PGA TRAINING

INTRODUCTION

A top-level playing career combined with a PGA qualification can open many doors in the golf industry when it comes to transitioning from life on tour to a second career. A PGA qualification doesn’t just lead to a teaching job. PGA Professionals work in many aspects of the golf industry – sales, manufacturing, event management, facility operations, broadcasting and more.

WHY CONSIDER PGA TRAINING?

Over the years, some LET players have decided to gain their qualification whilst playing on tour. This isn’t always easy, but it is worth considering. We hope you will have a long and successful career, but you never know when your time on tour will come to an end. Having a PGA qualification before you finish playing on the tour will make it much easier to find a job when you need to. This is often described as ‘having a Plan B’ or a ‘fallback’.

You might have obtained a degree through the American university system and you see this as your Plan B. However, when you come to use your degree qualification, it might be several years out of date and you’ll be competing against other people who graduated when you did, but they will have gained several of years of work experience while you’ve been on tour.

During your playing career, you will be asked many times by promoters, sponsors, your National Federation and others (including the Development Department!) to help with clinics and Q&A sessions. Being PGA qualified – even if only Level 1 or Level 2 qualified – will help to give you confidence.

WHAT TO DO NEXT

For more advice about how to become PGA qualified in your country, you will need to contact your National PGA. Below is a list of the websites for each PGA where you will find the relevant contact details .

List of National PGAs

Some National PGAs have special arrangements for individuals who have played on the professional tours.