Becoming a PGA Professional

Welcome to a new blog on progressing as a PGA Professional. If you're wondering why I called my blog "Progress to Success" then the answer is simple;

Progress

noun

1. a movement towards a goal or further or higher stage
2. advancement in general
3. growth or development; continuous improvement

Success

noun

1. the accomplishment of one's goals
2. the attainment of wealth, positions, honours, or the like
3. a performance or achievement that is marked by success, as by the attainment of honours

These blogs are targeted at people who are; thinking about a career as a PGA Professional, undertaking their training or are fully qualified but looking to become a better, higher skilled worker with more opportunities.

On my journey as a PGA Professional over the last decade working in Europe, The Middle East and The Far East I have learnt many things that I would like to share with the next generation of pros. These are things that I've learnt through my differing roles in various jobs, through a myriad of books on a large variety of topics that I've read and lately through podcasts that look at the most successful 1% and what we can learn from them. Just like in any other business or profession there are more successful and better PGA pros than others and hopefully through this blog you will start to become one of them and cut yourself a path to a better and more fulfilling career. This doesn't necessarily mean changing jobs, it can simply mean being better and more successful in your current role. Or if you're undertaking your training then giving yourself the best opportunities when you have become qualified and are looking for your first job.

In this first blog post I am going to look at the two choices you have for doing your training and the pros/cons of them in my opinion and then how to get the most from them. I will focus on the PGA of GB&I as this is what I did but the USA and Australian versions are also excellent programmes to do, these are the stand out three PGA's to do your training through and be a member of.

The Traditional Route

The most common way people undertake their training is to find a job working at a local golf club, contracted for a minimum of 30 hours, and then do a distance-learning Foundation Degree in Professional Golf for three years. I won't go in to detail about the content or enrollment of this but more information can be found at PGA.info - Foundation Degree. There is a 5-day residential learning week each year but otherwise it is down to you to research everything you need to pass.

Pros

• Working while you study; you will earn more money than the degree costs you = no student debt
• Practical experience working within a golf club to go along with the theory you learn on the degree
• Year round coaching opportunities to learn this side of the industry (need your Level 1 to assist the Head Pro with junior coaching which you can do in year 1) as well as earning money from this
• Working for a seasoned PGA Professional gives you a first hand learning opportunity everyday (if possible look for a job with a well respected PGA Pro with a good reputation of producing excellent newly qualified pros)
• Each subject will have a mentor/coach who is an expert in that field that you can ask questions to about the assignments and exams
• Can play professional tournaments; earn prize money and build a network of pros around your region or nationally

Cons

• Only 5 days per year with the lecturers gives you minimal classroom time for learning
• If your employing professional is not someone who undergoes continual professional development (CPD) they may not be able to help you with your assignments
• Working full-time while undertaking a degree can be tough as requires a lot of time (a pro of this is it teaches you good time management!)

The University Route

This is a newer option available (in relative terms compared to the foundation degree) where students enroll for a 3-year full time degree in conjunction with the University of Birmingham which can lead to a honours degree and PGA membership. For more information go to PGA.info - Applied Golf Management Degree

Pros

• Full-time learning opportunities with much more direct learning time with lecturers
• Sports scholarships and grants are available for some students to help offset the cost of the degree
• Greater variety of topics covered giving you a bigger skill set to offer future employers
• Three placements over the course of the programme; great chance to learn and experience working at top golf clubs and potentially overseas. This can lead directly to jobs after graduation and gives you the all important networking opportunities
• Leads to more overseas work opportunities vs Foundation degree (based on people I know and looking at first jobs after qualifying)

Cons

• University is expensive. You will need to repay this from your salary once you start working
• Not as much practical work experience as the foundation degree route

Your personal situation will also have a part to play with your choice of which route to take to becoming a PGA Professional. I did the traditional route and have had a successful career so far and wouldn't change what I did. If you have complete freedom to choose which route and would like to work overseas then I'd highly recommend the university route but on the other hand if you'd like to work within the normal golf club environment within the UK then the traditional route is for you. These both work vice versa as well but if working overseas is a goal of yours then in my opinion you're more likely to achieve this taking the university route, securing overseas work placements and then looking for a job abroad straight after graduation. I know many pros who did the foundation route who now work overseas, myself included, so it doesn't mean you can't do it that way. And that's not to say working overseas is the ultimate goal, there are many great jobs in the UK and many things to consider if you want to become an expat (which I'll cover in the future).

Trainee of the Year

I wasn't trainee of the year, far from it, but my only regret as a PGA Professional to date wasn't working my hardest to try and attain this honour, or at the very least make the top trainees list which is displayed for each graduating year at the PGA HQ. This definitely should be one of your goals during your training.

Time management is one of the keys to achieving high grades. Treat each assignment as a mini project. Draft out a time line (critical path, CP) for each assignment you have with the start date and due date at each end. Then work through a plan of how long each section will take, including research time, to complete for you to finish draft 1. Then repeat for draft 2 and finally a finish time for when you wish to have your final draft ready to hand in. Here's a free template you can download of a Critical Path that can be modified to use for an assignment. Once you have this then plan your Weekly Schedule to include set times where you will do your research/writing of the assignment. Keep a close eye on what the questions are asking you and how the marking is graded in terms of % marks for each segment and how the grades are determined. You should receive a sheet that tells you what a distinction grade paper would include. One of the biggest differences between high and low grades is your ability to write critically rather than just descriptively in your essays. 

Going back to the weekly schedule. I think this is really important, especially if you have taken the foundation degree route and are working full time. Having this takes a lot of decisions out of your mind, in fact all the way down to one decision; follow the schedule. Instead of procrastinating about doing things and getting work done simply follow your planned schedule for the week, making sure you have some downtime included, to get the maximum out of each week. 

Research. Spend time researching online and in books for each assignment before you start writing. Get a skeleton plan of your essay/report and what resources you plan on using (and reference them using the Harvard Method - the link is to an awesome website which basically writes your references for you in the correct format!) before you start writing your first draft. Not only will this help you write a better paper and achieve better grades but hopefully you'll learn a load on the way!

Get people to proof read your assignments for you. This could be your employing professional, your parents or a family friend but try to find someone who has (preferably recent) experience of university level essay/report writing. It doesn't matter if they have no idea about golf, you are asking them to help with how it is written and not the content.

Exams. Simple; revise! And by revise I don't mean just read the content that will be on the exam. No; I mean take practice exams, then grade them and review them to find out what knowledge you are missing and then revise these areas. Revision is about learning, which we don't do just by reading. We need to understand these subjects, so do the activities in the study books as you go along as this will help you learn and remember things as well as help you check if you've taken everything in. If not, then go back through that section and repeat the activity. 


I hope you've enjoyed this first blog post and it has been useful for you. Look forward to some discussions in the comments section over the next month while I work on the next edition.

Until then,

Happy Golfing and Learning!


Disclaimer: This blog is in no way affiliated to or endorsed by any Professional Golfer Associations (PGA) and all views and opinions are entirely my own.