Some advice for all you Nationwide Tour grads

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Ricky Barnes will be a rookie on the PGA TOUR in '09 after earning his card by finishing 25th on the Nationwide Tour money list.

Congratulations to all the players who clinched their 2009 PGA TOUR cards by finishing in the top 25 Sunday on the Nationwide Tour money list. It's quite an accomplishment, especially with the yearly increase in world-class golfers on this planet.

Now here's some unsolicited advice on how to best avoid having to go through this pressure-filled promotion process again.

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Be A Riddler: For you TOUR rookies, first thing you need to do is grab your new iPhone and make some Bubba Watson calls (you know, long distance) to a veteran TOUR player you've developed a relationship with during your career.

Ask him as many questions as you can. Tell him the type of player you are -- do you excel on "bomber" courses or eight layouts? -- and ask him what tournaments he thinks best suit your game. Try to map out an early-season schedule, knowing you're not going to get a lot of starts until after the Masters.

Ask him what airports to fly into, which hotels to stay in. And don't anticipate a Friday checkout.

Just Say No: The first thing that happens to most of you is you're going to be offered more freebies than an Olympic site board. New clubs. New balls. New gloves. New shoes.

What's the old line? If it's free, I'll take three.

Don't get bought out for a few thousand bucks, just to put an equipment company's club in your bag. Remember that a missed shot could cost you a hundred thousand dollars if you're in contention on Sunday. You're not Tiger Woods or Phil Mickelson -- you make most, if not all of your money, between the yellow ropes.

Be Honest: Take a long, hard look at your caddy. If he's a high-school buddy who you like to hang out with because he's funny and you guys like the same food, he better also be able to read greens and make wind adjustments. Otherwise, it may be time to hire a professional caddy, some guy named Rabbit or Bambi.

Remember, you can lose the same aforementioned large amount of money if your caddie makes a mistake late on Sunday.

Keep The Faith: Many of you are going to get nervous the first time you walk onto the practice tee with The Big Boys. That's understandable. But just because Sergio Garcia decides to hits balls next to you, don't get intimidated or caught up in the moment.

Realize there are two ends to every practice tee, and find one of them. And then get to work. Have a plan and stick with it.

Be Yourself: Realize you wouldn't have made it to the world's best tour if you didn't have game. Don't try to change your swing because it doesn't look as powerful as Woods' or as elegant as David Toms'.

Unless you're Peter Jacobsen, you don't need to try and impersonate another player's swing.

And just because you're paired with John Daly doesn't mean you have to hit 14 drivers that day.

Swallow Your Pride: Understand you're not going to play a lot early in the season, so if you have a chance to return to the Nationwide Tour to get a start, go for it. You're a golfer, so keep playing golf.

Not even Woods gets better sitting on his couch.

Make Connections: The lifeblood of the PGA TOUR is its pro-ams. You won't get into many of them early on, but when you do, make good use of this opportunity. Follow the leads of other top golfers and get your pro-am partners' names and send then a thank-you letter afterward.

Many of them make more money than you. For now.

Don't Follow Dana Quigley's Schedule: You don't have to tee it up in every tournament you're eligible for. If you ask most TOUR rookies the biggest mistake they made in their initial season, most of them will say they played too much.

You don't get paid by the swing out there. Pace yourself. Play three or four tournaments in a row if you must, then take a break. Otherwise you'll be looking at too many Friday checkouts.

Be Courteous: Remember that other than shooting low scores, your second-most important job is to produce enlightening quotes for those bright individuals who entertain you every week with riveting questions such as, "What club did you hit on 9?"

If by some rare chance they ask you a silly question, simply smile. It won't be the last time.

Craig Dolch is a freelance columnist for PGATOUR.COM. His opinion does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the PGA TOUR.