Additional Information
While being a good golfer is an important part of the job, being a pro
doesn't mean you get to hit the links all day. Many employers look for business
and management skills, and some even look for college degrees or diplomas
in physical education or business administration. The best positions go to
those with advanced training.
If your dream is to make a living from tournaments, keep in mind that it's
"very, very competitive," says former professional golfer Terry Zachary. "[It's]
not very realistic at all unless the player has dominated at the junior/amateur/collegiate
level. Even in those cases, those who make a living playing professional golf
are still an elite and very select group."
How about earning a living as a golf pro, teaching lessons and helping
to manage a golf club? "[This path is] more realistic, yet has some barriers
to entry, such as playability tests and schooling," says Zachary.
The PGA of America has a golf management university program that takes
about five years to complete. The program is offered at 20 PGA accredited
universities in the United States. The organization says graduates of its
program have 100 percent job placement.
According to the PGA, you can work as a golf pro without an apprenticeship
or PGA training. It just depends on who does the hiring.
There are schools across North America offering programs in golf course
management. These programs vary in length, depending on a candidate's previous
academic achievements.
With the growth of the golf industry, there's room for specialization,
too. For instance, rather than undertaking a wide range of duties, pros can
specialize on the club side, the retail side or the teaching side.
To improve your chances of finding work as a golf pro, get involved with
a club as soon as you can. Volunteer as a caddie for tournament play, or volunteer
to maintain a golf shop, pick up range balls, or wash golf clubs and carts.
"If they really do get into it, and they got their degree... and are going
to be golf professionals, they need to find a niche," says golf pro Mark Csencsits.
"This is the advice I got 20 years ago. Find something you're good at, find
something you enjoy, and really make that the spearhead of your career. Mine
was teaching, and a subset of that was [teaching] women and juniors. And that's
what I really poured into, that's what I really enjoy, that's what I educate
myself most about.
"You've got to find a niche that you're good at," says Csencsits. "If you
like club fitting, be a club fitter. If you want to run tournaments, be a
tournament [organizer]. If you like rules, be a rules guy. There are a lot
of niches."
"You never know," says former professional golfer Joanne Lefson. "You start
to work, or you volunteer here and there, and you make whatever contacts you
can make... to get somewhere else down the road. You've got to be enthusiastic
and want it, and be passionate about it. And then it's tough work. That's
what it comes down to."