IN FOCUS PGA PROFESSIONALS:One of the biggest challenges facing PGA professionals is the ability to diversify and provide a wide range of skills and services to a changing golf industry, PAUL GALLAGHERreports.
GONE ARE the days when a PGA club professional was just that — a figurehead standing behind a counter in some pro shop in some golf club meeting members’ golfing needs and demands. PGA professionals these days have had to react to the ever-changing golf industry at time when the economic downturn brings added pressure as the same job opportunities are simply not there at present.
The notion of training as an assistant professional at a local club before moving “down the road” to become a head club professional is considered a thing of the past. Aspiring professionals need to be more creative, carve out a niche and diversify if they hold genuine ambitions of a successful career in the professional ranks.
That said it’s not all doom and gloom. The Professional Golfers Association (PGA) fully recognises the changing landscape and continues to provide trainee and established professionals with the necessary tools to meet head-on and cope with the demands of an evolving golf industry.
The ability to add strings to the proverbial professional bow has never been greater, especially in these straitened times.
“In terms of the development of the golf profession in Ireland it’s on an upward curve, no question,” says Kevan Whitson, who among other things was captain and chairman of the PGA Irish Region and has been head professional at Royal County Down Golf Club for the last 18 years.
“The game of golf is massive now and though we feel to a certain degree it’s stagnating in the UK and Ireland, it’s still growing around the world, especially in developing countries like China and India.
“Picking up a head pro job down the road after qualifying happens less and less, primarily because the turnover of ‘good jobs’ is low,” adds Whitson. “A lot of Irish guys are now creating their own opportunities, using their own name and skills to specialise in say coaching, custom club fitting or within retail. Others get totally offside and move abroad to places like the Emirates, Malaysia or wherever there are still job opportunities.”
David Kearney is one of a dozen pros who trained under Whitson since the Scot arrived in Ireland in 1992 from Turnhouse Golf Club in Edinburgh. And Kearney is under no illusions for the need to be entrepreneurial.
“Golf is no different to any other business. It’s tricky at the moment and none of us are immune from the downturn, that’s why so many pros are trying to create different strands to their business,” says Kearney, who previously owned DK Golf Academy in his native Mayo and is now part of the professional teaching staff at the rebranded Pure Golf Centre at Leopardstown.
“The jobs just aren’t out there at the moment. Golf clubs look at their bottom line and some don’t have the money to pay a retainer to employ a professional. And there is the ongoing question if some clubs will still be in operation in a couple of years.
“I believe those coming in to our profession must look at what they want to specialise in. It’s almost come full circle as existing pros are up-skilling to provide new services like custom-fitting or additional teaching – something they wouldn’t otherwise have done but it provides income.
“Sure look at me, maybe one day I might be a head professional at a club if the right job comes up. But right now I’m busy teaching at Leopardstown and I do a lot in education, lecturing on the sports science modules at UCD. I do some work with the RA and went with them on a missionary trip to Panama last year and I bring golf groups away on trips with Neil Manchip (national coach with the GUI).
“There are so many bits and pieces that come under the guise of being a golf professional,” adds Kearney, who in an already busy career was previously national coach to the ILGU and is the only recognised PGA tutor based in Ireland.
Other examples of entrepreneurial flair include PGA pro Colin McElderry, who specialises solely on custom-fitting through his company Golf Ballistix in Lisburn. Or take a handful of Irish pros, including 1995 Ryder Cup hero Philip Walton, who market and promote themselves under the Foreireland.com banner to provide wide ranging services from event management, corporate golf, teaching and retail expertise.
Whitson suggests “the Irish PGA Pro-am circuit lends itself well to intermixing with the business community and providing networking opportunities”.
Those embarking on their PGA exams sign up to a three-year training programme which operates out of PGA headquarters at the Belfry in England. That’s where Kyle Phillpots, PGA Director of Education and Career Development, and his team come into the equation.
“Entry requirement to join the three-year PGA trainee degree programme is a four handicap for men and six for women and we also ask for the equivalent of four GCSEs or better,” explains Phillpots, who says the average age for this year’s entry was 22 and average handicap was 1.6 for men and 1.8 for women. “Generally we are looking for a good standard of golfer and we ask the trainees to prove their scoring by playing 36 holes in no more than 15 over par.
“Once accepted the academic training operates very much like an Open University programme through distance learning. Trainees must be employed by a PGA professional and we provide weekly schedules to work from. The core elements of the course includes, coaching, business management, equipment technology and club-fitting, rules, tournament organisation and sports science.
“Trainees complete assignments and take exams plus they have to attend PGA Headquarters at the Belfry for one week each year to undergo three days of education and coaching programmes,” adds Phillpots, who accepted 320 trainees this year.
“That’s about 20 less than the number for the previous year but we also had 50 people on a waiting list who were eligible but couldn’t be accepted because they couldn’t find employment and become an assistant under an established professional.”
Phillpots says they engage up to 90 different tutors through the year for the coaching which takes place at the Belfry and says Kearney is one of the best they have. Some practical exams also take place in Ireland too.
“We held finals exams at Leopardstown last Wednesday and Thursday where 32 assistant professionals did their final exams,” adds Kearney.
“They get lessons and carry out demonstrations and analyse someone’s swing on video. It can be quite strict but it’s all about setting a benchmark so the assistants know what’s required from a teaching standpoint.”
With a premium placed on jobs at present, Kearney suggests of the guys “that qualify this year, a small percentage might go out of the game after a while, a large percentage will remain in their current jobs, some will go and play while others will try their luck overseas”.
This week a couple of recently qualified professionals from the North will be on a plane to Dubai in the hope of securing coaching work there as opportunities closer to home are limited.
“Increasingly as the golf industry has broadened we find qualified professionals are working in all areas, so we need to prepare them with a diversity of skills,” says Phillpots. “From my own research I have identified over 40 different job descriptions that PGA professionals are involved in.”
The option of further education has also proved popular and is a way of moving up the professional ladder through Continued Professional Development (CPD). There are six different categories of PGA professional; A, AA, Advanced, Fellow, Advanced Fellow and Master.
“A Master professional is generally someone with a national or international reputation, like renowned coaches John Jacobs or David Leadbetter, or someone who has made a significant contribution to golf. I know Jacobs wanted to play more but such were the demands of him as a coach he dedicated the majority of his time to it,” says Phillpots.
David Jones is the only Master professional in Ireland and Whitson the only Advanced Fellow professional. Beyond that there are just five Fellow and eight Advanced professionals within these shores. This select group is referred to as APAL (Accreditation of Prior Achievement and Learning).
The PGA has introduced a new director of golf qualification and Whitson is the only professional from Ireland taking part in the pilot scheme.
“The idea is to provide a fully recognised qualification and is based on university marking systems. The 12 pros on the one-year course will give constructive feedback this time around before the course is rolled out in full. It’s another bolt-on that will come into play in the golf industry.”
All things considered there is also the direct playing option that an aspiring professional can take. If as talented as someone like Rory McIlroy or Pádraig Harrington that’s well and good, but for every one of them, there are hundreds of other professionals who qualify to have something to fall back on.
“The tour pro is someone with outstanding skills as a player and they go on to develop that skill. That’s great if you can do it but isn’t an option for everyone,” adds Phillpots, making reference to Ian Poulter as one of the few exceptions who came through the ranks.
“Ian Poulter was a classic example who came through our training programme. At the time he wasn’t even seen as good enough to play England amateur golf. But he came through the system, believed he was good enough and dedicated himself and is now a leading player in the world.”
“The guys who come through the trainee course generally have to take a step back (from their own game) and identify what’s good for other people.”
Damien McGrane is another good example of a club professional who made good on tour. For years he held down a job as the club professional at Wexford Golf Club and played competitive golf mainly on the Irish PGA circuit and won the order of merit three times.
Naturally finding the balance to dedicate enough time to both aspects was difficult and McGrane eventually gave up the Wexford role, set up a base from his native Meath and chased the European Tour dream.
The move has paid off for the 39-year-old who has amassed over €3 million in career earnings and won his maiden title at the 2008 China Open.
There is clearly no set template for becoming a successful PGA professional. A select few are fortunate enough to have the raw talent to make a successful living from playing full time.
For others the journey might be less glamorous but no less rewarding. Given the current economic climate one of the biggest challenges facing PGA professionals is the ability to diversify and provide ranging skills and services to a changing golf industry.
Qualified PGA professionals
Ireland(ROI and NI) 455
(Republic of Ireland 352; Northern Ireland 103)
Scotland555
England3,037
(North 1,000; South 1,161; East 628; West/Wales 586; Midlands 662)
Overseas1,312
Women’s PGA Britain/Others 1,141
Total6,500
Current Assistant PGA professionals (worldwide)
ROI NI Total
Year 133 4 323
Year 229 7 279
Year 324 6 285
Total86 17 887
Accreditation of Prior Achievement and Learning
(APAL awards currently held in Ireland)
Master 1(David Jones)
Advanced Fellow 1(Kevan Whitson)
Fellow 5
Advanced 8
