The Professional Golfers’ Association (PGA) is aiming to promote its members across golf with a new industry guide highlighting its education programme and membership categories.
The guide, which can be downloaded from www.PGA.info, is part of a strategy to furnish the golf industry with information about the wide range of skill levels possessed by PGA professionals who fulfil more than 50 different roles in the game from club pro, director of golf, manager and retailer through to elite level coach and junior development expert.
It is hoped the document will be useful for golf facilities and organisations by giving them an insight into the membership classifications and titles that form part of the PGA’s framework and structure.
In addition the guide will explain new additional categories of membership – PGA Advanced, Fellow, Advanced Fellow and Master Professional status – and the conditions by which the two largest classifications of membership are identified (Class ‘A’ and ‘AA’ Professionals).
“The PGA has developed an extensive educational and professional development programme designed to help PGA members meet the modern demands of the industry,” said David Colclough, PGA head of education.
“This guide includes critical pieces of information that employers, golf club committee members and members of the golf industry might need to know when seeking to better understand what differentiates one PGA Professional from another, particularly when needing to fill new positions.
“Although the membership of the PGA is made up of individuals commonly referred to as ‘PGA Golf Professionals’, all PGA Professionals have different skills and attributes when one considers the type of role they have, the length of time served in various roles, their successes and achievements, ongoing commitment to personal and professional development, additional and further qualifications and PGA membership classifications.
“We hope the guide will a useful reference point for the industry and also highlight the level of expertise and skill that PGA members bring to the golf industry.”
Kyle Phillpots, PGA director of education and career development, added: “At a time when golf needs to have a greater business focus and recruit, activate and retain more customers, it is essential that golf clubs understand the qualities of their golf professionals and the roles they can play within the club. ‘
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