People 19/6/00 07:00
The Professional Golfers’ Associations of Europe today publish the new edition of their Yearbook. It contains a report from each of the 28 member and associate member countries. From this nation by nation survey emerges a picture of collective co-operation and an exchange of ideas which bode well for the health of the game of golf at all levels.
The PGA of Europe, unlike its closely-linked high-profile ‘brother’ association, the PGA European Tour, is less about the elite tournament players and more about their professional colleagues: the club professionals, teachers, coaches, merchandisers and administrators – in short the service side of the golf industry.
Even those leading European tournament players who progressed straight from the amateur to the professional game were, almost certainly, coached at some time by members of the PGA of Europe, whose member country PGA’s are working with the amateur federations more and more closely to everyone’s benefit.
The message that comes across from the Yearbook is that more and more youngsters from many emerging golfing nations are being better taught by coaches who meet uniform training standards, that girls and women are playing an increasing part in all this and that amateurs and professionals are enjoying the game side by side as former divisions and barriers disappear.