Thanks Bob.
Anyhoo, if we are talking playing the PGA TOUR, then, obviously playing a lot in your yourth is a big advantage.But, getting to around scratch, no problem until OLD age gets you.
Don Villavaso was improving well into his late 50's, and early 60's!!!
There is NO SUBSITUTE for hours on the course (court, field, rink) when you are little. Esp. playing in competitions.
Here are some estimates from my youth:
Time spent playing football by age 17 (The year I graduated from high school): 6000 hours • Official games played in competition: 200
Time spent playing golf by age 17: 2000 hours • Official games played in competition: 50
Plus, I never had a lick of good instruction in golf until I was 25!
No way to make up that ground. The things you can learn when you are in the "learning mode" of youth in the HEAT OF BATTLE are very hard to replace.
But, hitting a ball and shooting a score—in other words
G O L F, is learnable at almost any age.
"Golf and Tournament Golf are as different as horseshoes and hang granades." —Ben Hogan
(I'm talking TOUR, not local scratch events)