Hey Golf fans I want to get a job in golf like head teaching pro or director of instruction?

Question

I have been in the buisness for about 10 years in between other jobs I have worked primarily outside service/cart boy.

Ive never been to pleased with the people who work in the pro shop I find them pretensious and s****.. On the other hand I love golf and could teach with no problems. But If i were in charge as head pro or directeor of instruction maybe it would be ok. Some of those guys make the big bucks what can I do to get into this field without paying 25,000 dollars to go to college? Again I dont want to be a pro shop assistant jerk I want to be in control and make big bucks teaching any suggestions please?

Answer 1

Ohio_golfer34 gave you the complete answer..  The only other way that i can think of is hmmmmmmmmm okay, find a guy who owns a golf course and marry his daughter... Good luck and never give up on your dreams.  You never know what is around the corner.

Answer 2

sorry hes right its alot and you have to be pretty good to get your card

Answer 3

Think About It –

That’s an interesting question you’ve posed.

I was, as you say, a “pro shop assistant jerk” for a few years, and I can tell you those guys are probably jerks because while they want to be out playing and teaching golf, they have to sit in a pro shop selling polo’s for 60 hours a week, all the while earning about $20,000 bucks a year. While at the same time dumping many thousands of dollars into the PGA coffers to earn their ‘Class A’ PGA certification.

I’ve posted the process you need to follow many times on this site, so in lieu of posting it again I will lay the steps out to you:

1 – You do not need a college degree, although unless you’re some kind of exceptional person you will never be a director of golf without a degree.

2 – Sign up for the PGA’s playing abilities test (PAT) … pass this and VIOLA! You’ve earned the right to pay the PGA for at least three years of at home learning. You’ll need to be able to shoot roughly 14 over par for 36 consecutive holes to pass the PAT, you should learn what the rules of golf are before playing, when I passed two of the people in my foursome were DQ’d for rules violations.

3 – After all the at home learning (you’ll need to get a job as an assistant pro during this time) you will become a Class A member and will be able to become a head pro at a course.

The whole process of becoming and being a pro soured me on golf for a long time, I didn’t play much golf for probably 4 years, my game really suffered and has really never recovered, and it’s been 7 years since I worked at a course.

I would tell you to go talk to some assistant pro’s who are apprenticing to the PGA…you’ll get a feel for what the program is REALLY like….

Quick story – I had visions like you of becoming director of golf at Pebble Beach or something… (I have a degree) so I passed the PAT, attended the PRO (Professional Readiness Orientation) paid my money to the PGA, got all my learning materials….and then I got my first job….was I teaching? Was I directing golf course operations? Was I marking the course? Was I clubfitting? Nooooooooooooooo….I didn’t do ANY of that! I was in charge of ringing the register, keeping track of the proshop merchandise, watching the snack bar employees, sometimes even picking the range! (which sucks by the way) And the worst of all was I had to close about 90% of the time….that means I had to wait there until 9:00 at night when the last cart came in….that sucked too…..

If I had stuck it out I would have been a head pro, but believe me, it’s a LONG road to ho…

You can read about the process here:

http://careernet.pgalinks.com/helpwanted...

Good Luck!!!!

Answer 4

I couldn't have said it better than the first guy.  I am a scratch golfer, and looked heavily into the same process you are looking into.  I spent a little time with the four guys at my home course who were already in the program.  

Passing the PAT would not have been the problem, the money was not the problem, the problem was going to be sitting in the club house on beautiful days watching others play.

Short story, get better at your game, find some people who love the game and want to get better.  Offer to work with them for free.  Find out just how good of a teacher you are.  You may find its a lot harder than you think.

Answer 5

Get a job at a large golf academy  and become a PGA Member.