattainable.

History is littered with outstanding amateur golfers who could not unlock the door that guarded the passageway to the professional ranks. For others it became a frustrating, short-term flirtation from which they were thrust, unrequited after a season or two.

It would be doubtful whether many of the professionals attached to clubs the length and breadth of Ireland dreamed of working in a club: far more likely they saw themselves in the cathedrals of the majors, rubbing shoulders with childhood icons. To a man they are fine golfers, and therein lies the attraction for good young players. One can still be a golf professional as opposed to a professional golfer.

An inability to compete amongst the elite does not mean that a young person must forego the opportunity to earn a livelihood playing golf. Last week nine young players underwent a "playability test" at Dundalk Golf Club to ascertain whether they were good enough to begin an apprenticeship, overseen by the Professional Golfers Association, and by the end of which they would be fully-qualified professional golfers.

For any youngster who wishes to become a professional under the auspices of the PGA Irish region, they must fulfil basic requirements. One must be at least 18 years old, with a handicap of 4.4 (4) or less. The candidate must pass four subjects in the Leaving Certificate (or Northern Ireland equivalent), i.e., to achieve a pass mark on pass papers. At least two of those subjects must demonstrate literacy and numeracy.

The next step is to find a club professional who is willing to take you on as an apprentice. Michael McCumiskey, secretary of the PGA Irish region, confirmed that every effort is made to help those wishing to become apprentices find a professional.

"Several people have contacted us with curriculum vitae and we have been instrumental in placing them," he said. "We are happy to provide people with direction."

Having found a professional who will provide "on site training", the apprentice must sign four contracts, one of which he retains; the others are held by the professional, PGA headquarters at the Belfry and the Irish region in Dundalk.

The candidates then go to the Belfry in the spring where they undergo an admission review programme which lasts two days. For the first day-and-a-half there is an exchange of information between tutors and pupils, and then the apprentices are required to take a test on the information imparted. They then undergo the playability test.

In the case of the candidates at Dundalk, they were required to equal or better a score of 157 over 36 holes in the one day. In their first year they will have 20 assignments to complete and also will be tested at the academy at the Belfry at the end of the year.

Years two and three follow similar programmes before the apprentices sit final exams in categories such as Golf Swing, Commercial Studies, Club Technology, Rules of Golf, Golf Management (how to run amateur and professional events) and Sports Science (the physical make-up of the body).

In terms of remuneration, there are strict guidelines. In the first year, they are paid 75 per cent of the national minimum wage, year two 80 per cent and year three 90 per cent. It is also stipulated how many hours an apprentice may work.

There is no limit on the number of apprentices in any given year. McCumiskey pointed out: "No qualified professional of any level is idle unless by choice.

"We are trying to persuade more clubs to appoint professionals and, given the expanding golf market in the country, the opportunities do exist. There is also the chance to specialise in one aspect of the job and that is attractive to some people."

An expanding calendar of events means that the professional should get enough playing time to satisfy his appetite. You may not get a chance to play Tiger Woods and the boys but you can still play golf for a living.