Recapping my experience obtaining PGA Membership

First off, so many of you supported me during this time and for that I am extremely grateful. Spending several hours each week outside of work on this was not always easy, so by asking me about my progress and what I was working on you all motivated me to keep my foot on the gas. I’d also like to thank Ken Kirkman for his generous contributions towards my classes. Many of you seemed curious about what this process entails, so I’ll give a brief outline of my personal experience.

A few days ago, I completed the final requirement for membership and will be elected on September 1st. I started this process in March 2023. During that period of time, I had to meet the following requirements: pass a PAT (36-hole playing ability test), accumulate 28 work experience credits (1 credit for each month working at a golf course/ 12 credits for a bachelor’s degree), and complete levels 1-3 of Professional Golf Management school. Each level consists of online courses, a weeklong seminar, and a work-experience portfolio. The weeklong seminars for levels 2 & 3 were at the new PGA of America Headquarters in Frisco, Texas. For anyone looking for a place to take a golf trip, I’d highly recommend taking a look at PGA Frisco. The work experience portfolios were probably the most time-consuming part, as each one took well over 100 pages to complete. Long story short it was a way of documenting myself applying learning concepts to my job.

Topics covered every aspect of the golf industry, such as facility management, business planning, marketing, rules of golf, teaching and coaching, merchandising, golf cart fleet management, agronomy, customer service, and much more. Long story short, the purpose of the program is to provide future professionals with the tools needed to make a positive impact on the game of golf in a variety of different ways, and to be a valuable asset to their club. I look forward to doing as much of that as I possibly can.

Finally, I have to mention Terri. Her guidance was probably what ultimately led me to pursue this despite some reluctance at the time. She has also been a priceless mentor to me while going through the program. Terri is truly what the PGA is all about, and the never-ending list of golfers that she has helped find a love for golf serves as proof.