Opinions on going to college for PGAM

[Farmergolf]

Hello, my son is a high school senior. He absolutely loves golf and is pretty good for starting late and being in Ohio (average mid - upper 70s). He hasn't really known what he wants to do but looking at d3 schools just so he could be on a golf team. He is good student and could do anything but really is a outdoor always active kid vs a desk job type. A friend of his is a freshman at Florida Gulf Coast in the pga management program and was telling him about it and it really interested him. Anyone have any experience or opinions on the program? The nice thing it seems he would graduate with a business degree so even if didn't find the opportunity he wants in golf industry he would still have that degree. Thanks for any info.

 

[Bosco...]

If he’s prepared to give up all of his weekends and holidays, work sun up to sun down, relocate when necessary and play occasionally, it might be a good choice for him. Interpersonal and customer service skills are a must and tested daily.

That’s pretty much the golf business in general.

 

[mantan]

If he’s prepared to give up all of his weekends and holidays, work sun up to sun down, relocate when necessary and play occasionally, it might be a good choice for him. Interpersonal and customer service skills are a must and tested daily.

That’s pretty much the golf business in general.

Bingo. This topic comes up every few years and this is the general consensus. The paradox of going through the program is you rarely get to play the game you love and make a pittance grinding in pro shops.

 

[Bosco...]

I certainly wouldn’t discourage someone if they wanted to make that a career choice, but it’s still a job. More often than not, hard core golfers are the worst employees on the golf course. Members seem to think their grandsons are “perfect for the job”. Which means the minute Privledged Jr. Is told to get off his ass or show up on time then the **** show really begins. Or the kid from the college or high school golf team. Their head is full of visions of grandeur and the idea they now have an all-access practice facility to chase their dreams of being a “player”. Ones ability or desire to play golf doesn’t mean jack **** when working on a golf course. Read that again.

However……if a person’s passion about golf is to help others on their “golf journey” and help run a successful business, you might be onto something. Guess who DOES play a lot of golf? People with lots of success. Businesses are always looking for their next best employee. A fella can make a lot of connections around a golf course. Everyday can be a free job interview.

I remember hearing this: “Everything we do is so people can play a game”. It’s kinda silly when you think about it.

 

[Farmergolf]

Thanks for the replies. He was thinking that maybe doing the program would be an option to get into the golf industry not necessarily being a head pro or teacher. He would have a business/marketing degree and could work for a club or even a golf brand in that capacity. I know the head pro route is long way up to good pay and lots hours. He works at a nice local public course near us now and likes it. Gets there 6 am to mow greens then does the grunt work like picking up sticks and fixing greens and changing pins. He loves mowing grass and being a farm kid loves hard work but it seems course superintendent career path is even longer and more hours until you get a decent paying job so he is not sure about that.

 

[Bosco...]

Kid after my own heart. Superintendent’s job is tough, trust me. There’s nothing like looking back on fresh cut greens and fairways. It might take some time but anything worth doing usually does. Just work harder than the other guys and be reliable. GCSAA is a good place to start the journey.

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[Bryndom]

If he’s prepared to give up all of his weekends and holidays, work sun up to sun down, relocate when necessary and play occasionally, it might be a good choice for him. Interpersonal and customer service skills are a must and tested daily.

That’s pretty much the golf business in general.

This is spot on. Especially if they end up some place near a competitive junior high and high school, dealing with parents is a must and a very tough part of the job, according to friends who did this

 

[Fatshot]

While I admire your son's passion for the game, I would echo what the previous posters are warning about. I was a high school teacher, and I got a summer job working in the pro shop at a local semi-private golf course. I thought it was really cool being in the pro shop, talking golf with the members and other customers, selling equipment (back then clubs WERE sold in pro shops!), and getting to play for free. I did this for 20+ years on weekends, holidays, etc., working while everyone else was having fun.

Finally I got offered a chance to manage a brand new golf course! Long story short, I played THREE rounds of golf that summer....!!! When my shift was over I couldn't wait to get out of the pro shop and go home!! At the end of that summer, I told the owners that while I appreciated the opportunity, I would not be returning the next year. I stayed in teaching, finished my career, and began to enjoy playing golf for pleasure again....whenever I wanted to. At age 78, I still play twice a week with friends and former colleagues.

For every one of the fortunate few who get those dream jobs where they make a lot of money at a private club, there are tons of other guys like me who found out that it's just a job....and fairly low paying at that. My hope for your son is that he is able to play golf in college, but that he earns a degree that he can use for gainful employment when he graduates, and that he is able to make golf his recreation, not his job.....Just my opinion, FWIW.

 

[Frank559]

I'd probably echo what many others have said: if your son loves the game, do not turn it into a job. That's a likely path to make him no longer liking golf.

Instead, he should try getting into careers that will allow him to play golf on the job. Something like sales or business management, in industries where people like to do deals or make contacts while playing golf.

 

[Chef23]

I certainly wouldn’t discourage someone if they wanted to make that a career choice, but it’s still a job. More often than not, hard core golfers are the worst employees on the golf course. Members seem to think their grandsons are “perfect for the job”. Which means the minute Privledged Jr. Is told to get off his ass or show up on time then the **** show really begins. Or the kid from the college or high school golf team. Their head is full of visions of grandeur and the idea they now have an all-access practice facility to chase their dreams of being a “player”. Ones ability or desire to play golf doesn’t mean jack **** when working on a golf course. Read that again.

However……if a person’s passion about golf is to help others on their “golf journey” and help run a successful business, you might be onto something. Guess who DOES play a lot of golf? People with lots of success. Businesses are always looking for their next best employee. A fella can make a lot of connections around a golf course. Everyday can be a free job interview.

I remember hearing this: “Everything we do is so people can play a game”. It’s kinda silly when you think about it.

I don’t see privileged kids or the kid front the college or high school golf team at our club. Our assistants are primarily kids who went through one of those programs or did something else and decided they wanted to be in the golf business. We do have an experienced head pro which I think helps that.

If you son wants to play a ton of golf being a club pro is not that. It is a job like @Fatshot says. They work long hours and at times are certainly under appreciated. I wouldn’t discourage it though if he things that is what he wants to do. I do like the fact that it comes with a business degree so that background is transferable. There are lots of other jobs in the golf business as well so that degree could set that up also.

 

[Farmergolf]

More great replies, thanks so much. I don`t think he necessarily looking to be a club pro. More like going through the program so he would have the experience and maybe do some teaching kids or clinics kinda on the side but more using the business/management degree he would also have from the program as his career maybe in golf field with a golf brand or equipment maker or wouldn`t have to be in golf field that is the nice thing.

 

[OldandStiff]

Some people need to have the thing they love be different than what they do. Others need what they do to be what they love. I'd encourage him to take a part time job or internship to see if it's something he'd enjoy doing for work. If his passion is being in the golf industry or actually playing golf.

 

[Bosco...]

More great replies, thanks so much. I don`t think he necessarily looking to be a club pro. More like going through the program so he would have the experience and maybe do some teaching kids or clinics kinda on the side but more using the business/management degree he would also have from the program as his career maybe in golf field with a golf brand or equipment maker or wouldn`t have to be in golf field that is the nice thing.

The good news is he’s young, ambitious, and sounds like a hard worker. It might perfect, might not be. One way to find out. There’s a lot of opportunity and he can certainly make his own path. You can meet a lot of people and never know what doors might open. One of my old co-workers was on the ground floor of Soft Spikes. I started my career as a pen & ink draftsman in the 80’s. One of our projects was RTJ International. I didn’t even play golf, but was lucky enough to meet the superintendent one day. Thought his job was neat, it was outside, and I was going to get laid off anyway because of the economy.

Funny how things work. Been away for awhile, learned a lot, met some cool people. When it became time to start a family I decided it was time to move on.

Still pretty proud of this little trinket though…

 

[Chef23]

More great replies, thanks so much. I don`t think he necessarily looking to be a club pro. More like going through the program so he would have the experience and maybe do some teaching kids or clinics kinda on the side but more using the business/management degree he would also have from the program as his career maybe in golf field with a golf brand or equipment maker or wouldn`t have to be in golf field that is the nice thing.

I think if he wants to work in the golf field it is a great idea/

 

[Sean]

Some people need to have the thing they love be different than what they do. Others need what they do to be what they love. I'd encourage him to take a part time job or internship to see if it's something he'd enjoy doing for work. If his passion is being in the golf industry or actually playing golf.

This. He needs to experience this for himself to really know one way or the other. To use a poor analogy, it would be the difference between looking at photos of new golf clubs versus actually hitting them.

 

[Et Tu Brute?]

The cost of higher education is so steep nowadays it's all a scary proposition, no matter what direction one chooses. My only advice is to try and maximize his value for money and get the most general, high-quality education possible.

I'd think it's possible to get work in the golf industry with a business or marketing degree that is not from a golf-specific school or program. I doubt it works as well in the opposite direction, getting a desirable job in non-golf business or marketing with a golf-specific degree.

So my "vote" would be to look at finding the best college fit, do a degree program in his desired major and acquire his golf-specific experience through internships or part-time/summer employment.

From my own experience and those of many people I've known, having as many good options as possible is a huge priority because even people who think they know what their career dreams are at age 18-20 often change more than once before the age of 25 or 30. If you're going to invest four years and tens of thousands of dollars in educating yourself then make it the most broadly useful education possible. That's worth far more than whatever help with first-job placements or internships might be available through a golf industry specific program IMO.