The PGA Professional - May 2018

The

Professional T H E

O F F I C I A L

P G A

M E M B E R S ’

M A G A Z I N E

Volume 14 Issue 5 May 2018

CLASS OF 2018 New PGA graduates honoured

Pros focus on the female factor

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CONTENTS

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The

Professional THE OFFICIAL PGA MEMBERS’ MAGAZINE Editor: Jane Carter PGA News and Features: Steven Carpenter (steven.carpenter@pga.org.uk); Adrian Milledge (adrian.milledge@pga.org.uk) Coaching: Dr. Marc Lochbaum Marketing: Antje Doel Contributors: Phil Barnard; golfbreaks.com; Nicole Wheatley; Angela Youngman Editorial assistant: Kelly Lewis Advertising sales: Ben Foster (ben.foster@pgapublishing.co.uk); Keith Foster (keith.foster@pgapublishing.co.uk) Employment opportunities: Yvonne McPhillips (recruitment@pga.org.uk) Photography: Getty Images, Adrian Milledge Design: Barbara Stanley PGA National Headquarters Centenary House The Belfry, Sutton Coldfield West Midlands B76 9PT Tel: 01675 470 333 Fax: 01675 477 888 The Professional Golfers’ Association Limited accepts no responsibility for the products or services offered by the advertisers in this publication nor does it necessarily agree with any views expressed, statements or claims made by the advertisers in this publication. ©The Professional Golfers’ Association Limited 2018 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photography and recording, without the written permission of the copyright holder, application for which should be addressed to the copyright holder (PGA). ®PGA, the Crest and PGA Pro – the Heart of Golf are registered trademarks of The Professional Golfers’ Association Limited.

F E AT U R E S

16 Class of 2018

PGA honours this year’s graduating students

21 Women mean business

Highlighting the great work of PGA Professionals with the launch of the campaign

INSIDE THE PGA

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This month from the Chairman

The future generation of PGA Professionals

PGA news

21

News from The PGA and the Regions

13 May tournament previews

Silversea PGA Senior Professional Championship, Titleist & FootJoy Women’s Professional Championship and Staysure PGA Trophy

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48 Coaching opinion

The mental game: Putting for beginners

60 PGA Member benefits 63 Employment opportunities The latest job vacancies

R E TA I L I N G

28 Trade news

Golf people and products

36 Retail watch

38

Don’t let the World Cup scupper your summer trading

38 Fit for purpose

Matching a golf ball to a player

43 Fashion

It’s in your customers’ hands!

T R AV E L

46 Running successful coaching trips for women PGA Professionals share their top hints

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49 Majestic Morocco

The firm favourite golfing destination

The

Professional T H E

O F F I C I A L

P G A

M E M B E R S ’

M A G A Z I N E

Volume 14 Issue 5 May 2018

50 Top travel picks for May MARKETING

54 Effective marketing

Paying attention to the changes at Facebook

CLASS OF 2018

57 Personal branding

New PGA graduates honoured

The power of the PGA Crest

Pros focus on the female factor

Front cover: Success for this year’s PGA graduates, see page 16

The PGA Professional

| May 2018

www.facebook.com /thepga

www.linked.com/company/ professional-golfers-association

57 www.twitter.com /thepga

JOHN DOE www.instagram.com PGA MEMBER /thepga

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Working Together for Business and Golf

Helping the golf industry do business

Centenary House, The Belfry, Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands B76 9PT www.pga.info Ž PGA and The Heart of Golf are registered trademarks of The Professional Golfers’ Association Limited.

VIEW FROM THE CHAIRMAN After what must have been one of the worst winters for golf and PGA Professionals in the UK and Ireland for many years, we are finally starting to see some better weather and I hope busier golf courses, pro shops and practice facilities.

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he sun came out this year just in time to mark the 21st PGA graduation ceremony which has been held at the University of Birmingham since 2009. The ceremony is held in the impressive Great Hall which was designed by the renowned Victorian architect Aston Webb and certainly provides a suitable backdrop for the graduation to take place.

The partnership between the PGA and UoB may at first glance seem surprising, however the relationship is based upon mutual respect and is as strong as ever, with both parties continuing to review and update the content of the courses and explore new areas for development. This includes the possibility of delivering the Advanced Golf Management Degree (AGMS) at their Dubai campus (The graduation of which takes place later allows them to actively engage as a golf professional whilst also in the summer). Coincidentally the University of Birmingham gaining a range of qualifications. The quality of the programme was founded in 1900, just one year before the PGA, with the is also reflected in the fact that most job adverts in the industry university representing a new model for higher education: a civic now specify PGA Professional status as an essential requirement. university where students from all religions and backgrounds This status is equally recognised abroad where over 1500 were accepted on an equal basis. The university could PGA members work and where increasing numbers be seen to share some of the values of the PGA the training of PGA graduates will inevitably take advantage which were established from its outset and in the future. It was also very pleasing to see programme underpin the organisation today. These being to that not all the graduates were men, with nine certainly is one help and support the personal and professional female trainees graduating this year. Although lives of all its members. The graduation was pleasing, they did form a significant minority of the most to celebrate the successful completion of the of participants and this is an area that needs demanding PGA training programme with over 120 PGA addressing in the future as there is surely a huge in sport trainees in attendance as they were welcomed as full opportunity for golf to embrace the women’s members of the PGA. The graduation, however, does market, one that within GB&I, remains largely not take the usual form and although it was undertaken at untapped. The culture of golf should be inclusive and open the university the ‘graduates’ were not wearing the usual ‘cap and to all, but of course, there are fundamental business reasons why gown’. The reason for this being that we were not there to solely the golf industry, the PGA and PGA Professionals should embrace celebrate the passing of the Foundation Degree in Golf Studies the women’s market. Women are loyal customers, they bring but also a range of other PGA assessments which are demanded friends to the game and as parents they have a big say in the sports of the PGA trainees. These include: Playability Tests, 21 rounds their children play. For all these reasons and more, it is imperative of competitive golf, First Aid and Safeguarding Qualifications that we have female role models to inspire women and girls to take whilst also working full time as an assistant to a Class A PGA up the game and become golfers for life. What better role model Professional. The demands placed on the trainees is therefore than the PGA Professional? Like many of us, I am hoping for a extensive with the training course certainly being one of the most great summer to help make up for such a bad winter. The Masters demanding in sport and worthy of the celebrations enjoyed by the has come and gone and we now look forward to the rest of The 450 family members who attended. The education programme Majors and of course the Ryder Cup in Paris. All of which, I am is the culmination of 50 years of training and education which sure, will generate some excitement, boost participation and help has led to the development of a balanced programme delivered make it a great season for us all. largely by experienced PGA members. Within it, the PGA trainees are introduced to golf coaching, custom fitting, Rules of Golf, business skills and Sport Science. The breadth of the training is complimented with practical skills acquired whilst working with an experienced PGA Professional and means that the PGA trainees Alan White participate within a holistic education programme which also Chairman

“ ”

The PGA Professional | May 2018

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News Pro-Captain Challenge heads to Mallorca THE FINAL of one of The PGA’s most popular tournaments, the SkyCaddie PGA Pro-Captain Challenge, will be contested on the Spanish island of Mallorca for the first time later this year.

The 36-hole tournament, which is supported by Golfplan Insurance, will see 10 pairs vying for a portion of the £25,000 prize fund on the Son Muntaner course from November 6-7.

The course is one of four that comprises Arabella Golf with a total of 63 holes. It was created in 2000 and redeveloped two years ago when a revolutionary type of grass, the Bermuda

Celebration, was sown to provide perfect playing conditions all year round.

The players, meanwhile, will stay at the nearby Sheraton Mallorca and Castillo Hotel Son Vida.

The finalists, made up of a PGA Professional and his or her club captain, will emerge from more than 500 pairs participating in regional qualifying tournaments. These will begin at Hayling Golf Club, Hampshire, on July 31 and end on September 26 at Bowood, Wiltshire.

Son Muntaner – the stage for the final of the SkyCaddie PGA Pro-Captain Challenge

Brown makes putting for all KENDLESHIRE’S EMMA Brown wants to help more golfers improve a key area of the game after becoming the latest PGA Professional to qualify as a Certified Putting Instructor (CPI).

The online course comprises four modules: the fundamentals of putting, putter technology, ideas for your business and lessons.

Course content is delivered through video and text, while students must achieve a score of more than 85 per cent to be awarded the CPI Certificate.

“The CPI Course has been a great experience,” said former England Under-18 international Brown, who is also coach to the Wiltshire Girls county team.

“I liked the layout of the course and to be able to go through it piece-by-piece. The videos were very clear and helpful and were great to recap the text and to be able to see the various elements.

“The putter side was good as well because it gave you a good insight into custom fitting and being able to understand how and why the various putter designs have changed.”

Other PGA Professionals to become Certified Putting Instructors include Alan Logan (Cochrane Castle Golf Club) and Oliver Wojciechowicz (Trent Park Golf Course).

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www.pga.info

News California girl returns to her roots ALICE HILUTA has joined Royal Mid-Surrey in south-west London Alice Hiluta as the club’s new Assistant professional to boost its teaching academy for beginners.

The 24-year-old from Essex has become the latest addition to the award-winning team, which also includes of eight PGA Professionals.

Hiluta has been involved in golf from a young age, having joined Chelmsford Golf Club, Essex, when she was 10 before quickly becoming the club’s junior captain.

She represented her county at both junior and senior levels before moving to California, USA, where she broadened her golfing education by studying for a degree in social behavioural science.

Now back in the UK, her new role will involve catering to the needs of a growing membership at Royal Mid-Surrey, which includes no fewer than 313 golfers in a thriving ladies’ section.

Hiluta said: “After spending some time studying in the States and working in the city, I couldn’t ignore my desire to coach any longer and decided to pursue a career in golf.

“Now at this special golf club with such an active playing membership, I want to encourage members to play and enjoy the game more, especially juniors.”

Sutcliffe aiding stroke survivors SARAH SUTCLIFFE is doing her bit to help stroke survivors keep active by providing free ‘Get into Golf ’ sessions.

Sutcliffe, a PGA Advanced Professional, runs the hour-long four-week courses at Tickenham Golf Club, Bristol, where she is head professional.

England Golf approached the 52-year-old last summer asking for help with the ‘Get into Golf ’ initiative, which was launched by North Somerset’s Stroke Association.

“There are many challenges and every participant is different,”

said Sutcliffe. “Some participants are wheelchair users. That was quite a challenge to start with, just to get them into the clubhouse and onto the driving range.

“Some of the participants have weaknesses on one side of their body from the stroke. To help them increase movements and strength in their weak hand, I have made them golf grips on the tops of cut shafts to take home and practise holding.”

Sutcliffe works with stroke survivors of all ages, gender and ability. England Golf helped fund the first two courses held in September and March but Sutcliffe has subsequently been successful in applying for £500 funding from Somerset Golf Union to continue the project for the rest of the year.

“Each new course tests my inventiveness and creativity to enable the participants to enjoy golf,” Sutcliffe added.

“It is the most amazing feeling to watch a smile appear on the face of someone who, whilst a stroke survivor, has been left with disabilities they believed would stop them either continuing or starting golf.

“I am passionate about teaching golf, but this is without doubt the most satisfying time of the Rewarding challenge week to help these brave and wonderful people.”

The PGA Professional

| May 2018

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News Graham opts for England’s green and pleasant land Sean Graham has swapped the desert for the Foxhills greens after taking on a new role as golf operations and retail manager at the historic Surrey club.

Graham recently returned to the UK after a threeyear stint at the luxurious Safaa Golf Club in Jedda, Saudi Arabia.

The 25-year-old has previously held roles at Marriott Forest of Arden, West Midlands, and Machynys Peninsula Golf & Country Club, Wales.

But after swapping the hot, desert climate for the unpredictable British weather, Graham is eager to put his stamp on the job, which has been created to oversee all aspects of the golf business at Foxhills.

He said: “I’d always wanted to travel and the opportunity came up to work in Saudi. I wanted to get a different perspective and the service at that facility is on a different level.

“It gave me a few ideas on what is possible in terms of a golf operation and I’m hoping to implement a few of those ideas to take the Foxhills experience and level of service to an even higher standard.”

Graham, who turned professional at 18 after learning the game at Wrekin Golf Club in Shropshire, is still keen to maintain the balance of playing representative golf as he juggles the business side of the role.

Surrey side up: Sean Graham has swapped Saudi Arabia for the prestigious Foxhills resort.

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New image for Get into Golf The ‘Get into Golf’ campaign has been relaunched with a bold, modern look, designed to shake up ideas about the sport.

England Golf has opted for bright colours, casual clothing and the thumbs-up from social influencers to show golf as fun, friendly and welcoming for beginners and improvers.

It aims to refresh and modernise the image of the game and sets out to inspire people to give golf a go. Its new website offers taster sessions and courses for beginners and improvers with features that make it easy for customers to find a session, book activities and pay online.

Get into Golf has also enlisted a group of social influencers from other sports who will be trying the game and reporting back to hundreds of thousands of followers on Instagram and other social media platforms.

England Golf chief executive, Nick Pink, said: “We’re presenting golf in a completely new way which will appeal to younger people who’ve never thought of playing or have been put off by the old image of the game.”

To visit the Get into Golf website to find and book activities go to: www.getintogolf.org

www.pga.info

News Carus Green gets PGA recognition CARUS GREEN Golf Club’s golf academy has cemented its place as one of the UK’s finest facilities after receiving PGA accreditation.

The newly named ‘PGA Golf Academy, Carus Green, Cumbria’ was launched in April and joins an elite group of PGA branded golf properties around the world.

With nine PGA Professionals, an 18-bay top specification driving range, two bespoke Flightscope fitting rooms, an indoor putting lab, chipping and putting green, outdoor all-weather short game practice area and state of the art GC2 golf simulator,

Make a note

Carus Green is renowned as one of the north of England’s premium golfing venues.

Carus Green’s owner, Graham Curtin, said: “We are absolutely thrilled to have been endorsed by The PGA as an accredited golf academy and are delighted we have reached the extremely high level of standards required to bear The PGA name.

“The value and global recognition of the PGA brand is huge and will really put Carus Green – and the county of Cumbria – on the map, as a centre of golfing excellence.”

National Living and National Minimum Wage changes from April 2018

From 1 April 2018 hourly rates Age range

Per hour

Workers aged 25 and over

£7.83

Workers aged 21-24

£7.38

Workers aged 18-20

£5.90

Workers aged under 18 (but above compulsory school leaving age)

£4.20

Apprentices under 19 or over 19 and in 1st year of apprenticeship

£3.70

The PGA Professional

| May 2018

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News Trackman course is a hit A TRACKMAN course at The Belfry gave 40 PGA Members an insight into the advanced use of ball flight in training and coaching situations.

Delivered by Michael Malone, Trackman sales director for the UK, Ireland and South Africa, the one-day workshop also provided direct training and feedback around Trackman.

“We do these workshops in Ireland, Scotland and down in the south of England in Surrey, but this is the best turnout we’ve had yet,” said Malone. “We go through some ideas of how to use Trackman and how to make money from owning one.

“The day included an introduction to Trackman, an introduction to club-fitting and coaching with Trackman, and then we had a couple of breakout sessions. We got the guys on the putting green, in the swing room and then tested the numbers they’d learned about.

“I hope everyone learns something new about Trackman and even the guys who already use it – maybe they’ve learned how to make a better business out of it.”

McAleer is first recipient of Rain Bird professional development bursary KEVIN MCALEER is hoping to take his career to new heights after being selected as the first recipient of a professional development bursary provided

by Rain Bird – global leaders in irrigation innovation.

PGA Professional McAleer, general manager of Helensburgh Golf Club in Argyll & Bute, begins his journey along the pathway towards an ASQ Level 5 Diploma in Golf Club Management.

Launched in 2016, the Diploma is run by the Golf Club Managers’ Association (GCMA) in partnership with The PGA and the British & International Golf Greenkeepers Association (BIGGA). The qualification covers all the core skills required to manage a golf club and is undertaken in the workplace, coupled with online and face-to-face workshops.

McAleer, who has previously worked at Gleddoch House Hotel and Golf Club, Glasgow, and Normandy Golf Centre, formerly in Renfew, was one of five applicants who made the 12

Kevin McAleer, General Manager of Helensburgh Golf Club (centre) pictured with (left) Alastair Higgs of Rain Bird Europe and Bob Williams, chief executive of the Golf Club Managers’ Association.

bursary shortlist. The 40-year-old impressed the panel with his presentation on the future of the golf industry during an interview day in Birmingham.

He said: “I’m delighted to have been given the opportunity to embark upon a course which will not only develop my own skills and knowledge, but will also benefit Helensburgh Golf Club.

“I am very much looking forward to getting started on the Diploma and to improving our water management practices with the support of Alastair Higgs and his colleagues at Rain Bird.” www.pga.info

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From Russia with intent Victory in the Silversea PGA Senior Professional Championship at Foxhills would mean former European Tour player Mark Nichols having to convert his prize money into rubles, writes Adrian Milledge.

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t’s tempting to assume Mark Nichols will be somewhat ring-rusty when he tees off in the Silversea PGA Senior Professional Championship at Foxhills this month.

After all, based in Moscow where snow often coats the fairways in April and the average temperature hovers above freezing, what chance will he have had to practise?

Assumptions, however, can be erroneous. In reality, Nichols has had plenty of opportunities to polish the skills with which he competed on the European Tour in the 1990s and made the cut in The Open at St Andrews in 1995.

A rapid thaw at the start of April that saw temperatures rocket from -10 to +20 within the space of four days left his local courses in what he described as “the best condition I’ve ever seen them in before June”.

In addition, two weeks in Turkey coaching individual clients afforded the 52-year-old time to hone his own game.

SERIOUS For Nichols, participation in the event that carries a £40,000 prize fund marks the start of some serious competitive action.

“I love tournament golf,” said Nichols, who played in the event two years ago and finished tied sixth.

“So I’m really looking forward to playing at Foxhills and then trying to qualify for the Senior British Open. It’s at St Andrews this year and I’d love to go back there after my experience in 1995. It would be a real trip down memory lane.”

Closer to home Nichols is hoping for an invitation to play in another Staysure The PGA Professional

| May 2018

Senior Tour event – the Russia Open Golf Championship at the Moscow Country Club in August.

The invite would be a result of Nichols becoming a well-known figure in Russian golf since he was appointed director of golf at Tselevo Golf and Polo Club in 2007.

He followed that with a lengthy spell at Moscow City Golf Club before embarking on his current role as head coach to

Memory lane: Mark Nichols has set his sights on competing at St Andrews this summer

the Moscow Golf Federation and freelance coach to private clients.

As well as coaching individuals, Nicholshas been playing his part in growing the game in Russia.

“I teach 400 students aged between eight and 15 attending the International School in Moscow for six weeks in a row,” he said.

“There are a lot of nationalities involved including plenty of Russians.”

In what has been an interesting and challenging journey, Nichols coached former World number one tennis player and

French and Australian Open champion Yevgeny Kafelnikov when he played on the European and Challenge Tours.

The journey has also seen him marry a Russian girl, start a family, learn the language and be granted residency – factors that have contributed to him staying in Russia for more than a decade.

LANGUAGE “Being able to speak Russian means I can teach anyone now,” he said. “The language barrier meant some people were reluctant to be taught by me before.

“And having residency means I can come and go from the country as I please.

I can travel back to the UK with my four-year-old daughter so that she can see her grandparents without having to get visas.”

That will be the scenario when Nichols heads for Foxhills.

While his daughter gets reacquainted with her grandparents, Nichols will be trying to improve on his performance of two years ago when he finished six shots behind Robert Arnott, the winner.

Should he do so then, as well as claiming the £6,000 winner’s cheque, he will end what has become a private game of pass the trophy between Arnott and Fraser Mann, the defending champion who also won the event in 2015.

As well as the pursuit for prize money that will take place over both courses at the Surrey resort and will involve two negotiations of the Bernard Hunt for the players who make the cut and one of the Longcross, the top 15 will qualify for the Staysure PGA Seniors Championship on the Staysure Tour, which will be staged at the London Club in August.

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Texas on my mind Marie Martindale has set her sights on going to Texas as a member of the Great Britain and Ireland Women’s PGA Cup team but fears poor putting could scupper her dream, writes Adrian Milledge.

Marie Martindale

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our of the places in the five-strong team to contest the multi-national competition in Texas next year will be determined by performances in the 2018 and 2019 Titleist & Footjoy Women’s Professional Championship.

And should Marie Martindale reprise last year’s display which saw her finish tied second at Trentham next month she will be on course.

The worry for the 38-year-old, however, is finding a cure for the glitch in her game that resulted in her finishing tied second at The Berkshire and not first.

Having earned a place in a three-way playoff with Alison Nicholas and Alison Gray after posting three birdies in the last four holes, Martindale appeared set to win the tournament at the first sudden death hole.

“I was the only one on the green,” recalled Martindale, who coaches at Hampstead Golf Club in north London. “But I three-putted and that was that.”

The problem was apparent in the first WPGA One Day Series tournament of the season at Little Aston last month when she finished tied sixth with a three-over-par score of 77.

“Thirty-six of those shots were putts,” she added. “I need to sort my putting out desperately. I’m struggling with it.”

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To that end, Martindale has enlisted the help of James Jankowski, a PGA pro at Old Fold Manor. “He specialises in putting. He’s got all the equipment, including a Quintic Putting Lab. I was immediately on the phone to him after I finished at Little Aston.”

THE BIGGER PICTURE In addition, to seeking a cure for her putting ills, Martindale plans to play a practice round at Trentham with Alison Nicholas, the former US Women’s Open Champion.

Nicholas, who prevailed in the play-off last year to win the event for the first time, will be playing at Trentham, as will Gray, her vanquished opponent.

Gray, who won in 2003 and 2004, will be joined at the Staffordshire course by former champions Catherine Panton-Lewis, Tracy Loveys, Alex Keighley and Suzanne Dickens.

As well as vying for the £1,000 first prize, they, and the rest of the field, will have their eyes on the bigger picture – a place in the Great Britain and Ireland Women’s PGA Cup team.

“It would be a great honour to represent The PGA in something like that and have the experience,” added Martindale. “There’s certainly more incentive now and I want to be going to Texas next year.”

Staysure opportunity for pros and senior amateurs A new pro-am competition sponsored by Staysure, the insurance specialists for over 50s, is offering PGA Professionals and an amateur partner the chance to play at some of Great Britain and Ireland’s finest courses.

Known as the Staysure PGA Trophy, the competition carries a £30,000 prize fund and will be contested by PGA pros and a male or female amateur partner aged 50 or over.

Seven regional qualifiers, played across Great Britain and Ireland, will determine the pairs taking part in the Grand Final from July 31 to August 1 at the London Golf Club near Sevenoaks, Kent.

Maxstoke Park, on the fringe of Birmingham, will host the first qualifier on Tuesday May 22 and the final place will be decided at Kings Hill, Kent on July 16. There will also be qualifiers staged in Scotland and Ireland.

The final will be contested before the Staysure Seniors Championship at the London Golf Club and the winner will earn £7,500.

All amateur finalists will also be given the opportunity to compete alongside a leading Staysure Tour player in the Staysure Seniors Championship which follows on August 2.

Tristan Crew, PGA executive director – members services, added: “We are always looking at ways to provide more playing opportunities for our Members, and the introduction of this new proam competition is another example of how we are fulfilling that pledge.”

www.pga.info

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A time to shine Michael Shrieve, head professional at The Grove, Watford, is top of the form

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EXTRAORDINARY Addressing the 98 graduates plus the friends and relatives who had joined them, Heggarty, the head PGA Professional at Royal Liverpool Golf Club, said: “The PGA represents the biggest brand in golf and you are about to embark on a new journey that will take you in a variety of directions.

“You started the programme as ordinary, passionate and enthusiastic golfers. You now leave the programme as extraordinary skilled professionals.”

Shrieve, 28, set his sights on winning the award after finishing third in the Year 2 standings. Achieving his aim, however, involved sacrifices – not least his holidays.

“I made it my goal to win the award after finishing third last year,” he explained.

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Michael Shrieve received the award for Titleist PGA Assistant of the Year

‘‘

I’ve wanted to be a PGA pro since I started playing golf when I was 15 and I’m incredibly proud to have qualified as one

‘‘

ertfordshire golf professional Michael Shrieve has realised a longheld ambition in what is proving to be a memorable year by winning The PGA’s most prestigious award for its Assistants, writes Adrian Milledge.

Shrieve, head professional at The Grove, Watford, the stage for the 2016 British Masters, has been named Titleist PGA Assistant of the Year.

In recognition of his achievement, Shrieve collected the Whitcombe Cox Trophy and a cheque for £3,500 from Matthew Johnson, Titleist brand director, and PGA captain John Heggarty at the PGA Graduation Ceremony held at the University of Birmingham.

Michael Bradfield (Elie Links) and Matthew Pugh (John Reay Golf Centre) were top in Years 2 and 1 respectively, Jennifer Potter (Loch Lomond Golf Club) was the leading female Assistant of the Year, and Alexander Price (Pontypool Golf Club) won the GolfPride – Equipment Technology and Custom-Fitting Award.

“I was the top student at Bournemouth where I studied sports management and wanted to follow suit with The PGA. “I’m not the greatest golfer in the world but I really enjoy the academic and practical side, especially coaching and retailing.

So I gave up my annual leave to ensure my assignments were the best they could possibly be.

“I’ve wanted to be a PGA pro since I started playing golf when I was 15 and I’m incredibly proud to have qualified as one.”

Shrieve’s route into golf was the result of what turned out to be a happy accident.

“I was really into skateboarding in my teens but had one bad fall too many,” he recalled. “My parents said enough was enough so, as my best friend at the time was obsessed by golf, I joined him for a game. Although I managed to get the ball airborne only a couple of times, I was hooked and it’s gone on from there.”

That first round at Chartridge Park Golf Club in Buckinghamshire not only resulted in Shrieve taking up the game but also having lessons with Jeremy Riley, the PGA pro there and working part time in his shop.

Shrieve also worked in Florida for 10 months and, attached to The Grove, www.pga.info

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Chief exective Robert Maxfield addresses the new generation of graduates looking to go forward in their careers as PGA Professionals

embarked on his PGA training after obtaining his degree in sports management.

His time at The Grove has not only coincided with his three of years of training culminating in being named Titleist PGA Assistant of the Year but also his appointment as head PGA Professional.

“I was appointed the assistant operations manager to start with and then 10 months ago the head pro left and they turned to me,” he explained.

“Seven PGA pros report to me and there’s a huge amount of responsibility.

The Grove has shown a great deal of faith in me and I can’t thank them enough.

Becoming head pro was a career goal and this is a dream job.”

By way of proving things can happen in threes, Shrieve has another momentous event to look forward to in what he describes as a ‘whirlwind year’.

“I’m getting married in August,” he added, “so the prize money will be really useful in going towards paying for the

wedding. I’d like to thank Titleist for sponsoring the award and The PGA for my excellent training.”

TECHNOLOGY The PGA Training Programme, encompassing the three year Foundation Degree, was founded more than 50 years ago and covers all aspects of golf including business, equipment technology and repairs, rules and tournament organisation, sports science and sports psychology.

Training and education remain an

integral part of The PGA - it also runs an honours degree in association with the University of Birmingham and is in partnership with the University of Highlands and Islands in Scotland.

Once qualified, PGA Members undergo a process of continual professional development to keep them up to speed with all the latest developments in the sport and wider golf industry.

PGA chief executive Rob Maxfield said: “The PGA Graduation day is always inspirational and gives me great confidence

2018 Titleist PGA Assistant of the Year Position

Name

1st

Michael Shrieve

2nd

Michael Lander

3rd

Region

Club

3,500

East

The Grove

2,500

Scottish

St Andrews Links Golf Academy

Daniel Leeke

1,500

South

Royal Mid Surrey Golf Club

4th

Andrew Shakespear

1,250

East

Warren Golf Club

5th

James Dick

1,000

Scottish

Duddingston Golf Club

6th

Tom Jessamine

900

West

Exeter Golf & Country Club

7th

Mark Pilkington

800

North

Pwllheli Golf Club

8th

Jennifer Potter

700

Scottish

Loch Lomond Golf Club

9th

Derek Ramsay

600

Scottish

Moray Golf Club

10th

Ryan Newman

500

East

Brookmans Park Golf Club

11th

Kiril Slatinski

450

Overseas

Unattached

12th

Kyle Potter

400

South

Pendulum Golf

13th

Timothy Dykes

350

North

Penrith Golf Club

14th

John Findlater

300

Overseas

Alto Golf & Country Club

15th

Michael Moore

250

East

Pinner Hill Golf Club

The PGA Professional

| May 2018

Award (£)

17

P G A

G R A D U A T I O N

each year the game of golf is in good hands for generations to come.

“The quality of the graduates coming through our PGA Training Programme is second to none and there’s no doubt they are starting at the beginning of their careers which could take them to almost any corner of the world.

“I congratulate each and every one of them for their hard work and effort they have put into obtaining the qualification. I wish them all success wherever the game of golf takes them.”

‘‘

The quality of the graduates coming through our PGA Training Programme is second to none

‘‘

Matthew Johnson, Titleist brand director, added: “We are pleased to continue our support of the Titleist PGA Assistant of the Year award, recognising this as a starting point of the PGA’s commitment to provide its Members with a framework for lifelong learning.

“Titleist has had a long standing commitment to PGA Professionals, we realise and endorse that they play a key role in the development and growth of the game across all levels.

“So we are delighted to support the next generation of qualified professionals, we look forward to working with them and would like wish them well with their future careers.”

2 0 1 8

Golf is the business for Bradfield MICHAEL BRADFIELD, a PGA Assistant who developed his golfing skills at the world famous Scottish resort of Gleneagles has won a prestigious PGA award.

The 31-year-old who is training at Elie Links on Scotland’s Fife coast to become a PGA Professional, has been named the Year 2 PGA Assistant of the Year.

In recognition of his achievement, Bradfield was presented with the Lord Derby Trophy and a cheque for £1,000

by PGA captain John Heggarty at the PGA Graduation Ceremony held at the University of Birmingham.

His decision to become a PGA pro, however, is a case of golf

Derby day (from left): Matthew Johnson (Titleist brand director), Michael Bradfield and John Heggarty (PGA captain)

gaining at the expense of the

was younger. Then I went off

business community.

to university and thought that

He already has a degree in

would determine my career.

economics and marketing and

“Not that I regret going to

the prospect of him changing

university. I really enjoyed it and

course at the start of his days at

think it opens up a lot of doors.”

university appeared as unlikely as his introduction to golf.

In that respect, the degree in economics and marketing may

“I got into golf when I was

come in useful if Bradfield’s

eight years old,” he recalled.

golfing career goes according

“That was through friends – it’s

to plan.

quite strange because there

“I would like to do a few

aren’t any golfers in the family. I

years coaching first and some

was a member at Gleneagles for

hands-on experience abroad

a several years.

would be useful,” he added.

“I turned pro in 2015 and

“But I see myself going into

that was the ambition when I

management in the long term.”

Year 2 – Top Five

18

Position

Name

Region

Club

1st

Michael Bradfield

Scottish

Elie Links

2nd

Graeme McDougall

Scottish

Elie Links

3rd

Ben Arthur Wilkinson

South

Royal Winchester Golf Club

4th

Stuart Davis

Midlands

Ormonde Fields Golf & Country Club

5th

Ashley Dart

South

Beaverbrook Golf Club

www.pga.info

P G A

G R A D U A T I O N

2 0 1 8 Graduation day: The class of 2018 with PGA captain John Heggarty on the steps of the Great Hall at The University of Birmingham

PGA rookie of the year is making up for lost time PGA ASSISTANT Matt Pugh is proving the adage that life can begin at 40 or thereabouts.

Pugh, who lives in Coventry and works at the John Reay Golf Centre on the cusp of the city, has been named the PGA Rookie of the Year.

In recognition of his achievement, Pugh collected the Major John Bywaters Trophy and a cheque for £1,000 from PGA captain John Heggarty at the PGA Graduation Ceremony held at the University of Birmingham.

The award is the latest stage of a journey for the 38-year-old who, inspired by Tiger Woods, took up golf as a teenager.

“I started playing when I was 16,” recalled Pugh, who is almost two thirds of the way through the three year course that will lead to him becoming a PGA Professional.

“That was when Tiger came on the scene. I thought golf was boring but he

changed that perception and inspired me to start playing.”

Pugh took steps to turn his interest into a career by completing an HND in golf

Night shift: PGA Rookie of the Year and family man Matthew Pugh has been burning the midnight oil to complete his assignments

course management at Reaseheath College in Cheshire.

Most of his contemporaries went into greenkeeping but Pugh still harboured hopes of becoming a golf pro.

“I didn’t fancy greenkeeping,” he added.

“So I started work in the pro shop at the Welcombe Hotel in Stratford-upon-Avon and took things from there.

“It’s been a long road because of injuries and illness but once I got my handicap down to four to be eligible for the course, that was it.”

In addition to combining his studies with working full time at the John Reay Golf Centre, Pugh has a young family. All of which often means burning the midnight oil to complete his assignments.

“There’s been a lot of working into the early hours to get assignments done,” he said. “It’s hard graft at times so this award makes it all worthwhile.”

Year 3 – Top Five Position

Name

Region

Club

1st

Matthew Pugh

Midlands

John Reay Golf Centre

2nd

Kieran Blackshaw

South

Cuddington Golf Club

3rd

Kym Larratt

Midlands

Kibworth Golf Club

4th

Tara Delaney

Ireland

Carlow Golf Club

5th

Rory Kirwan

Midlands

Kenilworth Golf Club

The PGA Professional

| May 2018

19

P G A

G R A D U A T I O N

2 0 1 8

Loch Lomond’s Potter hails bosses’ support The winner of the Ladies European Tour Female PGA Assistant of the Year award has attributed the support from her two bosses as key to her success.

Jennifer Potter, who began her training to become a PGA Professional at Cawder Golf Club, completed it at Scotland’s exclusive Loch Lomond Golf Club.

In recognition of her achieve­ ment, Potter was presented with the Beverly Lewis Trophy and a cheque for £1,750 from award sponsor the Ladies European Tour (LET) by PGA captain John Heggarty at the PGA Graduation Ceremony held at the University of Birmingham. In addition to her cheque from the LET, Potter received £700 from Titleist, sponsors of the Year 3 Awards.

Commenting on her success, the 28-year-old Scot had no hesitation in thanking the head pro at Cawder where she spent three years, and the director of

golf at Loch Lomond. She said: “My bosses, who are both PGA pros, have played a huge part in guiding me through the course.

“Initially it was Gordon Stewart at Cawder and for the last few months it was Guy Redford at Loch Lomond.”

Potter fell in love with golf from the day she started playing when she was 10-years-old. However, her ambitions to follow a career in the game took a detour when she studied geography with a view to becoming a teacher.

But the topography of golf courses and coaching the game proved irresistible and she embarked on The PGA’s three-year training programme.

“I’ve always loved golf and wanted to have a future in it, especially coaching,” she said.

“But once on the course I discovered there was so much more to it than either playing or coaching – business, custom-fitting,

First lady: Jennifer Potter

repairing clubs. Then there’s the prospect of running your own business in golf, which is exciting.

And running a large one would be pretty cool as well.

“So it’s been a good decision and it’s privilege and honour to qualify as a PGA pro and win this award.”

Club-fitting is a family affair for award-winning Price PGA PROFESSIONAL Alexander Price is proving a chip off the old block when it comes to the art of golf club-fitting and repairs.

The 23-year-old has won The PGA’s Golf Pride Equipment Technology and Custom-

20

Fitting Award which, given he has an expert in the art to hand, should come as a no surprise. The expert in question is his father, Stephen, a PGA tutor and member of the training academy’s equipment and technology team. “My father inspired me to get into this,” said Pope who works at Pontypool Golf Club, Monmouthshire, and has just qualified as a PGA Professional.

In recognition of his achievement, Price was presented with a cheque for £1,500 by Conor Dillon, Golf Pride regional manager EMEA, at the PGA Graduation Ceremony held at the University of Birmingham.

Predictably, Price senior was also instrumental in getting his son to play golf – as soon as possible.

“I was swinging a club at 18 months old,” Price recalled. “We used to go Perfect fit: to Celtic Manor to practise.

Alexander Price (left) and That’s how I got into it.”

Conor Dillon (Golf Pride) Having turned professional

at 19 and with The PGA’s three-year training programme behind him, Price has set his sights on becoming a traditional golf club professional.

“I’d like a head pro’s role at a golf club, running my own golf shop and doing the things I do now and love – club-fitting, coaching, club repairs.

“In addition, I’d like to follow my father and become an equipment technology tutor and examiner for The PGA.” Conor Dillon is also a PGA Professional and, commenting on Golf Pride’s continuing support for the award, he added: “I would like to congratulate Alexander on a great achievement in winning the Golf Pride Custom-Fitting and Equipment Technology Award.

“Golf Pride is proud to partner The PGA with its quest of continuously raising educational standards, to ensure its Members will be well placed for future success in their chosen areas of expertise.” www.pga.info

Women mean business This month the PGA launches its first game development campaign, focussing on promoting golf to the women and girls market and highlighting the great work being done by PGA Professionals. Nicole Wheatley explains. qualified people to facilitate the journey from beginner through to dedicated golfer, so it is essential to create a pathway for new female golfers that leads new business prospects straight to our members’ doors.”

‘‘

creating positive messages around golf... promoting the great work that members are already doing... it can show that things have moved on. Women and families are welcome!

‘‘

L

et’s face it! Historically women and golf have a complicated relationship and this has inevitably contributed to a lack of female interest in taking up golf. This ‘problem’ actually presents a great opportunity, because the women’s market remains mainly untapped. The PGA believes that by creating positive messages around golf and promoting the great work that members are already doing in this field it can show that things have moved on.

Women and families are welcome!

Promoting diversity in the sport is the right thing to do, but by targeting consumers The PGA is also taking steps to safeguard members’ businesses and ensuring that they thrive. “Opening up new business opportunities for our members is a priority,” explains Dr Jonathan Wright, The PGA’s recently appointed Golf Development Executive. “PGA members are the most

The female golf development project, which launches this month, is simply called ‘WeLoveGolf’. This is a consumer facing PR and Social Media campaign designed to make the sport appealing by showing women a side of golf they may not be aware of. Using insight from research across the industry The PGA’s team will create content that will be light hearted, promote the health and social benefits associated with golf and – most importantly – embed the PGA Professional at the heart of the women’s game.

Unlike initiatives you may have seen elsewhere, the primary goal for ‘WeLoveGolf’ is not to break down barriers or to challenge pre-conceptions. This is a PR campaign designed to improve the image of golf through positive reinforcement. It will show that women, just like them, love to play golf and that the best way to get into golf is with

Promoting the great work of PGA Professionals in the area of women and girls golf will be the focus for this year.

The PGA Professional

| May 2018

21

22

FUTURE OF THE GAME There are many reasons why women are important for the future of the game. Members who are already running successful women’s programmes all report that the value women bring to golf goes well beyond simply adding to the business’ bottom line.

Women like to share their interests. They bring their friends. They volunteer. They fundraise. And, as the recent R&A Women’s and Girls’ Participation report documented, as parents, women also inform decisions about what sport their children take up.

By embracing women you are guaranteeing revenue streams and opening up new ones, but measuring success in terms of driving memberships is unrealistic. The average conversion rate from beginner to member is around 2 years and even longer for women.

‘WeLoveGolf’ is about creating loyal golfers and regular, good business opportunities for members. Research shows that women stay where they learn to play, so a short-term investment can create a long-term revenue stream. Their financial contribution between lesson one and becoming a member can be incredibly significant.

In the coming months we will be gaining valuable insight based on the experiences of PGA members from home and abroad who have already developed successful female-orientated programmes. We will share their knowledge across The PGA’s media channels to show members how they have accessed the women’s market.

We will also be showcasing these members’ programmes, and the women they work with, to create editorial content that for the ‘WeLoveGolf’ PR campaign that will show that women of all ages enjoy playing golf.

TARGETING THE RIGHT CUSTOMER PGA Professional magazine will carry a series of articles which will help members

‘‘

Research shows that women stay where they learn to play, so a short-term investment can create a long-term revenue stream

Photo courtesy of Mrs Jones

‘‘

This is a PR campaign designed to support the PGA’s current golf development strategy; targeting the women and families markets. By sharing the success stories of members already working in these markets we will be able to develop best practice case studies, to be shared across the PGA’s channels, and create a consumer PR campaign.

The consumer campaign will highlight the benefits of playing golf and place PGA members at the heart of the learning journey. By showing that women of all ages are already playing golf, the hope is that more women will be encouraged to play.

Giving these potential new players access to information about golf in a space that they are familiar is an important part of the campaign. The PGA will be using Facebook to host this content on a page called ‘WeLoveGolf’. Here there will be member generated content that promotes a positive image of golf and addresses some of the questions new players have.

It will also have a call to action directing users to members who are delivering successful female-orientated programmes.

To broaden the reach and appeal of the campaign The PGA will also be using the #WeLoveGolf on Twitter and Instagram. The PGA wants to show the diverse community of people who all love golf and will encourage members to use this hashtag when posting on their own channels. The PGA will also be using this hashtag at key events throughout the year.

Any members who feel that they have relevant stories to share should contact jonathan.wright@pga.org.uk

the help of a PGA Professional. According to Sports Marketing Surveys Inc research, women who already play golf describe it above everything as ‘friendly’, so that is how we will present it.

www.pga.info

design a pathway for women that meets their own business needs. Research shows that identifying and targeting the right type of woman is critical to successfully retaining them. Women tend not to golf for golf’s sake, so we’ll be seeing what angles have worked for other members. For instance, incorporating a social aspect to their experience or adapting the way that they coach. The articles will cover the whole journey with advice and information on how to recruit, engage and retain women’s business.

‘WeLoveGolf’ aims to gain coverage for The PGA and its members’ programmes in women’s lifestyle press and across social media. “To bring new business in we need to target women who, as of right now, don’t realise that they would enjoy hitting a golf ball. This means communicating with women in media that we don’t normally appear in and ways that they understand.

There is no point in talking about golf in terms of lessons and handicaps. Women want different things from their leisure

MEMBER SPOTLIGHT Sarah Bennett

Sarah Bennett, who offers group coaching to women, benefits entirely from word of mouth recommendations

Sarah Bennett, PGA Fellow, launched Golfing Girl nine years ago which was one of the first ladies’ groups in the UK to offer a complete golfing activities programme.

Sarah runs her two hour Golfing Girl group coaching sessions, which she delivers on a monthly basis. She has found this to be the most productive format to help women make real progress. “Running weekly lessons was proving to be incredibly counterproductive. Women didn’t have the free time to practice in between and would turn up anxious.

“The 2 hours flies by and I believe the women taking part achieve more within the 2 hourly session than they did during the more frequent hourly session.”

Sarah believes that the key to delivering successful female projects lies in making women feel at ease, whether this is with each other, on the course or in the clubhouse. “Walking into a clubhouse on your own can still be a very uncomfortable situation for a woman attending their first lesson. I insist on making that easier by getting women to call me in advance so I can understand their needs.”

Surprisingly, Sarah attributes the popularity of Golfing Girl to the women who have taken her sessions and follow on activities. She has never advertised or promoted the sessions, instead generating new business through word of mouth alone.

Women’s, Girls’ and Family Participation in Golf The R&A issued its Women’s, Girls’ and Family Participation in Golf report earlier this year. The R&A’s team drew together all of the existing research that investigated the factors affecting family participation as a whole. They analysed the findings of academic research papers, industry publications, market research and also consulted a range of industry experts.

There are some interesting findings that members can use to make informed decisions about their female and family programmes.

the images you use on your website or in marketing materials reflect the reality of your venue, but are non-threatening.

It’s essential to understand your target market before you start promoting your services Decide what sort of women you want to attract and design coaching that fits their needs. This forward planning can also help you avoid resistance from within. If you think carefully about the type of person you want to attract to the facility you can avoid alienating current members.

Small changes make a big difference Many female golfers are put off making the transition from lessons to a full size course. The traditional 18 hole layout is intimidating, but by adapting course layouts you can aid enjoyment levels for female beginners and aid the transition to more regular participation.

Stereotypes still exist Although we may believe that there is no such thing as a stereotypical golfer nowadays; that perception still exists amongst non-golfers. Make sure that

The PGA Professional

| May 2018

And beware of stereotyping Many women and children experience what is described as ‘statistical discrimination’ at the golf club.

In other words, a bad experience or preconception leads to an individual stereotype becoming applied to a group of people as a whole, so try and make sure that your members are open minded about new faces.

Being ‘Family Friendly’ is more than a strapline If you want to promote your venue as ‘Family Friendly’ it is essential that you are able to provide all of the facilities that a family would associate with this term elsewhere, for instance; priority parking, a crèche or a play area.

23

What women want It’s very easy to fall into the trap of talking about ‘women’ in generic terms. What a millennial woman wants and expects is dramatically different from that of a middle aged woman and each brings a different value. For instance, a millennial is likely to share their experience on social media and essentially becomes an integral part of your own marketing. The middle aged and 50+ markets have higher levels of disposable income and free time they are most likely to convert to a club member.

As well as considering the type of woman to target there are other considerations that should inform the decisions you make about the offer you have in place.

According to latest figures from the Office for National Statistics 71% of women (16-64) work, so offering mid-week daytime taster courses will only reach a fraction of your potential market.

Childcare is also a factor, which some members are addressing by including children in coaching sessions. Designing a programme that suits you and your club is the key to the success of this campaign. One size does not fit all and that is the beauty of the women’s market.

time and golf offers them in abundance,” explained Dr Jonathan Wright.

The PR and Social Media campaigns will highlight the associated benefits of playing golf such as the physical and mental wellness and social side of the game. The campaign will also speak to women’s desire to ‘get away from it all’ and the opportunity to relax and turn off the mobile phone. All of this activity will direct readers interested in finding out more about golf to a brand

new social media platform, owned by the PGA, but branded ‘WeLoveGolf’.

By creating a space in Facebook to manage and promote ‘WeLoveGolf ’, The PGA is taking golf to women rather than requiring them to come to us. Facebook is a much more familiar space in which they already educate themselves about all manner of things, so communicating with them here and giving them access to content generated by PGA members makes

MEMBER SPOTLIGHT John Cheetham After spending 15 years successfully growing women’s sections in various different roles, John decided to bring together all of his experience under one banner; Ladies Love Golf. 72 women attended the launch night in February 2015 and more than half of them signed up to the programme there and then.

What John has observed and had confirmed through a series of questionnaires to his ladies was that women wanted to improve, socialise and play. Ladies Love Golf encapsulates these principles. Coaching sessions are in groups, as this is the format that they prefer, and the community plays and socialises together – even taking trips abroad.

Ladies Love Golf prides itself on the quality of its content, but John puts equal measure on the importance of the delivery. He wants to ensure the ladies have a fantastic experience each and every week. “Golf can seem to be intimidating so we make sure we give each lady an incredible first, and lasting, impression. We always provide a friendly welcome, which helps to instantly build up rapport.

This is so important. If LLG ladies are smiling and having fun then I’m doing my job properly.”

Things you need to know about female golf Sports Marketing Surveys Inc compiled a report for The PGA sharing insight from its own research into what motivates the female golfer. Here are some of the key learnings: • Female golfers aren’t always club members: 33% of golf actives are women compared to just 14% who are golf club members

• Women play golf for Health and Social reasons: 75% play to keep fit and 64% see golf as a chance to spend time with friends

• Short formats are important to female golfers: 75% of women questioned play 9 holes or less when they play

• Your current members could be the best way to recruit women in to the game! 79% of the female golfers questioned have family members who also play golf

• The weather matters! 38% of women said rain would stop play and 20% said that cold weather would keep them off the course

24

www.pga.info

complete sense. We also hope that women will use this space to share their experiences of learning to play golf.

To complete the customer journey the ‘WeLoveGolf’ social media platform will have a ‘Get Started’ call to action. This will direct women interested in taking the next step to a network of members already offering women’s golf programmes. This method of recruitment has proven to be incredibly successful in other sports such as netball where there was a 44% increase in participation at grass roots level in the last year alone!

KEY INFLUENCERS Social media will play a really important part raising awareness of the ‘WeLoveGolf ’ campaign.

The PGA’s hashtag ‘WeLoveGolf ’ will be used on all social media communications and we will be asking members and key influencers to share the reasons why they love the game. This simple mechanic will be really effective and with the right supporters has the potential to generate significant organic interest. ‘WeLoveGolf ’ will also be integrated into The PGA’s activity at The Open and The Women’s British Open with social media activity planned at both events.

The PGA has developed ‘WeLoveGolf ’ as a means to generate business for members by bringing more women into the game. The campaign aims to prepare members to cater for this interest and capitalise on the opportunity this new business presents. Member to member support is a founding principle of the PGA and is essential to the success of this campaign. If you have positive news to share and experiences of how to develop the women’s game wherever you are based we would welcome your input. Simply contact jonathan.wright@pga.org.uk

The PGA Professional

| May 2018

MEMBER SPOTLIGHT Alastair Spink

Alastair Spink wants love.golf coaching sessions to create unique experiences

love.golf is a women-only golf initiative led by a community of PGA Professionals across the UK and Europe, supported by global agricultural company, Syngenta. Its origins lie in Founder and Head Coach of love.golf, Alastair Spink’s, interest in the disparity between male and female membership figures.

As Alastair explains: “When I looked at the reasons why women were less likely to become club members I began to realise that, as well as rarely making it onto a golf course, women were often put off by the rules, regulations and interference from men – it seems we can’t help but offer unsolicited advice.”

The idea for love.golf developed over several years, stemming from Alastair’s academic research exploring how women want to be coached. A successful pilot scheme in 2016 was quickly followed by a roll out. love.golf now has an established community of 30 PGA Professionals and continues to push boundaries with the introduction of coach-led experiences. Each love.golf session takes place in groups, on the golf course, and coaches are encouraged to incorporate additional elements into the sessions to create truly unique experiences.

“As an industry, we’re so often guilty of taking a standardised approached based on an assumption of what ‘women’ want, but the reality is that their individual aims are entirely different. This is something our coaches were very aware of, so we took steps to free up their imagination and create an environment for them to share ideas. This ensures love.golf sessions continue to tackle this complex issue and deliver memorable experiences to women all around the country and beyond.”

25

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T R A D E

59club and CourseMate partner to help raise club excellence

59CLUB, GOLF industry specialists in measuring customer service levels, have teamed up with CourseMate, creators of club-specific golf apps, to provide a service that improves communication and customer service to clubs.

The CourseMate app, is bespoke to each club providing its members and visitors with course management guidance including: GPS, course layout, flyovers and scorecards.

The app also works to improve member communication and club attendance with instant updates on events and club promotions, it also provides a direct route to book tee times and social events.

The clever addition of 59club’s member app; golftell, creates a new channel for members (and their guests) to ‘privately’ communicate their views direct to management allowing clubs to make informed decisions to improve their member experience.

The partnership creates a technological and customer service win-win for clubs and Simon Wordsworth 59club CEO said: “We are delighted to join forces with CourseMate.

“The combined use of our mobile technologies will result in a boost in customer satisfaction, revenues and profits at all associated client clubs.

“The new member app comes as an extension to our my59 suite of Satisfaction Surveys, Mystery Shopping Audits and Customer Review tools. Its addition creates the complete ‘Quality Assurance’ package within my59 for clubs to excel.”

Jenni Biggs, CourseMate co-founder, added: “We are proud and excited to be given the opportunity to work with such a reputable organisation as 59club.

“They have an amazing team and with both of our company’s desire to improve the industry and bring more people back to their favourite clubs, it can only go from strength to strength.” www.59club.com www.coursemateapp.co.uk 28

N E W S

Promotion for Holmes at SkyCaddie PGA PARTNER SkyCaddie has promoted long-serving employee James Holmes to the role of general manager, UK and Europe.

Holmes was previously UK and European sales manager at the company, title sponsor of the PGA Pro-Captain Challenge known for its SkyCaddie, SkyTrak and SkyPro product lines.

As well as running the operational team at SkyCaddie’s European headquarters in Buckinghamshire, Holmes will oversee all UK & European sales and marketing programmes as well as forging relationships for SkyCaddie and its brands throughout the golf industry.

In the short term Holmes will oversee a new marketing campaign for the award-winning SkyTrak – the sport’s fastest-growing launch monitor and golf simulator.

Holmes joined SkyCaddie a decade ago and, commenting on his new role, he said: “We live in an age where new technology appears at almost bewildering speed.

“Our job is to harness its potential, apply it to golf and, through brilliant product design, give it to golfers so they can enjoy the game more, and bring their handicap down.

“SkyCaddie is known throughout the golf industry for quality. Whether in the way we map golf courses, or the way we build our products, or the way we interact with our customers, all SkyCaddie’s new general manager, UK and Europe, James Holmes golfers know that our brands can be relied upon to out-perform others in the market.

“With the relatively recent arrival of SkyTrak and SkyPro we are in an exciting new phase in the company’s development. We still obsess every day about giving golfers the most accurate distance advice, but nowadays we are also known for far more than that.

“Now, SkyCaddie products are helping to improve performance and supplying entertainment in all corners of the golf club, from clubhouse simulator nights, to indoor swing rooms, to lessons out on the driving range, and out to the golf course where SkyCaddie technology all comes down to one thing: giving you extra confidence when you hit your next crucial golf shot.” www.skycaddie.co.uk www.pga.info

T R A D E

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Trump International tees off with Huxley HUXLEY GOLF has recently completed the installation of a large all-weather practice tee area at the prestigious Trump International Golf Links in Aberdeenshire.

The tee, which is 12 foot wide and 84 foot long and incorporates 10 bays, was created using Huxley Golf Premier Tee Turf 2.

The work was carried out during the autumn in readiness for play throughout the winter months and overseen by Huxley Golf ’s Hugh Fraser who worked alongside Steve Wilson, the course manager.

Commenting on the installation, Wilson said: “Our members were requesting the opportunity to play and enjoy our beautiful facilities here during the seasonal closure of the main course and we responded to this with our new all-weather practice tee facility.

“In line with the rest of the course, it was expertly designed and installed – it looks fantastic and it plays exceptionally well.

“The impact of this work has been most encouraging: we no longer have to close our practice tee for winter and the feed­back that I have received from our valued members has been incredibly positive.”

Fraser added: “The inclusion of an all-weather practice tee will not only benefit members but the whole team at Trump International Golf Links.

“Using our world class surfaces during the challenging Scottish winters alleviates the problem of wear and tear, allowing the natural grass areas to successfully germinate.

“And, with virtually no maintenance requirement, it will have minimal impact on the greenkeeping team’s schedule, enabling them to concentrate on ensuring that the course looks its very best for the 2018 season.” www.huxleygolf.com

FootJoy’s new shoe has street cred THE LATEST shoe from FootJoy, the ARC SL, is designed for golfers to put their best foot forward on and off the course.

Named for the Active Response Cushioning found within the midsole of the shoe, the spikeless shoe enables golfers to play their best during round and, thanks to its clean modern styling, look good before and after it.

The comfort within ARC SL comes from a variety of updated design features, building on the PGA Partner’s experience as market-leaders in the development of spikeless golf footwear.

FootJoy ARC SL: spikeless shoe with Active Response Cushioning

The PGA Professional

| May 2018

As well as the Active Response Cushioned midsole, the shoe also boasts leather uppers with a one-year waterproof guarantee.

In addition to this, it is soft, breathable and durable while a new SofCollar hugs the foot, supporting the ankle and helping to secure the golfer throughout the swing.

Commenting on the latest addition to the FootJoy range, marketing manager Paul O’Hagan said: “We can’t wait for golfers to experience the ARC SL. “We’re confident many will never have experienced cushioning like this before, certainly not in a golf shoe, and the advancements we’ve learned from developing marketing-leading spikeless footwear have been packed into this model.

“There has been such a voracious appetite for versatility within golf footwear and we’re confident the all-new design of the ARC SL will be well received by golfers looking for a modernlooking, leather, spikeless option.”

The shoe is available in white/navy, black, and white/grey colourways. www.footjoy.co.uk RRP £100.

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Teaching professional, this is how close you are to setting up a fully automated system for your bookings and payments.

To know more visit birdietimepro.com

www.birdietimepro.com

Ž PGA is a registered trademark of The Professional Golfers’ Association Limited

T R A D E

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Silence is golden for PowaKaddy POWAKADDY’S RANGE of electric trolleys are making a big noise in the market place but out on the course they are as quiet as Lewis Carroll’s church mouse. And that’s official!

For the second year running the Noise Abatement Society has awarded the PGA Official Supplier and market-leading electric trolley brand its prestigious Quiet MarkTM – the international award for excellence in low-noise technology.

Quiet Mark was established to provide a credible, independent scheme to help consumers easily identify quieter products such as PowaKaddy’s electric trolley range.

As a result PowaKaddy is the only electric trolley brand in the UK to feature the Quiet Mark logo on all its packaging, point of sale and promotional material.

“We’re delighted to be recognised with the Quiet Mark once again following a fantastic year for the brand,” said PowaKaddy CEO David Catford.

“There’s no doubt it’s had a positive effect on our brand since we were given the status and we can definitely say it has played a part in taking PowaKaddy to the number one spot in the electric trolley market.

PowaKaddy’s Quiet Mark accreditation for excellence in low-noise technology

“We know from research that golfers want electric trolleys that are whisper quiet. Models in our 2018 line-up are just that and we’re really excited about new ones like the Compact C2i and the Freeway range, which have added several features with no extra cost to the golfer.” www.powakaddy.com

Diamond Golf celebrates ruby anniversary DIAMOND GOLF is celebrating its The introduction of the DGI 40th anniversary and four decades Academy in 2015 has seen PGA pros of growth that have seen it become and club-fitters from all over Europe Europe’s leading golf club component attend courses on club-fitting and supplier. club repairs.

The route to success began when A year later the long-standing relathe late Chris Treacy was shop tionship with world-renowned club manager at Oaks Park Golf Centre in component designer Tom Wishon Surrey. He spotted a gap in the market became much stronger when he sold – supplying specialist golf club repair the Wishon Golf brand to Diamond tools, machinery and components to Golf, launching the company on to the club professionals. global stage.

Diamond Golf’s Daren Treacy He also recognised the need to “Taking on the Wishon brand globteach them and their assistants how ally has created the opportunity for to make and repair clubs. Diamond Golf’s unique continued growth,” said Daren Treacy. business proposition – as supplier and educator “And the introduction of the DGI Academy has – followed and the two elements still drive the busireally taken us back to our roots – teaching and ness under the stewardship of his son, Daren. encouraging and giving back to an industry we have Since those days as a one-man business operating grown up with. from a garage in Worthing, West Sussex, Diamond “There’s a great team at Diamond Golf. We are Golf has become a multi-national hi-tech supply dedicated to customer service and providing profesbusiness to PGA pros and clubmakers worldwide. sional advice to PGA professionals and club-fitters The company now carries more than 90,000 all over the world. We love what we do, and I think it products in its Arundel warehouse and is recognised shows.” as the authority on club-making and repairs. www.diamondgolf.co.uk

The PGA Professional

| May 2018

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T R A D E

N E W S

Motocaddy on a roll with record orders

59club CEO Simon Wordsworth and Paul McEldon, Club-Face CEO

Clubface-Golf.com and 59club link up to drive communication standards PGA PARTNER and industry-leading customer service benchmarking and training provider, 59club, has teamed up with specialised golf social network Clubface-golf.com to advance channels of communication between the golfer and club.

The force behind a partnership between two organisations each famed for ‘giving customers a voice’, who value communication, transparency, engagement and knowledge will undoubtedly lead to enhanced levels of customer satisfaction across the industry.

59club’s business relies on customer feedback gathered by its mystery shopper audits, customer satisfaction surveys, golftell member communication apps and their trusted review site golftell.net, which publishes visiting golfers’ course reviews.

Clubface-golf is a standalone social network that attracts golfers to connect with the club, one another and engages them to expand their current golfing community. The social network, also enlightens clubs to potential corporate, society and charity days enabling them to bid for this business.

Paul McEldon, Club-Face CEO commented: “It’s a great opportunity to join forces with 59club. We pride our place within the industry as the social network that gives golf a voice.

Simon Wordsworth, 59club CEO, added: “We are delighted to partner with Clubface-golf and align our principles of customer engagement across social networks. The fluidity between the pairing, will further build on the lines of communication between the golfing community and its owners.” www.59club.com www.clubface-golf.com 32

MOTOCADDY HAS defied the adverse conditions created by one of the harshest winters on record by securing record pre-orders for its comprehensive new range.

The response has resulted in the average pre-order value being up by more than 22 per cent from last year, with the full trolley range, including electric and push models, increasing by more than 15 per cent overall.

“The numbers represent the level of commitment shown from our retail partners and how Motocaddy is seen as the ‘one-stop’ shop for all trolley related purchases in the industry,” said sales director, Neil Parker.

“The strong performance across all categories reflects the trust shown in the brand as a ‘full-range’ supplier, saving them time and boosting revenue.”

The record trolley sell-in has been aided by an overwhelming trade response to the new M-Series electric trolley range, which has been sold into nearly every Motocaddy stockist.

Looking ahead, Motocaddy will pioneer the future direction of the compact folding market with the innovative new M-Series models, featuring simplified folding, modern styling and enhanced features.

“The new M-Series range has seen incredible sell-in numbers and stockists have been incredibly impressed by the modern styling and performance benefits,” added Parker.

“The new M-Series range has been backed-up by our proven S-Series electric models and the comprehensive range of push trolleys. On top of that, we continue to be the UK’s biggest supplier of cart bags with sales almost double those of our nearest competitor.” www.motocaddy.com.

2018 S-Series range – pre-orders up 22% on last year

www.pga.info

T R A D E

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Upgraded V2 offers a fresh perspective SHOT SCOPE Technologies has released a new firmware update with enhanced features to improve the V2 watch, which combines automatic performance tracking with advanced GPS technology.

V2 will now provide golfers with dynamic front and back distances to bunkers and water hazards in addition to its existing front, middle and back of the green GPS distances.

As well as the improved GPS technology, Shot Scope has relaunched the performance dashboard as part of the update. This allows golfers to review their automatically tracked performance data on an interactive and immersive platform.

Shot Scope’s performance dashboard features statistics such as a ‘Never up, Never in’ putting percentage and the breakdown of short-game shots which make it into the ‘red zone’. All of which enhances functionality to help golfers understand their weaknesses.

Another innovation, new advanced penalty identification, allows golfers to classify a penalty on their watch during the round, reducing time spent editing

scores post-round. Users can also flag a provisional shot, which starts a five-minute timer to search for a lost ball.

The upgrades are the result of customer feedback and Shot Scope CEO, David Hunter, said: “We listened closely to our V1 users and refining our performance dashboard to provide more in-depth performance analytics is a crucial aspect of helping golfers to understand their performance and achieve their goals.

“The V2 is our most advanced product to date and we’re delighted to be able to improve its performance and reward our customers, who benefit from our forever free promise.”

As with all firmware updates, these new features fall within the forever free promise to existing Shot Scope users of the no-subscription product who continually benefit from product enhancements. www.shotscope.com RRP: £225

P r e m i e r A l l - We a t h e r S u r f a c e s f o r G o l f

Limited edition The longest winning streak in golf will be extended when the first golfers tee it up for the U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club next month, as Titleist celebrates 70 years as the #1 ball at the prestigious major championship. To celebrate the continuation of this historic run, Titleist is offering a limited number of #70 special play number Pro V1 and Pro V1x balls, packed in limited edition U.S. Open packaging. These Tour proven balls are available from selected Titleist accounts across the UK and Ireland, for a limited time only.

SRP: £52 per dozen The PGA Professional

| May 2018

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T R A D E

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Balls for all reasons VOLVIK, THE multi-coloured performance golf ball specialist, is introducing celebratory gift packs of its top-selling VIVID golf balls designed to give golfers a memorable present and boost sales for retailers throughout the year.

Following the success of its ‘Christmas Edition Box’ last year, Volvik is offering a ‘Happy Birthday’ box containing red, white, orange and green balls each with a birthday celebration graphic printed in another colour, plus a ball marker. The special occasion balls are presented in a neutral box.

A similar box will be ready to mark Halloween in October with the new black matte-finish ball matched with the popular orange coloured ball to reflect the spooky festival.

Volvik has also launched a limited edition ‘Skull Pack’ containing two black and two white VIVID balls with a skull and crossbones logo, plus a decorated ball marker.

“These boxes are the perfect golfing gift for memorable occasions and offer our retail partners a great opportunity to build

VIVID balls: celebratory packs for special occasions, including this new birthday presentation set

on the level of sales of VIVID balls have enjoyed in recent months, ” said Tony Fletcher, sales manager of Brand Fusion International, Volvik balls distributor.

“There are further plans to release other celebratory packs, so a Volvik VIVID gift pack can become the ideal golfing present throughout the year,” he added. www.volvik.com.

SkyTrak in tune with 5Live PGA PRO Andrew Murray and SkyTrak, the launch monitor and golf simulator made by PGA Partners SkyCaddie, played key roles when BBC Radio 5 Live recreated the drama of this year’s Masters.

As did The Belfry, the home of The PGA National England.

Murray, a former European Tour player with an array of golf interests including coaching and broadcasting, went head to head in a match with BBC Sport presenter Chris Latchem on the station’s breakfast show.

Using SkyTrak, the match was broadcast live and viewers of the station’s webcam service were able to watch the duo as they played on the morning after Patrick Reed’s victory at Augusta.

SkyTrak offers an affordable coaching practice, play and entertainment system for both domestic and professional use, and proved ideal for the segment in the show that attracts a weekly audience of more than two million.

SkyCaddie’s UK and European general manager,

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James Holmes, set up The Belfry to be used as a substitute golf course as the pair attempted to repeat crucial shots hit by Sergio Garcia, Jordan Spieth and Reed during the tournament.

Holmes, who travelled the BBC’s MediaCityUK studios in Salford, Greater Manchester, to oversee the feature, said “We’re delighted the BBC had faith in SkyTrak for Monday morning’s live broadcast.

“It went without a hitch, and hopefully the 5 Live audience found it a fun way to start the week.”

In the event, the amateur prevailed over the pro, Latchem beating Murray 2-1 in a rapid-fire ‘nearest the pin’ contest.

www.pga.info

R E T A I L

W A T C H

Riding the World Cup wave

Adidas

Embrace the World Cup as part of your business planning for June

T

he world’s most popular sports tournament kicks off again on 14th June 2018. And, just because it isn’t golf-orientated, don’t be fooled into thinking that the FIFA World Cup doesn’t affect you. Because, it could.

On average, during a World Cup tournament, golf shops see a fall in profits of around 16%; with regular members and visitors enjoying their other favourite sport at home, or in the local pub.

Embrace the World Cup tournament in your business, by organising themed events, and make sure your venue is the first choice for members, who want to combine their enjoyment of football with their love of golf.

WHY NOT • Join forces with the clubhouse to organise bespoke World Cup events for members • Produce special World Cup posters to promote events • Make sure matches are shown ‘live’ on screens in the shop and clubhouse • Generate some in-house competition and get members in the mood with a sweepstake Don’t let the FIFA World Cup 2018 hardtackle your takings.

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Download your free sweepstake sheet at this web address. http://crossovertec.co.uk/world-cup-sweepstake-pga.pdf or call 01454 418395 With over 20 years’ experience of working with golf retailers worldwide, Crossover Technologies knows what a good golf shop looks like and will help you achieve it. www.crossovertec.co.uk

www.pga.info

R E T A I L

W A T C H

Your summer strategy for retail success

A

ccording to Golf Datatech, May is often the best month of the year for UK pro shops when it comes to on-course, and general, sales.

And, as customers give in to the temptation of new equipment, and the promise of improved play, it’s also usually the number one month for woods.

Unsurprisingly, the months of April through to August account for more than 50% of the UK market for UK pro shop sales: with the winning month often depending on new product launches and the great British weather. These months are all about selling, and are crucial to your year-end bottom line.

You’ll be rushed off your feet for the next few months and, during busy times, it’s easy to “go with the flow” and forget important retail must-do’s. Now is a great time to set out what you’ll need to do each month through to September. This should ensure you stay on track when it comes to stock management and business objectives.

Get the most out of these crucial summer months, with a simple strategy to help maximise sales.

Here are our 4 top tips for summer retail success: 1 BREAK IT DOWN Here’s a guide to what you could be doing each month: May

Ensure new stock is on display, up front, and not mixed in with old products. Use adverts and social media to promote new items to customers.

June

Check sales reports to see what’s selling and cancel pre-books if necessary.

July

Usually the biggest month for ball sales so think about remerchandising. Try multi-buying or bundling.

August Think strategically about a small sale this month to get rid of old stock.

2 PEOPLE POWER Delegation is an essential skill that will maximise your productivity, help you to prioritise better, and free up your time so you can make the big decisions needed to run a successful retail business. Make sure employees are trained, informed and busy.

3 EMBRACE THE BIG EVENTS Pro Shops usually see a fall in profits of around 16% during the World Cup so, don’t let the big events affect your profits this year.

Ensure customers see your club, and pro shop, as the venues “of choice” to watch the high-profile tournaments such as The Open and Ryder Cup. Run themed events, tailored promotions, and ensure a TV is always on to keep members and visitors coming in during these events.

4 RUN REPORTS FOR THE RIGHT ORDERS When you’re busy in the shop, and selling is currently your priority, you may not be thinking about placing orders for next season. However, you’ll be asked to do this soon, so, before you do, make sure you run the relevant sales report from your EPOS system.

You may think you know which stock has flown out of the door, and what hasn’t sold, but a report based on actual sales, might surprise you.

Plan ahead for the next few months. A summer strategy will help you to stay ahead of the game, get the most out of your team, and prevent poor, knee-jerk buying decisions for the months ahead.

We’re keeping our fingers crossed for a great season.

Try and stay a step ahead with your summer sales strategy

The PGA Professional

| May 2018

XPOS is the ultimate EPOS system for sports retailers, helping you to manage stock quickly and accurately, and giving you the reporting tools you need to make the best buying decisions. www.crossovertec.co.uk

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E Q U I P M E N T

Made to match! How your customers can benefit from playing the right ball Too few Professionals capitalise on the sales from correct ‘ball fitting’.

Adrian Milledge and the experts at Titleist dispel some of the myths

T

alk to Anthony Williams, a PGA Professional who is one of Titleist’s three golf ball fitters, and he immediately dispels a trio of myths associated with his work.

Firstly, there will not be a significant amount of distance gained off the tee whichever of Titleist’s five models one opts for, even the top of the range Pro V1 or Pro V1x. All of them are designed to be long off the tee and, at best, any gain is six yards.

Secondly, clubhead speed is not a viable ball fitting tool. That’s because the swing speed is dependent on the type of shot played. It will be a lot faster off the tee than Or it does until Williams explains the for a wedge shot into the green, for example. reasoning why the market leader does not All Golfers have a wide variety of clubhead focus solely on the tee shot and how far the speeds in their bag, ball will travel when which means you canit comes to teaming a not place your ball I can alter trajectory golfer with one of the selection on just one brand’s models. through the differing of them, especially as “There’s little extra balls are required to do balls – a Pro V1 will fly I can give you off the a multitude of things. lower than a Pro V1x tee in terms of disThirdly, high handtance when it comes due to the differing icappers who buy to ball-fitting,” WilTitleist’s top of the liams says. “I can’t dimple patterns range and most popumake you hit the ball lar models – the Pro V1 20 yards further as a and Pro V1x – are not wasting their money. result of the choice of ball. Ditto making “It’s a big misconception but actually the it fly arrow-straight. I can alter trajectory worse you are at golf the more you would through the differing balls – a Pro V1 will probably benefit more from playing a Pro fly lower than a Pro V1x due to the differing V1 than a Tour player,” says Williams. dimple patterns.

Similarly, the basis upon which Titleist, “All of our golf balls in particular are a PGA Partner, goes about golf ball fitting designed to go a long way off the tee. seemingly defies logic.

It doesn’t matter what skill level a golfer

‘‘

‘‘

38

is at. Everyone from Jordan Speith to a 28-handicapper wants long distance and straight flight.

“Nevertheless, our fitting methodology works its way back from the green to the tee. There’s a large focus on shots going in to the green and how that can be changed through differing trajectories, spin and feel to help the golfer.

“The mantra we go by is fitting the ball to the irons and wedges and the driver to the ball. This means the ball needs to work for the irons and wedges first as these are the scoring shots. We can tweak the driver if necessary; this could involve altering the loft if the ball is flying too high or low.

“I see a lot of golfers who base their ball choice on the driver. It’s an important club but it’s one that’s used no more than 14 times a round, maybe less on some golf courses.

“A golf ball, by contrast, is involved in every shot wherever you play. Furthermore, www.pga.info

E Q U I P M E N T

Just the job Anthony Williams – travelling the country as a ball fitter

the average golfer will spend two thirds of flight and more spin on shots going into his or her game playing shots from 150 the green. yards and in.

Aside, from learning how far the ball “So we want the golfer to place a large travelled, the most fascinating aspect of the portion of their decision on shots being process was the explanation. hit into the green – that’s where you see the “Imagine a robot firing a ball into the changes. green with a seven or eight-iron,” Williams “If a golfer can get onto the green rather explains. than over or off it, they are far more likely “Because of the differing spin rates of each to two-putt than get up and down. That’s ball going into the green, the robot would a stat we see from Tour players to high need to land a lower spinning ball closer to handicappers. the front edge of the green to accommodate “That’s how we do the extra roll. it. It’s a little bit dif“This gives you ferent to other brands a smaller target. A A higher spinning but we think it’s the higher spinning ball ball enables the golfer enables the golfer right way.”

To that end, the to land it further on to land it further fitting process, for the green, closer to on the green, closer which Williams uses the flag and still get to the flag and still a Trackman, involves the ball to stop. This the golfer executing gives the golfer a bigget the ball to stop shots with a wedge, ger target to aim at then a mid-iron and on the green. finally the driver. In “There’s more my case, a handful of shots with each club room for manoeuvre with the Pro V1 and later, the verdict – the Pro V1x because Pro V1x because it’s more forgiving. it gave me, a 14-handicapper, a higher “So, if a golfer has the option of landing

‘‘

‘‘

Jordan Speith: Even top players prefer the security of playing with the most suitable ball for them

Anthony Williams has been a PGA Professional for 17 years and has worked for Titleist for almost half that time.

He spent four years as a clubfitter at the National Fitting Centre at Celtic Manor and is now in his second year as a ball-fitter, covering a portion of the Country that includes Wales, Cornwall and extends as far north as Northamptonshire.

Commenting on his role, he says: “There’s a lot of travelling but I love it. I’m from a club-fitting background and it’s normal now to get fitted for a driver and for that matter, a full set of clubs.

“People rarely get fitted for a golf ball – it never ceases to amaze me the light bulb moment someone experiences when they go through the process.”

The PGA Professional

| May 2018

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E Q U I P M E N T

What can a PGA Pro gain from ball-fitting a customer?

“Happy members for a start,” says Anthony Williams. “A golfer who is playing well is likelier to be happier than one who is struggling.

“The big message we try to get across is that we want golfers to play their best. Playing the right golf ball is a huge part of that, especially with the same model.

“A lot of golfers play with anything they find during the course of a round. How many times do golfers find find a ball in the rough and not only is that unhelpful as far as their game is concerned, the pro is getting zero revenue from that scenario.

“If we can get golfers to think about what golf ball they should be playing and encourage them to play with the same model all the time. This highlights the pro as the equipment expert, and someone that cares about their members’ games. He is then more likely to have a loyal customer who will come back, for not only small purchases, such as golf balls, but bigger ones!

“It also helps the shop to manage their stock levels. If the pro has a broad picture of what his customers are buying then he has a better idea what to order when the area sales managers call in.

“It’s also a pretty quick process. I take about 15 minutes. On my golf ball fitting days, I get the pro to book in for 15 minutes and that’s plenty. It gives me enough time to hit shots with the three clubs – wedge, mid-iron and driver – and for a brief chat and explanation.

“Compare that with the average time for a driver fitting, which is anything from 30 minutes to an hour. Golf-ball fitting can be done quickly but the rewards for the pro and golfer can be long lasting.”

40

a shot with a seven-iron in a five foot circle, 15 foot circle, or a 30 foot circle he or she will pick the biggest target.

“That’s because golf’s hard and a golfer wants as much help as possible, which, taking the price out of it, is why it makes sense to play a premium ball – especially for high handicappers.

“Jordan Speith, Justin Thomas, Adam Scott and the top Tour players are good enough to play a lower spinning ball and land it in a small area. They don’t do it because they accept they are not robots but

human and want that safety net of help.”

So why do Titleist make five different models when, aside from the fact they are the most expensive members of the quintet, opting for a Pro V1 or Pro VIx appears to be a no-brainer?

“We tell every golfer we meet that a Pro V1 or Pro VIx offers the best total performance for their game,” Williams says.

“But a lot of golfers have what we call preferences. They might prioritise soft feel over performance. Or they might opt for distance, colours or even price as their

DT TruSoft: Some players may prioritise a soft feel over other factors

Titleist Pro V1: differing dimple patterns will affect the ball’s flight trajectory

✔

main source for their golf ball selection.

“The Velocity, for example, will offer explosive ball speed and low spin on all shots for golfers prioritising distance. You’ll get more distance especially from full shots hit with irons.

“Price is obviously a huge consideration.

It’s hard to expect a novice golfer who might lose three or four balls during a round to buy the most expensive balls but if it is total performance they are after then Pro V1 and Pro V1x are the best balls for their game.

“A lot of golfers will use a variety of makes and models of balls when they play, all with varying flights, spins and distances. So if we can get the golfer to use one model this will have a huge impact on that his or her consistency and confidence.

“As a fitter, I’m happy to see golfers playing the less expensive balls like the DT or Velocity knowing they’re getting the best golf balls in that category but, as they improve, they can go through the range ending up playing a Pro V1.” www.pga.info

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F A S H I O N

F O C U S

Potential sales from your customer’s hands Given the vagaries of British weather, there is always going to be good opportunities in store for impulse purchases of gloves. It is also an area where opportunities for sales exist all year round. Angela Youngman explains.

RAIN OR SHINE A good example of this is the potential for selling gloves to suit golfers travelling to warmer climates on golf breaks, or for use during a British summer. Perfect for this purpose is FootJoy’s ProFLX glove, which focuses on breathability and flexibility for those with ‘warmer’ hands. FootJoy states that ‘The first time this glove was worn

by Shubhankar Saharmar on the European Tour he won…. in Malaysia, where it was over 30 degrees Centigrade and with 100% humidity.’ The glove performed exactly as The PGA Professional

| May 2018

it should, making this a good selling point for PGA professionals when discussing gloves with their customers.

Very few people know their glove size, beyond simply small or large. Yet gloves come in a variety of sizes from XXS to XXX Large, and as well as junior golfers. Having a tape measure ready to measure the circumference of the hand together with a glove size chart will help demonstrate instant professionalism and knowledge.

Most golfers will need several pairs of gloves to meet different weather conditions in view of the changeable British climate.

Warmth and protection from rain is needed in winter, while in summer sweat can result in a slippery grip. Leather and synthetic leather continues to be the most popular textile for glove manufacture, often combined with mesh. Innovative fabrics are

‘‘

golf professionals can really educate golfers by fitting them into the best glove for their game based on feel, fit, price point, performance and additional features like breathability

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loves are definitely an ideal clothing product where golf professionals have a distinct advantage over other retail stores. Their skill and knowledge can make the difference in helping customers choose the best product for their needs. It is definitely not a matter of ‘any glove will do’, or that the only considerations should be price and colour.

As FootJoy points out, many manufacturers have moved towards a strategy of commoditizing gloves by giving them away with other purchases or selling them at huge discounts in two for one deals.

Ultimately this is a situation in which no one benefits. Manufacturers and retailers lose out on valuable sales, and golfers buy gloves that may be badly fitting or the wrong choice for their game. Gloves are a product where golf professionals can really educate golfers by fitting them into the best glove for their game based on feel, fit, price point, performance and additional features like breathability.

making inroads into the golf glove sector, particularly with regard to the problems of rain during play. Sudden showers of rain, or even heavy drizzle throughout a game can cause problems when holding golf clubs. It is all too easy for hands to slide and lose their sensitivity. Many traditional materials soak up the water, leaving hands feeling clammy and damp.

The development of rain gloves has made a dramatic impact as they repel or wick away the water, leaving hands dry and comfortable. The Glenmuir MacWet range has become one of the most popular glove ranges used by sportspeople throughout the world. These gloves incorporate a special material called Aquatec, which is used on the palms and fingers of the glove. Aquatec is a hybrid material utilizing a concept originally invented over 30 years ago. The ultra soft fleece material involves textiles that are thinner than human hair at just 0.03 denier and never gets brittle. It wicks away the water, ensuring the long lasting fabric is suitable in wet or humid conditions.

WHAT MAKES A PERFECT GLOVE? Hand sizes can vary considerably from person to person. Gender can make a difference and even the shape can vary slightly. Some people have tapered fingers, square hands or long slim hands. Many golfers tend to buy gloves which are slightly too large so as to allow for flexibility during the game.

Unfortunately, this tends to have the opposite effect. The ideal glove should feel like a second skin, fitting perfectly across the palm and the length of the fingers. Simply 43

F A S H I O N adjusting a Velcro fastening may not be enough to make gloves fit really comfortably, as fingers or palm size may not be suitable. The general recommendation is that a Velcro fastener should come no further than three quarters of the way across the back of a hand. Anything more than this can mean the glove is too big.

Golfers should be encouraged to try on gloves before buying. There are many sizes on offer, and size can vary slightly from manufacturer to manufacturer. Having a glove which fits perfectly the length of the fingers perfectly will be much more comfortable that one with fingers that are slightly too long or too short. It is not just the length of the fingers, but the width of the fingers – ladies often have slim fingers which can result in excess fabric making the fingers feel bulky and uncomfortable.

Gloves need to be sleek fitting, but not tight, and do not restrict activity or the blood supply to the fingers.

Weather conditions are an essential ingredient in choosing the right glove for the purpose. A glove that offers perfect fit and comfort in hot weather, may not be as ideal when it is cold outside, or a sudden shower of rain affects play.

Performance can easily be affected by lack of sensitivity to the feel of the course and the club. Getting hands cold, wet and slippery can be very awkward and discouraging, especially to novice golfers. Wearing gloves will make a difference, but care needs to be taken to make sure they allow the golfer to feel and control the club.

Claire Woods, Designer for Glenmuir believes that “our unique MacWet Aquatec® material provides unrivalled grip in wet weather conditions whilst crucially maintaining feel and sensitivity which is important for the wearer. The product truly feels like you are cheating when using it out on the golf course in inclement weather.

The glove also comes in a summer and winter version which has added padding on the outer to protect from the elements.”

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F O C U S

Gloves for winter 2018/19 The main talking point of the FootJoy gloves offer is the different choices available to the consumer to meet every requirement that any golfer may have. Whether this is performance led, or more steered by price, there is a glove for everybody within the line up. At the top of the tree is the Pure Touch, worn by some of the world’s leading professional golfers such as Justin Thomas and Henrik Stenson.

Recent introductions to the range include both the ProFLX and the ContourFLX gloves. The ProFLX replaces the SciFLX range which was worn all over the world by both Contour FLX, classic-looking, amateur and professional golfers. mid-priced gloves Breathability and flexibilty for The big advantage to the ProFLX the ProFLX Hero glove is greater breathability and flexibility as it combines TactionLT Advanced Performance leather with MicroVent FiberSof material on the back allowing the skin to breathe. The ContourFLX is a classiclooking mid-priced glove, suitable for customers seeking a soft feel leather option as the gloves possess a soft, premium CabrettaSoft leather palm.

FootJoy’s ever popular WeatherSof glove has also been updated. This model has been the top selling glove worldwide with over 90 million being sold. The new version includes Taction2® advanced performance leather to increase the feel, durability and flexibility in key stress areas. The FiberSof palm incorporates a premium Cabretta leather thumb and palm patch for total comfort.

Smart WeatherSof Women’s navy glove with accent details

Glenmuir’s glove offer centres on its MacWet Climatec® gloves incorporating Aquatec® fabric creating lightweight gloves for wet weather conditions. Two variations are available one of which is also wind proof and has a fleecy lined back, while the other has a soft mesh covered back helping air to circulate in warmer climates. Elasticated cuffs with Velcro fastenings allow the fit to be adjusted to individual requirements.

Unisex winter

PING Sport Glove Back Breathable synthetic leather RRP £14

climatec Golf Over at PING, leather is the fabric of rain gloves choice. The PING Sport Glove has RRP £29.95 an Allsoft Premium Cabretta Leather Palm and the back of the glove is constructed from breathable synthetic leather. The black/white combination creates a classic fashion statement.

Golfers who prefer avoiding using gloves when actually hitting the ball, but find fingers freezing when moving carts around the course can opt for Galvin Green’s useful Motocaddy Trolley Mittens. For those wanting a more conventional glove, the Wilson Staff FG Tour is made from a Abyssinian cabretta leather and is cut and sewn to Tour player specifications. Velcro closures make for easy removal.

Galvin Green Motocaddy trolley mittens

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T R A V E L

B U S I N E S S

How to run a successful women’s coaching trip Country, venue and types of activity on offer are all things that need consideration when putting together your golf break. Four PGA Professionals share their experience

TRIP FORMAT Deciding on your trip format is the first and most important question to ask yourself as this will determine what type of

venue you are looking for. When deciding on the type of trip you will run, it’s important to look at what format your women will prefer. Are you going to run a coaching break, a relaxed holiday with golf, include competitive play or a mixture of them all?

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Are you going to run a coaching break, a relaxed holiday with golf, include competitive play or a mixture of them all?

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W

ith the number of UK women participants in golf growing, women only coaching breaks have become increasingly popular in recent years. Women golfers currently make up 15% of golf club memberships in the UK (source: England Golf) meaning there is ample opportunity to get involved in breaks away with your lady members. There are plenty of destinations on offer, from a UK break to the ever popular Spain and Portugal. Or, why not add a tournament element to your trip and take a group of women away to watch the Solheim Cup at Gleneagles in 2019!

Deciding what to offer on a women’s trip can sometimes be difficult, so with the help of four PGA Professionals, all experienced in running women’s coaching breaks, we give you an insight into what it takes to market and run a successful and enjoyable event.

Sarah Smith, PGA Professional at Saffron Walden Golf Club and Katie Rule, PGA Professional at Mullion Golf Club have recently joined forces to run women only trips. In January and February, Sarah and Katie took a group of 16 women out to Precise El Rompido Resort in Spain for their first trips of the year. Here they tell us about the format their trips took for the week.

“Our January break we made quite competitive, although all of the women were there to improve their game, make new

friends and play some sunny golf in the winter. We both brought 8 women each from our clubs and we played a mini Solheim Cup style for the week! It was great to see the women get stuck in with the matchplay as well as stablefords, scoring points throughout the week for our leaderboard.

I think the competitive edge of the break made the team bond well. The women came on this golf holiday to improve their golf and get ready for the season. Everyone moved at their own pace though, Sarah and I were there if they needed us and if not we joined them for a dance in the evening!

In February we returned to El Rompido and this break was a little more relaxed. We concentrated a lot on the coaching side and let the group play together with chosen formats to win prizes. I think it’s important to understand who will be going on these trips and choose a format for the trip accordingly, making sure you appeal to as many women as possible.”

Katie Rule and Sarah Smith with a golfing group

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T R A V E L

B U S I N E S S

Choosing a venue – what to consider 1. TRAVEL Firstly, I look at where we can fly to from Bournemouth or Southampton if possible (my preferred airports) including flight times that are reasonable to ensure we maximise our time at the resort.

2. WEATHER I then look at the average temperatures for my chosen destination in Feb/March time. This is important to make sure I am not taking my group to somewhere where the weather will be poor.

3. ADVICE Once I have decided on my destination I start liaising with the Golf Pro Travel team at Golfbreaks.com, either online or on the phone so they can recommend good venues in my chosen area.

Another important aspect of any women’s coaching trip is choosing a suitable venue that everyone will enjoy, as well as having all the necessary facilities for your chosen trip format. When looking for a venue it’s important to ensure you have considered numerous factors to ensure your trip will appeal to your market and the women will be fighting over the places on your trip!

Claire Duffy, PGA Professional at Bramshaw Golf Club, has been running women’s trips for over 12 years. Claire runs us through her venue checklist and tells us what she looks for in a venue for a women’s coaching trip and all the important factors that should be considered.

POPULAR VENUES There are a host of popular venues for women’s coaching breaks, whether you are looking to stay in the UK and combine a golf break with city centre shopping or spa, or are looking to venture further to enjoy some sunshine in the colder winter months.

John Cheetham, PGA Professional and Director of Women Love Golf at 3 Hammers Golf Complex in the West Midlands has been running women only coaching breaks for a number of years. John tells us about where he has travelled for his most recent trips and what his lady clients look for in a venue.

“Our most recent overseas breaks have been to the Algarve, which has been a firm favourite for us over the last few years.

Our last break was to the fishing village of The PGA Professional

| May 2018

4. RESEARCH I then investigate hotels online looking at a number of important factors: • Distance from airport for transfers. Ideally not too far away once we land.

• Available practice facilities including – Putting green, driving range (undercover if possible), bunker area and chipping area. When I know what the facilities are I can work out a tuition rota.

• Look at the length of courses, especially if it’s a women group. I do not want the golf to be a long slog for anyone. I look at the terrain, as there may be more mature clients on the trip that I do not want to be exhausted each day.

• Is there a par 3 course? Always good from a break of playing a full 18 holes and great short game practice (I usually organise 5 rounds of golf, that could be too much for some golfers over 6 days). 3 loops of 9 holes adds variety to the golf but not always essential.

• The hotel would ideally have a spa. Great for relaxation after playing golf!

• Are we near enough to local towns for evening meals away from the hotel or do we need to book all-inclusive or half board.

Alvor where we experienced playing 3 local courses; Vale da Pinta, Gramacho and Silves before enjoying the lovely town of Alvor in the evenings. Our hotel was located on the beach, which was actually a nice change from being located at a golf resort for the whole trip.

In the UK, we have recently visited Carden Park in Cheshire where we enjoyed 2 rounds and 1-night dinner, bed and breakfast. We always receive a warm welcome from Carden Park and the women really enjoyed this venue. One lady in fact booked for 20 women from her golf club to return later in the year.

A lot of the feedback from the women has been great. I think first impressions are important, so a friendly welcome and good service at the venue is always well received.

Spacious accommodation, good quality golf courses and great food has also been included in the feedback from the women.”

HOW TO ADVERTISE YOUR TRIP Once you have decided on your venue, what your clients are looking for and what format your trip will take, it’s now time to advertise the trip to your lady members.

It’s important to decide how much you are looking to make for your services and time when away on the trip and mark-up the price accordingly. If it is purely a coaching break, then you can add on a higher fee for your services than if you are just planning on escorting a group of women away for golf. The average fee is around £50 per person per day although this does vary depending on how many women you are 47

T R A V E L

CAN I RUN MULTIPLE TRIPS? Running multiple trips is certainly a viable option for your groups, particularly if you are planning on offering both UK and abroad trips. The Solheim Cup at Gleneagles in 2019 also represents an excellent opportunity to take a group of women away to experience the electric atmosphere of this tournament.

However many trips you are running,

John Cheetham regularly takes women’s golf groups abroad

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The trips create some amazing experiences whilst giving the opportunity to really improve the women’s games

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taking and how long you are going for.

Where you advertise your trip is an important factor to consider to ensure as many women see your offering as possible.

The main channels to consider are: • Email – email to your lady database of members and coaching clients • Website – if you have your own website start a specific “Golf Trips” page to advertise all you upcoming trips to potential clients • Social Media – take into account the age range of your clients and what social media channels they are likely to use to be most effective • Posters – in and around your golf club or facility • Coaching sessions – make sure you tell your coaching clients face to face when you see them about your upcoming trip and see if they would like to come along PGA Professional Katie Rule tells us more about how herself and Sarah Smith advertised their trips earlier this year.

“Sarah and I advertised our trips through all our social media platforms, newsletters and posters around the clubs where we work. I mentioned it at the end of a Women group lesson and suddenly women there and then were saying “yes I want to go”.

So, word of mouth worked really well for us. Whilst out in Spain on our first trip in January we made our Facebook page, ‘Rule Smith Golf Tuition Breaks’, where we kept everyone updated with how the trips were going. After 3 months we now have nearly 70 likes!”

B U S I N E S S

it is important to plan plenty of time in advance. Firstly, because the most popular venues get booked up quickly and secondly, other commitments may already be in the diary for your clients meaning they may not be able to make it if you advertise too late.

John Cheetham from Women Love Golf tells us about his plans for the rest of the year and the benefits of running women’ trips.

“Running overseas breaks and trips in the UK are an increasingly popular part of what the Women Love Golf Community has to offer. The trips create some amazing experiences whilst giving the opportunity to really improve the women’s games. I’ll certainly

be running multiple trips in the coming years. It would be great to explore some new countries including Italy and possibly a long-haul venue to really offer something different. It would also be amazing to run a Scottish Links Break combined with tickets to the Solheim Cup in 2019!”

Katie Rule and Sarah Smith also tell us about their exciting plans for the next 12 months.

“In the next 12 months we have already arranged 2 trips for January and February, both one-week long. January’s we only have 6 spaces left and February’s is already fully booked! We are also thinking of hosting a shorter 4-day break for those who would like a shorter getaway in October, ready to finish the season off! The winter months in particular are the perfect time for coaching abroad. In fact, could we just run continuous holidays from November through to March?! Having so much tuition time together really made you feel that you could make a difference to the women’ games.

Everyone went back happier about their golf, and for this exact reason, we would like to run as many holidays as possible.”

For more information on how the Golf Pro Travel Team at Golfbreaks.com can help, please call 01753 752 880 or email golfpro@golfbreaks.com

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N E W

D E S T I N A T I O N

Majestic Morocco As one of the most exciting up-and-coming golfing destinations in the world, Morocco has proved to be a big hit with golf pro travel groups in recent years.

M

arrakech and the stunning setting of the fabulous Atlas Mountains are quite the attractions in themselves, but add in stunning golf courses and Morocco becomes one of the most sought after golfing destinations.

HOTELS Marrakech is a great hub to base your group and there is no place better than staying in the Kenzi Menara Palace. This 5-star hotel is world renowned for the views of the stunning Atlas Mountains and it’s various all-inclusive dining options making it easy to satisfy your groups dining needs come the evening. The locality of Kenzi Menara Palace means you are close to a host of the superb golf courses Marrakech has to offer and only 20 minutes away from Marrakech International Airport.

The hotel is also situated 10 minutes away from the vibrant Old City of Marrakech should you and your group wish to explore when not on the course.

GOLF Assoufid Golf Club is becoming known as one of the ‘have to play’ courses in Marrakech. The Niall Cameron designed 7,136 yard par 72 course is world class, developed on a part grass and part desert. The natural beauty shines through with the added enhancement of an ancient waterway called Shaaba, which meanders through the 80 hectares. Not only does Assoufid offer a world class course, the practice facilities are also held in the same regard with their driving range, simulator and practice putting greens providing an excellent opportunity to coach before you play.

Samanah Golf Club is another must play when staying in Marrakech, only 20 minutes south-west of the town centre. The Par 72 Championship course typifies desert golf with plenty of plantations and attractive The PGA Professional

| May 2018

Assoufid Golf Club with its spectacular Atlas Mountains backdrop

Wish you were here... ara Palace Hotel The 5-star Kenzi Men

with the most popular times for pro groups to travel between September and April.

water hazards. Whichever tees you play off, you and your clients will have an enjoyable round but be realistic on the back tees as it is a challenge! The large open Clubhouse invites you to sit and unwind.

Golf Al Maaden is located a short drive south-east of Marrakech. This Links-style parkland course has a touch of Scottish heritage about it. The par 72 course is a very unique for Morocco and the 104 strategically placed bunkers and geometrical water features offer something different to the other desert style courses. Golf Al Maaden also boasts a 300-metre long driving range, short game area and practice green.

CLIMATE Morocco enjoys a typical Mediterranean climate with mild winters with an average of 21˚C and warm summers where daily maximums regularly exceed 40˚C. The region also has very little rain, with the heaviest rainfall occurring in April and October.

This is a great all year round destination

GETTING THERE Flying into Marrakech is easy with British Airways, EasyJet, Ryanair and TUI offering direct flights from most major UK airports. Flight times to Marrakech vary from 3 hours 50mins (London) to just under 5 hours (Glasgow).

The centre of Marrakech is only 10km from the airport and most effective mode of transport is a taxi or transfer service. The public transport system is reliable but does get busy during peak season.

TOP THINGS TO DO OFF THE COURSE If your group fancy a day away from the golf course, then there is plenty to explore in the centre of Marrakech such as the narrow streets and the various Souks and Fondouks that offer a traditional Moroccan vibe.

Once you have torn your group away from the Souks, go and visit the show of Djemaa el Fna which draws crowds daily for pleasant past times like snake charming, acrobatics and toe tapping Gnaoua troops.

Why not also try one of the biggest communal barbecues in the world, where you can enjoy traditional Moroccan cuisine like kebabs and skewered sheep’s heart!

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T R A V E L

Top picks for May

Still not booked your break away for this year? Take a look at some of most popular Golf Pro Travel offers this month. Don’t forget, as well as a free place you receive 5% commission as a PGA Professional CARDEN PARK 4*, ENGLAND

Key facts

Set in the heart of the Cheshire countryside, Carden Park has been our top UK Pro Travel resort for a number of years.

• Great for coaching or group leisure breaks • 20 minutes from Chester • 36 holes on-site (Nicklaus & Cheshire) • Free practice balls for pro groups*

Package July/August 2018 travel

• 1 night dinner, bed & breakfast & 2 rounds of golf • From £129 per person - Pro free with 7 amateurs

TIVOLI LAGOS 4*, PORTUGAL

Key facts

An hour west of Faro Airport, this 4-star centrally located hotel is a great option for those looking to venture away from the popular area of Vilamoura and explore the charming town of Lagos with its quirky shopping and lively bars & restaurants.

• Great for coaching or group leisure breaks • 1 hour from Faro Airport

Package October 2018 travel

• Wide range of excellent courses within a short drive including Palmares & Penina

• 4 nights bed & breakfast & 3 rounds of golf • From £395 per person - Pro free with 7 amateurs

KENZI MENARA PALACE 5*, MOROCCO

Key facts

This 5-star all-inclusive hotel is located in a peaceful 10-acre park 10 minutes from the vibrant Old City of Marrakech. The hotel is the perfect base with a large number of golf courses within a short drive.

• Great base for coaching or group leisure breaks • 20 minutes from Marrakech International Airport

Package October 2018 travel

• Wide range of excellent courses within a short drive including Samanah & Assoufid

• 5 nights all-inclusive & 3 rounds of golf • From £579 per person – Pro free with 7 amateurs

APHRODITE HILLS HOTEL 5*, CYPRUS

Key facts

The stunningly renovated Aphrodite Hills Hotel in Cyprus is one of our most popular destinations for pro groups looking to enjoy a warm climate and great golf courses in the autumn and winter months.

• Great for coaching or group leisure breaks • 15 minutes from Paphos Airport • 18 holes on-site

Package October 2018 travel

• Award winning spa “The Retreat” on-site • 3 other courses – Elea, Minthis Hills & Secret Valley within 30 minutes’ drive

• 5 nights bed & breakfast & 3 rounds of golf • Balls & reserved area for coaching included • Airport & golf transfers

• From £579 per person – Pro free with 7 amateurs

For more information on how the Golf Pro Travel Team at Golfbreaks.com can help, please call 01753 752 880 or email golfpro@golfbreaks.com

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C O A C H I N G

O P I N I O N

Mental putting tips for beginner golfers This month’s coaching article is written by guest writer, Dr. Marc Lochbaum, Professor of Sports Psychology at Texas Tech University in the USA. He recently wrote a chapter in the excellent ‘Routledge International Handbook of Golf Science’ and we’ve asked him to summarise his findings in this article, highlighting how his research findings might help support your coaching practice.

C

ertainly, the adage is true or seems true enough that golfers come back more often with a successful end to their round. Nearly all golfers complete their last hole with a putt. We all hope to make relatively long putts here and there.

Unfortunately, putting is difficult. It might surprise the novice putter how hard putting actually is even for the professionals. In fact, in 2017 only Seamus Power converted at least 70% of the time on the PGA Tour from 10-feet. Thus, what chance does the

novice have at making a number of 10-foot putts? As I am sure you know, not much of a chance is the answer most of the time.

In short, working with novices in any area presents a variety of challenges. With putting, just moving back a few feet from the hole is a difficult putt for your novice.

My goal, as a Professor of Sports Psychology and an avid golfer, is to provide you with a list of the best mental tips to aid your teaching with novices on the green.

In the research literature, I found 30

Dr. Marc Lochbaum

studies that specifically examined a mental technique with beginning golfers. The studies came from all over the world. Most used short putts of 4-5 feet on artificial turf. My work (Lochbaum & Smith, 2015) seems to be the only research on this topic conducted on a real putting green with a large variety of putting distances and breaks. The potential downside of the research literature on this topic is most participants were undergraduate students. However, novice golfers are novice golfers.

The research covered many topics. In this piece, I will cover attention, imagery, and motivation with a brief introduction and explanation to each topic. In conclusion, I provide some tips to support you in your coaching practice.

ATTENTION

Everyone knows what attention is. It is taking possession of the mind, in clear and vivid form, of one out of what seems several simultaneously possible objects or trains of thought. – William James

Passing on skills in focussing the attention will be invaluable in coaching the beginner golfer

The PGA Professional

| May 2018

If it was so easy to focus on one thing at a time, then we would all be better golfers.

William James, the father of American Psychology, definition of attention has been a research focus since 1890. Researchers have extensively examined attention from a focus 51

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C O A C H I N G point of view, internal or external. An internal perspective is focusing on the details of your actions such as how you are holding the putter. In contrast, an external focus of attention is when one focuses outwardly on the ball or the golf hole.

Daniel Wegner’s ironic mental process theory is another popular framework. As golfers, we know Wegner’s work as “don’t leave it short!” and then we leave it short.

In my review of the literature, I found eight articles related to attentional focus. It is clear that the beginning golfer’s best focus is external (e.g., the ball) and to tell oneself to putt the ball to the hole. “I am going to look at my golf ball and hit it to the hole” is the best chance of success. Now, as you know, that is easier to say than do. We all have internal dialogue. Actually saying the simple instructive sentence aloud is a great start to orienting your novice putter on the green. Placing a dot on the golf ball is another way to help direct attention away from internal dialogue.

IMAGERY

I never hit a shot even in practice without having a sharp in-focus picture of it in my head. – Jack Nicklaus It would seem as a teaching professional; you could not go wrong with golf advice from Jack Nicklaus. The issue with the novice is the novice does not have a mental picture ready to go on command.

Certainly, the novice must see success.

Whether he or she sees ‘the line’ is another matter. The research literature does not favour different types of imagery speed such as seeing the putt in slow motion.

Imaging success, being positive and sticking with “I am going to putt to the hole” is a good plan. Using a prop such as a bright coloured ring around the hole will aid in increasing imaging ability concerning “putting to the hole” as opposed to a much more difficult image of seeing a line.

O P I N I O N

MOTIVATION

The more I practice, the luckier I get.

– Gary Player Motivation theories help us understand reasons why some people persevere in the face of failure and likewise help us understand reasons why others simply quit.

Unfortunately, golf is hard if one wishes to improve and golf is easy if one wishes to get worse. Changing internal comments about one’s ability from “I am not a good putter” to “I am a good putter” is key to getting your client back out on the course.

Many motivation theories exist. The essence of each theory is similar; we must speak to ourselves in a manner that keeps us going. Approaching a task with a positive outlook and thoughts that our efforts can lead to improvement keeps us going for a desired goal. The beginning golfer has a notion to stick with golf. They asked for a lesson to get better, not to get worse and quit.

The time available for putting practice might be an hour a week or hours a day.

Regardless of time available, you should help orient your novice to be excited about personal improvement as opposed to comparisons to others. Using a larger target for building a plan for personal improvement is a better idea than keeping track of 10-foot putts made or putts per round and so on.

YOUR BEST MENTAL STRATEGIES When working with a novice on the putting green, here are a few sound research-based strategies to consider.

Choose one or two. You do not need to use all of them immediately.

• Create an external target focus. Using props such as a coloured ring is a good idea. Novices will struggle with you saying “focus on the target” without a prop.

By using a prop, you will incorporate a golf-related image that will help your novice putt better.

• Incorporate one positive self-statement.

The novice by definition will be overwhelmed with too much information.

“I will putt inside the ring (if you use a prop) or I am a good putter” are simple positive self-statements.

• Focus on realistic personal improvement goals. Get a performance baseline such as putts within a circle from a known distance. Given that you most likely teach at the same course, use that performance metric for each lesson.

• Support and more support is a good thing. You cannot be around your client all of the time. As you know, you are around your client rarely. Tell your client to get with supportive golfers, not mean-spirited golfers.

• Initially, stay away from pressure manipulations as they will only hurt your client’s mental state. With or without pressure, the novice will miss most putts greater than say 6 feet, so there is no need to make matters seems worse. Now, once your client has shown improvements, then introduce pressure manipulations.

Be sure to start with short putts with little break.

For a more in-depth analysis of some of the issues raised in this article, why not read Marc’s chapter in the Routledge International Handbook of Golf Science (available in hardback or as an eBook) from Amazon or www. routledge.com

Reference Lochbaum, M., & Smith, C. (2015). Making the Cut and Winning a Golf Putting Championship: The Role of Approach-Avoidance Achievement Goals. International Journal of Golf Science, 4(1), 50–66. doi:10.1123/ijgs.2015-0001

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Face value

Facebook has recently changed its algorithm update which could have a serious impact on the reach of your social Media. Antje Doel explains what you need to consider

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SO HOW DOES THE FACEBOOK ALGORITHM WORK AND HOW CAN YOU THRIVE AS A BRAND AND A BUSINESS ON FACEBOOK IN 2018?

Obviously, when you log on to your page, there are thousands of posts that could be displayed on your newsfeed. The algorithm takes all these posts and arranges them in accordance with how likely you – the user 54

– will interact with them and the content.

That’s the theory.

There are four key algorithm factors whose sole purpose is to provide you with a great user experience. The main one we need to concern ourselves with is ‘signals’ – this is what we as small business owners and

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Page posts that generate conversation between people will automatically rank higher in a newsfeed

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s small business owners who do their own marketing, it is essential that you have a firm grasp of social media and keep up-to-date with the latest algorithm changes of the platforms you choose to broadcast your messages on. Even a subtle change will likely have a knock-on effect on your organic reach.

In this month’s article we will take a closer look at the changes Facebook has implemented, how that will impact your reach and what you can do to stay in the game.

The Facebook algorithm is evolving all the time to provide a better user experience.

However, there has been a lot of debate surrounding the most recent update termed ‘meaningful interactions’. Facebook have said that they intend to prioritise posts that create meaningful conversations – especially those from family and friends.

For those using Facebook as a purely social platform, this was welcome news, but for small business owners and brands, the news came with a concern that their organic reach would decrease further, meaning their posts would only reach a small fraction of their potential audience.

You may have noticed that your newsfeed looks different or that people might say you haven’t posted for a while – when in fact you have, but the algorithm means fewer people are seeing your updates.

marketers need to focus on to get our content seen by more users on the news feed.

Before the algorithm change, Facebook used a variety of signals to decide which posts would be shown to users. Now, the signals the algorithm favours ‘active’ interactions – likes, comments and shares.

Perhaps the most tangible reason behind

the prioritisation of friends and family posts over content from pages is that they think that person – to – person contact is far more valuable than person – to – page content. And they have a point. You’re far more likely to interact with personal content than that from a page. So, you need to focus on content that has a personal flavour and is conversation sparking.

WHAT MAKES CONTENT RANK WELL ON FACEBOOK? What you need to think about from this point on is focussing on active content – so comments, sharing and reactions, which will hold more weight than passive posts that only encourage clicks, views etc.

Facebook wants active content to feature in newsfeeds. But what does that mean for you? Page posts that generate conversation between people will automatically rank higher in a newsfeed. It could be a live video that leads to a discussion – as an aside, statistics show that a live video post gets an average of six times more interactions than a normal video – so, perhaps www.pga.info

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it’s time to start thinking about live streaming a lesson or a masterclass. But, a note of caution – engagement baiting is a no-no and will have a negative impact on your post.

Sharing is what makes the Facebook algorithm happy – it places a great deal of store by posts that are shared publicly and privately. However, it’s not enough for someone to just share your post, they need to comment on it too. The more comments a post accumulates, the more it appears in people’s newsfeeds – meaning its reach increases organically. If you get no comments or shares, you will find your post disappearing from people’s newsfeeds.

Reacting is also key for the algorithm – it’s not as effective as comments and shares, but by liking something, you are still actively engaged with the post. Therefore, your post will stay in people’s newsfeeds.

Naturally, you will have competition for people’s active engagement with your posts, so it is better to post fewer things, but ensure the quality is top notch and they are worthy of a conversation.

WHAT SORT OF CONTENT FLOATS FACEBOOK’S BOAT? Content that connects people is the key to the kingdom. You may think you’re doing that already – but check your analytics – it’s likely that your reach has regressed since the beginning of the year. As golf professionals you are your brand, so you

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Beware: engagement baiting will have a negative effect on your posts

have an advantage over larger businesses and brands who have a product to sell. You are selling yourself. In other words, you need to start creating content for the people – your audience and beyond – that will spark enough emotion to translate into a comment, share or like.

WHAT DOES YOUR AUDIENCE CARE ABOUT – WHAT MOTIVATES OR MOVES THEM? Videos are perhaps the best way of appealing to Facebook’s algorithm. We’ve discovered that live streaming is an even better way to

l Know your audience – create shareable, likeable and comment-worthy content l Ask yourself what are your audience’s challenges? l What makes your audience interact with posts – do a little research

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| May 2018

spark engagement. Remember that when you share content on Facebook ask yourself whether it has the potential to spark emotion – not just happiness – but perhaps intrigue, or a question. Will what you are posting be cool enough to warrant it being shared? Will your audience find it interesting enough to ask a question?

Whatever you post, make sure it sparks reactions and interactions in a natural way. Imagine posting a live stream video that helps a client overcome a problem on the course. This sort of content is bound to spark questions, likes and thanks from your audience. Golfers may share it further with others they feel might be interested or could benefit from the advice you give – it’s this sort of content that can have a powerful impact on your Facebook success.

Statistics show that videos outperform links and images when it comes to engagement on Facebook. The platform’s live video capability is knocking everything else out of the ball park.

That’s not to say that you can’t share images and links – but make them catch and quirky – steer clear of run-of-the-mill stuff. You want to make a splash with your content. Think about posting a little less frequently. Instead post for maximum engagement. It will take a little bit of trial and error to figure out when the best time 55

M A R K E T I N G Creating a group as part of your Facebook offering is a fantastic way to engage with people and build a community.

And like-minded people will start a conversation...

IT’S A GROUP THING More than one billion people around the world use Facebook Groups – further, over 100 million people see Groups as the most important part of their Facebook experience. They are a fantastic way to build an active and engaged community of likeminded individuals. Golfers are a perfect example of a broad and diverse community, from the full-time professional, to the handy amateur, those who enjoy the odd weekend game or people – young and old – just starting out, the love of the game and a thirst for knowledge and improvement is what links them all together – whatever their age or background.

And of course, if you get a like-minded 56

group of people together who share a passion, you’re bound to have conversation – it’s what people are designed to do.

That’s why there’s been a huge increase in the use of groups on Facebook and messaging apps like WhatsApp over the past few years. These groups offer a way for people to negotiate the sea of mostly irrelevant content and share and discuss things that matter to them.

If you haven’t already created a Facebook Group, you should seriously think about doing so – it’s a place for people to communicate. It’s also worth joining groups that are relevant to you on Facebook – some of them will let you share content too, meaning you can increase your reach that way. However, before you do, check the rules of the group and if you’re still unsure, contact the group administrators as a courtesy before sharing. Once you’ve started to understand the group and how it works, you can share updates and watch your reach and engagement increase.

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[Facebook Groups] are a fantastic way to build an active and engaged community of likeminded individuals

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is for your audience so keep an eye on your analytics and make a note of which posts have performed the best – and worst. In a later edition, we will take a deeper look into the merits of paying for adverts and boosting posts to further your reach.

Get it done this month ✓ Look at your Facebook analytics and see whether your reach has gone down

✓ Review your content – how much engagement has each post got

✓ Set up a group and invite relevant people to join

✓ Search for relevant groups for you to join and understand the rules of engagement

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Badge of honour Harness the power of the PGA brand to boost your own brand identity. Antje Doel explains how.

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he words brand and branding are thrown around liberally by all sorts of people in different contexts and with different meanings in mind, so it is worth looking at what a brand is. Probably the simplest answer is that it is a set of associations that a person – or people – make with a company, product, service, individual or organisation.

These associations may be intentional – in other words, they might be actively promoted via marketing and corporate identity – or they might be completely outside the company’s control. So, if we step away from golf for a moment and think about a bad press review of a new product, it has the potential to damage a brand and place negative associations in people’s minds.

Personal branding is key to the success of your business. However, as golf professionals, you have one major advantage over other small businesses – you have a globally recognised and respected brand behind you that you can harness to elevate your own credibility and take your business to the next level. However, what is astonishing is that very few professionals seem to be making the absolute most of this golden opportunity.

BUILDING TRUST Golf has grown remarkably and the PGA brand is always at the forefront of the sport’s evolution. As a Professional with a qualification and membership of such an organisation, the crest should be all over your own personal brand – from your website and social media feeds, through to your email newsletters and the shirts you wear.

Indeed, the PGA is a strong and distinctive brand that is synonymous with the vision and values of the Association. The PGA brand represents “honesty, integrity, The PGA Professional

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Professional. It is not enough to just mention the PGA in passing, rather the crest and the name should be at the forefront of all your visual material.

JOHN DOE PGA MEMBER innovation and leadership that is brought to life through the expertise of PGA Professionals and the staff employed to work on their behalf.”

Added to this, the PGA has a vast heritage and can be said to be the custodians of the traditional game of golf and has been integral in raising the sport’s profile globally.

If we look outside the golf industry, we can see several other global brands who have many associated individuals working for them. The most successful of these draw customers attention to the company’s trusted history and branding to become profitable.

In the About section of your website, you should describe your professional background and why you are qualified to be a golf instructor, golf director or pro shop operator. It’s not necessarily about how many competitions you’ve won, but about the experience you have gathered through training and education. List your training and teaching credentials drawing attention to the PGA’s history and it’s continually evolving professional development programme and the rigorous standards you need to meet to be recognised as a PGA

MAKING A STATEMENT So how do you reconcile all of this into a winning formula? Firstly, once you’ve taken a long, hard look at yourself and your history, think about how you can package it into a handful of lines. This is your personal brand statement or elevator pitch—it’s something you can say when others ask you about yourself or include in your profiles online – but don’t forget the role of the PGA in all this. As we’ve indicated already, write a bit about the history of the PGA and its relevance in today’s industry. Talk about the education and training you have undertaken and continue to do. In the end, you have a powerhouse behind you, so utilise it. Make the most of its resources and displace those three little letters and the crest with the pride it deserves because you have earned the right to.

To obtain a copy of the PGA Crest and usage guidelines, contact the Membership Department on 01675 470 333 or at: membership@pga.org.uk

Get it done this month ✓ Review your website and add in information about the PGA and the training you have received

✓ Add the Crest to your website – on every page – and your social media feeds

✓ If you have an email template, add the Crest there too and any other electronic templates you use i.e. letterheads, your email signature etc

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New this month PGA Membership entitles you to take advantage of a host of benefits and incentives designed to create a positive effect on your life either at work or play. This month we take a look at what some of our golf trade suppliers have to offer our Members.

Setting the standard with SkyCaddie

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kyCaddie has been a PGA Partner for more than ten years and during that time has created significant retail margins with its category-leading products.

SkyCaddie GPS, SkyPro and SkyTrak provide professional GPS golf course ground-mapping services to clubs, all backed by an efficient, UK-based customer service team.

As a result of The PGA’s relationship with SkyCaddie and its brands, Members can derive a series of benefits. These include discounts on devices for personal use and excellent retail margins on the SkyCaddie family of products.

There are also profits to be made on product repairs or replacement devices, if arranged with SkyCaddie.

Becoming a SkyTrak Showcase Dealer offers Members all the profit of selling the multi award-winning SkyTrak without having to stock the product, and gives you a listing in the Find A Dealer online tool on the SkyCaddie website.

Members also have access to the use of SkyCaddie’s Partner Gateway, available for use on their own golf course. This gives you the ability to create and print out pin sheets for your course, with today’s pins clearly marked.

SkyCaddie GPS products first created the opportunity for the PGA Professional to derive profit from Distance Measuring Devices, leading to faster play and increased sales opportunities to technologyminded golfers.

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More recently, SkyPro has added a new dimension to golf lessons with its personal swing data analysis, and since 2015 SkyTrak has made it easier and cheaper than ever for Members to offer both a professionallevel custom-fitting service, and high-tech golf lessons using a highly accurate launch monitor.

Many Members are now also deriving a new income from golf club social events, particularly in the off-season, based around using SkyTrak as an indoor golf simulator, with access to almost 100,000 different golf courses to play through SkyTrak’s software partnerships.

Golfers rely on our Members to recommend products which deliver the ultimate

in performance. For more than a decade, SkyCaddie’s partnership with The PGA has enabled our Members to safely recommend a major series of products which consistently set the standard for performance, reliability, build quality and professional backup. This is typified by the fact that, to this day, only SkyCaddie creates and frequently updates every single golf course map on foot, using professional course surveyors, free of charge.

Order your personal use SkyCaddie device now with prices starting at £60 + VAT for a SkyCaddie GPS, £70 + VAT for the SkyPro and get yourself a SkyTrak Launch Monitor and receive a free Metal Case and first year software, saving £239.

More information about any of the above services can be found by calling 01844 296 358 or email sales@skycaddiegps.co.uk.

www.pga.info

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Brakes on board with The PGA

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he PGA is pleased to announce it has a new trade relationship with Brakes who distribute food, drink and other consumables.

Brakes deliver the products to multiple sectors in the UK and further afield through their 20 distribution centres, so they are well placed to support Members.

They already deliver more than 1.5 million boxes to around 200,000 customer sites every day using over 2,000 vehicles from a network of distribution hubs and satellite depots.

Not only is this an opportunity to enhance the buying power for our Members, but it provides the additional benefit

of a convenient, fast and efficient service.

The Brakes online ordering service includes our commercial partners Coca Cola, Mars and The Primal Pantry

together with a wide variety of additional consumable products. Inside the Brakes system you will also find some fantastic offers, exclusive to PGA Members.

OFFER ONE Order three mixed cases of CCE products such as Oasis, Dr Pepper, Sprite, Fanta, Monster Energy range and receive a case of Fanta Orange 12 x 500ml “free.”

OFFER TWO Order four cases of standard pack only Mars, Maltesers, Snickers and Galaxy (must order one of each) to get a “free” case of Bounty Bars and a point of sale kit via Mars.

Interested? If you are eager to move forward right now, you can fill in the account setup form found online within the members’ area at PGA.info and send this directly to Brakes.

If you are not ready yet and would like further information before making a decision, please assess the web page in the Members’ area of www.pga.info.

Changing the game with PowaKaddy

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or almost 10 years, PowaKaddy has assumed the role of Official Electric Trolley Supplier to The PGA in Great Britain and Ireland. This month we take a look at the plethora of benefits available to our Members as part of our valued partnership with the country’s market-leading electric trolley company.

With more than 35 years of expertise and led by a management team that lives, breathes and sleeps electric trolley innovation, PowaKaddy offers PGA Members a wealth of experience to help boost sales.

This is typified by the high-performance 2018 range, which boasts the stunning Freeway family and new Compact C2i model. PowaKaddy’s product line continues to offer golf retailers unrivalled margins and a number of key selling points over other brands.

Backed by a team of first-class area sales managers across the country who offer retail training upon request, Members stocking PowaKaddy products have access to extra support from a sales team on-hand

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that can help with standout point of sale material to elevate the brand in-store and influence buying decisions.

The support does not stop there. Members receive exclusive communications on PowaKaddy products to help instigate more sales, be it through product videos,

digital assets or news on game-changing products ahead of their launch.

Take the 2018 range for example: in October last year, golf retailers attached to The PGA received an exclusive look at this year’s product line, which also includes a Dri-Edition cart bag with four times the waterproof performance of standard bags on the market.

Members also received information on how to maximise electric trolley rentals revenue through a dedicated tutorial video on PowaKaddy’s GPS rental model, which is brand new for 2018 and to date has delivered a 75 per cent increase in business.

Added to that is a 15 per cent discount off trade price for own use PowaKaddy stockists when purchasing one of the brand’s products or trade price for those Members who don’t have a PowaKaddy account.

For more information on the PowaKaddy range of electric trolleys, lithium batteries, bags and accessories, visit www.powakaddy.co.uk.

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PGA Benefits PGA Membership entitles you to take advantage of a host of benefits and incentives.* For further details about all of your benefits please visit: http://benefits.pga.org.uk Great savings on a wide range of Apple products PGA members can make great savings on a wide range of Apple products including iPad, iPhone, iPod, MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, iMac, Apple Watch, Magic accessories and more. You can now order online and arrange to collect most items from your chosen Apple Retail Store – usually within an hour!*

With a real passion for design and focus fixed on quality, this Great British business wear retailer continues to create fresh, stylish and versatile collections for today’s professional men and women, over 116 years after the very first store opened on London’s Jermyn Street*.

As a member of The PGA, you’re invited to take advantage of special discounts through PGA Benefits.

Save 13% with Super Break Mini-Holidays

Mars

The PGA members have access to a 13% discount on hotel accommodation with optional rail travel including Eurostar, flights, concerts & events, theatre and dining, group bookings and much more!

Provide retail expertise to help maximise your return.

Benefit from point of sale promotions and receive guidance on how to choose an appropriate product range.

For further info, contact richard.hobday@effem.com

Looking for a better deal on your health insurance?

PowaKaddy

When you take out a policy through UK Health Insurance, your 12th month’s paid premium in the first year will be refunded*

Account holders personal use trolley at a discounted rate of 15 per cent off trade price (non-account holders are eligible for trade price).

Call 01795 473 555 or email sales@powakaddy.co.uk quoting your membership number.

10% saving on National Trust Gift cards

SkyCaddie

For days in romantic castles, wildflower gardens, iconic lighthouses and dappled woodlands, as well as over 500 special places to discover, give a National Trust gift card*.

Heavily-discounted personal use prices start at £60+ VAT for a SkyCaddie GPS or £70+ VAT for the SkyPro. Get yourself a SkyTrak Launch Monitor and receive a free metal case and first year software saving £239.

Become a SkyTrak Show Case Dealer and earn a bonus 40% affiliate fee (about £600+ VAT) on your first sale and 20% fee on any future sales.

Email sales@skycaddiegps.co.uk, or call 01844 296 358.

BSA – Buying Support Agency BSA Buying Group is ready to offer your golf club a FREE COST AUDIT across a broad range of indirect business costs, including gas, electricity and water, telecoms (mobiles, landlines and broadband), cleaning & workwear supplies, office supplies, commercial insurances, waste recycling, credit card processing fees, vending services, white goods, business rates.

Joining BSA Buying Group is likely to cut your club’s running costs by an average of 15-35%, as well as freeing up its staff to focus on more critical issues. We charge our hand-picked suppliers which is why this member benefit is completely free to use for PGA Members.

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T.M. Lewin - Corporate Discount

Huxley Golf Incentive programme of up to £500 in commission when recommending customers to purchase an allweather home putting green.

Call +44 (0)1730 829 608 or visit www.huxleygolf.com

Crossover Technologies Golf-specific EPOS system.

The technology manages stock levels, reducing dead stock and therefore helping to increase profit margins.

Contact: 01454 418 395. www.pga.info

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Coca-Cola Special packages on products and coolers For further information please contact Karen Andrews at: kareandrews@cokecce.com

Techniblock sun protection Benefit from retail exclusivity, low MOQ, small but branded counter-top display unit. Free next day delivery and extended expiry date.

Order through Tracey Parry on 07769 943 200 or email sales@techniblock.co.uk

First Data Preferential rates to PGA members for accepting credit and debit cards.

Call 0330 123 1241 quoting PGA.

Golfbreaks.com Access to bespoke golfing packages for you and your clients through the dedicated Golf Pro Travel Team.

Benefit from the best rates in the market.

Receive a five per cent commission on your booking.

For an exploratory meeting at your club please contact either Ben Foster on 07471 034 852 or Darren Bragg 07471 952 102 from the Golf Pro Travel Team, or email: golfpro@golfbreaks.com

Silverbug Silverbug are IT experts who do things a little differently. Other companies talk about what they can do - but we want to focus on the issue you’re facing, and then fix it.

We can offer PGA Members: • Free IT health check of your business • Up to three months free managed IT services when taking out a contract • Option to leave within the first three months if you change your mind.

For more information contact us on 01908 414 961, quoting PGA.

Birdietime Offering all PGA Members a free 1-hour marketing consultancy session to identify practical step to increase your tuition revenues.

To book your session, e-mail us at info@birdietime.com Visit www.birdietimepro.com to learn more about our online booking and payment system.

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Aphrodite Hills - Holiday Residences 25% discount on public rates with minimum stay of five nights (seven nights’ minimum stay during July and August). Valid for all apartments, junior villas and superior villa holiday bookings for 2018.

Contact: reservations@aphroditehills.com quoting: PGA Professional

Aphrodite Hills - Hotel 20% discount from package rates. www.aphroditehills.com Contact: reservations_mgr_AH@atlanticahotels.com quoting: PGA Professional

Pestana Vila Sol, Vilamoura, Algarve Luxury five-star resort, host venue for the Lombard Trophy grand final 15 per cent discount to PGA Members and amateur participants in each regional final.

Book direct through www.pestana.com/en/hotel/pestana-vilasol using promo code: 20516W0LX.

Antalya Golf Club & Sirene Hotel Attractive all-inclusive rates for you and your family.

Contact Volkan Cavusoglu at: volkan.cavusoglu@sirene.com.tr

Formby Hall Golf Resort & Spa Newly refurbished, luxurious four-star accommodation from just £78 per room B&B (max. two occupants) and includes use of the upgraded pool and health club. PGA Member deals available Sunday to Thursday for business or leisure.

Contact Mark Williams on 01704 875 699 or reservations@formbyhallgolfresort.co.uk quoting your member number.

The Open Complimentary access to the Open Championship. Access to the private, on-site PGA Member Marquee for yourself and a guest.

European Tour tickets Complimentary access is also granted at a number of European Tour promoted events, including the BMW PGA Championship, British Masters, Irish Open, and Scottish Open.

*Terms and conditions apply to all benefits. See website for details. Apple - Annual purchase limits apply. Discounts are subject to availability. For the latest offers visit the Apple EPP store. T.M. Lewin – Cannot be redeemed against previous purchases or used in conjunction with any other offer, voucher, discount code or gift card purchases. UK Health Insurance – UK Health Insurance is a trading name of Healthnet Services Limited which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority No. 312313. Registered address: Bourne Gate, 25 Bourne Valley Road, Poole BH12 1DY. Registered in England no. 04620230. PGA Benefits is managed and run on behalf of The PGA by Parliament Hill Ltd of 3rd Floor, 127 Cheapside, London, EC2V 6BT who are authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority for non-investment insurance mediation under registration number 308448. Details can be checked on the Financial Services register by visiting the FCA’s web site at https://fca.org.uk/register.

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A D V E R T O R I A L

Achievements Galore For(e) Silverbug The sport-loving masters of IT have had a great year.

What differentiates Silverbug from the rest?

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n top of our relationship with The PGA, the company has a rich sporting passion, working closely with recently promoted Wolverhampton Wanderers and Gulf Racing. We also sponsor the 17th hole on the Championship course at Collingtree Park. But it’s not just our sporting interests that set us apart. More importantly, it’s the way we get things done.

We also have a passion for rectifying nightmare solutions and we work with you in a forward, straight talking manner. We’re here to get you out of the trickiest of IT problems and back up and running.

Over the last 12 months, we’ve been remarkably busy and we’re proud to announce that we have recently been accredited with the ISO 27001 certification. This is a standard which demonstrates to customers that a business is following best practice security processes and is verified according to international best practice and business objectives. Which, in short, is great news for Silverbug and our customers because it means all the sensitive data that we hold (yours and your company’s) will now be safeguarded more closely than ever.

It further means that receiving the best service possible from Silverbug is a foregone conclusion. Sorry.

Our Cloud-Based Disaster Recovery Service launched earlier in the year and is now in full swing. Sorry, again. Every business, no matter what size should have a strategy for if/ when a disaster strikes. This could be a burst pipe that floods

the office or a city-wide blackout. You need to be prepared.

Cloud-based is becoming an increasingly popular choice when it comes to disaster recovery for various reasons. The ease of starting up and the lower price point are just two of the main attractions to launching a Cloud-Based Disaster Recovery Plan with Silverbug.

The past year has been crucial for brand growth, and expansion comes on the back of our lucrative two-year partnership with The PGA. Silverbug is proud to officially announce that we have unveiled our brand-new office in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. This follows the existing offices we already have in the UK and in the US. The office will provide customers in the region with much better support from our experts, around-the-clock, who will help safeguard their systems.

Here at Silverbug, we do things differently. We make complicated IT issues simple. The way it should be.

Anyway. Enough about us. We want to focus on the issue you’re facing, and then fix it. We can offer PGA Members: • A Free IT Health Check of your business.

• Up to three months free managed IT services when taking out a contract.

• An option to leave within the first three months if you change your mind.

For more information, contact us on 020 7078 3795 quoting PGA.

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www.pga.info

S I T U A T I O N S

PGA Assistant / Qualified Professional P&M Golf Superstore is seeking a PGA member to join their team. This retail role requires someone who is customer focused, sales driven and can work independently.

The successful candidate will also have the opportunity to give lessons and custom fittings, along with helping with club repairs in store. This position would be ideal for an assistant who needs to learn all aspects of the industry or also for fully qualified professionals who would enjoy a varied role in the golf industry where no two days are the same.

CV to : padraigmcgrath@hotmail.com

Supporting the relationship between PGA Professionals and the golf industry

The PGA offers a free, bespoke service designed to assist you through the recruitment process to ensure you get the right PGA Professional for your facility. The PGA has helped more than 150 golf clubs with their recruitment needs in the past two years by: • Identifying roles and responsibilities • Assisting with writing the initial advertisement • Advice on interviewing • Guidance around remuneration • Developing service level agreements / contracts • Mediation and ongoing support For more information contact Yvonne McPhillips on 01675 470 333 or at: recruitment@pga.org.uk

V A C A N T

We are looking to speak with highly motivated and experienced PGA teaching professionals to discuss an amazing opportunity here at The Shropshire, Telford’s busiest golf venue.

We are looking to franchise the teaching rights to an individual on our busy 30 bay floodlit driving range.

We also have an indoor teaching studio, short course, short game areas and 27 holes of golf.

The right individual will be looking to create and develop their own teaching academy and team of teaching staff.

A monthly rent will be payable in return, rate to be negotiated, with an initial rent reduced period available to help the individual get started.

An excellent opportunity with unlimited earning potential for the right candidate.

If you would like to discuss this further, please make confidential enquires in the first instance to s.perry@theshropshire.co.uk or call on 01952 671 960 by 15 June 18.

Woodbridge Golf Club

Invite applications from suitable candidates for the position of self-employed/retained Club Professional A Top 100 club with 27 holes that appeal to a wide variety of golfer. Constructed on sand therefore ensuring greater opportunity of access. We have a thriving membership and high visitor footfall and we aim to recruit a dynamic PGA Professional to provide a team that will deliver a range of provisions that align to the needs and expectations of the Club, delivering first class services to members and visitors.

The club provides an excellent opportunity for a pro-active, engaging well organised Professional to deliver a team that aligns to the culture of Woodbridge whilst utilising: • A retail shop and workshop located next to the putting green and first tee • The purpose built air conditioned coaching/custom fit studio with Trackman • A covered warm up range • A short game area with green • A large open practice ground with a 3 hole academy course The candidate will have excellent interpersonal and organisational skills as this role is crucial to the continued development of the club.

As a first class coach, you will be expected to further develop the coaching experience for members and visitors, utilising the latest technology and coaching methods, together with attracting new customers to the club.

Operate a retail outlet that incorporates a first class fitting facility, together with managing and motivating a team of well trained staff to deliver exceptional customer service.

Sound business acumen with the ability to adjust to the ever changing industry is essential.

To work alongside the management of the golf club, supporting the administration of competitions and hire of equipment, ensuring that the Pro Shop services are an integral part of the overall business.

Applicants should apply via email with a cover letter and CV demonstrating their suitability and experience by 21st May 2018 to: Sean Clark, Club Secretary/PGA Professional, Woodbridge Golf Club, Bromeswell Heath, Suffolk IP12 2PF Email: clubsecretary@woodbridgegolfclub.co.uk

The PGA Professional

| May 2018

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S I T U A T I O N S

Dalmahoy Hotel & Country Club is seeking a PGA Teaching Professional with a passion for coaching.

Dalmahoy Hotel is a four-star resort and former Solheim Cup venue, located just 7 miles west of the centre of Edinburgh.

It comprises of two golf courses, the championship East course and the resort West course. There is a 12-bay floodlit driving range with secure teaching room, a 9-hole Pitch and Putt course, practice putting green and pitching areas.

The position would initially involve some salaried operational hours but the main focus on tuition delivery. The successful applicant would have the opportunity to bring their own existing coaching client base to Dalmahoy, if appropriate as well as recruiting new clients.

The successful candidate will need to demonstrate: The ability to proactively and enthusiastically drive tuition activity to existing membership, attract new business from outside the club, integrate with the current team ethos and have the necessary experience required to develop and provide coaching programmes to a wide range of golfing abilities.

To apply for this position please forward a CV and covering letter to Sam Oliver, Director of Golf & Leisure at sam.oliver@dalmahoyhotelandcountryclub.co.uk Deadline for applications is Monday 23rd May 2018.

V A C A N T

Fantastic opportunity for a self-employed PGA Professional.

Euxton Park Golf Centre are looking to recruit a fully qualified PGA Professional to become part of the coaching team. Euxton Park Golf Centre is a thriving well-established, family-run business.

There is an indoor teaching room and separate group teaching bays. We are looking for a dynamic, passionate and pro-active coach and the candidate must be self-motivated, reliable and customer focused. If you would like to be considered for this exciting opportunity please send a covering letter and CV to euxtonpark@gmail.com by 31 May. Knockanally Golf Club - Director of Golf This is an excellent opportunity for an enthusiastic PGA Professional with good business acumen looking to run their own golf operation. Main Roles & Responsibilities: • Staff and operate a pro shop • Drive revenue growth for the club in membership, green fees and society golf as per targets set • Manage all day-to-day operations • Assist with the marketing and administration of the club • Provide a first-class service and environment for members and visitors • Report performance to management Attractive package based on experience. For full details and to apply, please forward CV to: eoin@mygolfgroup.ie

Supporting the relationship between PGA Professionals and the golf industry The PGA offers a free, bespoke service designed to assist you through the recruitment process to ensure you get the right PGA Professional for your facility.

The PGA has helped more than 150 golf clubs with their recruitment needs in the past two years by: Identifying roles and responsibilities Assisting with writing the initial advertisement Advice on interviewing Guidance around remuneration Developing service level agreements / contracts Mediation and ongoing support For more information contact Yvonne McPhillips on 01675 470 333 or at: recruitment@pga.org.uk

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E M P L O Y M E N T

O P P O R T U N I T I E S

UK & IRELAND Knaresborough Golf Club, North Yorkshire

Motivated PGA assistant required to join the Professional team. Looking for a diligent, enthusiastic and reliable candidate. Excellent interpersonal skills essential. Minimum 30 hours shop work plus opportunities to develop coaching especially with juniors. Application and CV to Andy Turner at knaresboroughproshop@hotmail.co.uk by 18 May. Wentworth Golf Club, Surrey

Here at Wentworth we are seeking a Golf Services Assistant to assist the team in providing a seamless, first class service to all members and their guests, ensuring that they have a unforgettable first impression of Wentworth Club. If you have a passion for people, email elegg@wentworthclub.com by 25 May. Wells Golf Club, Somerset

Motivated PGA assistant/trainee required at 18-hole members course. A knowledge of golf retail would be beneficial. Facilities include a covered, floodlit driving range and simulator.

Enthusiasm to develop junior section. Minimum 30 hours per week. To apply please send a CV and cover letter to: jackheginbothampga@gmail.com before 19 May. Hadley Wood Golf Club, Hertfordshire

The Professional team at Hadley Wood Golf Club is looking to recruit an ambitious teaching professional. The successful candidate will be motivated to grow our junior academy and carry out lessons at a thriving golf club with outstanding facilities. Shop hours and remuneration negotiable. Send CV’s to alastair_archibald@hotmail.com by 20 May. Cricket St Thomas Golf Club, Somerset

Assistant Professional required (training applicant or registered).

Exceptional customer service and product knowledge essential.

30 hours per week to assist with course, Par 3, range and coaching. Must be enthusiastic, reliable and well presented. Apply with CV to sean@cricketstthomasgolfclub.co.uk before 20 May. Exminster Golf Centre, Devon

Great opportunity for registered trainee or qualified professional at busy 9-hole course with 14 bay covered driving range. Will be involved in all areas of the job, with plenty of time to teach and play. Preferably call David on 07718128909 if interested or send CV to david@exminstergolf.com by 24 May. Park Wood Golf Club, Kent

Park Wood Golf Club is seeking to appoint an ambitious and motivated Head Professional. You must be forward thinking in terms of how to expand our customer base and increase revenue.

There is also a great opportunity to grow and develop your own academy. Email CV/cover letter using:kjrhee@orida.org by 23 May.

The PGA Professional

| May 2018

Elsenham Golf & Leisure, Essex

Registered assistant or qualified teaching professional required for busy golf centre with brand new 18 adventure golf and TopTracer. Looking for someone who is keen to build a strong client base, especially with juniors. Email CV with cover letter to Paul Ring, Head Professional at: lessons@elsenhamgolfandleisure.co.uk before 31 May. Keighley Golf Club, West Yorkshire

Training Applicant or Registered Assistant required for busy members’ club. Must be self-motivated, enthusiastic and embrace the potential to build and develop teaching with emphasis on junior and beginner groups. Shop hours also required with excellent customer service. IT skills essential. Apply to Andrew Rhodes at: pro@keighleygolfclub.com before 31 May. Greenore Golf Club, Co Louth, Ireland

Training Applicant/First Year Assistant required for busy private members club in the scenic Cooley Peninsula, County Louth, Ireland. Must be enthusiastic with a passion for golf. Flexible working hours with great teaching & playing opportunities. Full training given by Advanced Professional. Email CV with letter to Robert_giles1908@yahoo.com by 23 May. Edwalton Golf Club, Nottingham

Day-to-day management of Golf Services in duty manager capacity. Ideal candidate will be looking for development of career in Golf Management and events. Min 25 hour per week basic contract and excellent teaching opportunities for Junior/ Groups and individuals. Send CV/Cover letter to simon.williams@glendalegolf.co.uk by 18 May. Nevill Golf Club, Tunbridge Wells

Qualified Professional/Registered Assistant required for the Nevill Golf Club. Duties include member engagement activities, retail, custom fitting and tuition. Junior Academy and teaching opportunities. Within the Matthew Paget Ltd group, you will have plenty of opportunities to develop your skills and career.

Applications to Andrew Smedley afsmedley@hotmail.com by 1 June.

Kings Acre Golf & Country Club, Edinburgh

Kings Acre is an established golfing establishment situated only 6 miles from Edinburgh City Centre. The successful candidate must be flexible in their approach. The position includes reception, course and academy duties. Full training will be given. Email CV with letter to Alan Murdoch at info@kings-acregolf.com by 18 May. Cleveland Golf Club, North Yorkshire

Require an Assistant to start or continue PGA training with our team. Duties to include assisting in shop with retail/customer services, on driving range and with coaching team. Should be highly motivated, keen to learn, with good communication skills.

Applications with CV to info@timjenkinsgolf.co.uk by 31 May.

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Chorlton-Cum-Hardy Golf Club, Manchester

FairweatherGolf, Camberley, Surrey

Exciting opportunity for Training Applicant / Registered Assistant to join the team at this club, situated 3 miles from Manchester City Centre. Applicants must be punctual, outgoing, flexible and self-motivated. Job entails covering shop hours, building a teaching portfolio with plenty of time to play.

Send CV to davemack01@hotmail.co.uk by 20 May.

Tired of sitting in the shop selling Mars bars? Love teaching?

Want to earn more money? FairweatherGolf seeks PGA registered assistant to join the team at the UK’s most advanced indoor coaching facility. CV to Matt Edwards enquiries@fairweather.golf by 29 May.

Montrose Golf Links, Aberdeenshire

Training Applicant or Registered Assistant required for busy members’ club and driving range. Must be self-motivated, enthusiastic with excellent customer service skills. Potential to build and develop teaching with emphasis on junior groups.

Shop hours also required with a passion for retail.

Email: simon.lynn@greenwayhall.co.uk.

PGA assistant / training applicant required for full-time role in the Professional Shop. Role includes retail, custom fitting, repairs and coaching. Sound knowledge of IT preferred. Excellent interpersonal skills are essential and delivery of exceptional customer service is a priority. Send application letter and CV to: Jsnboyd@aol.com by 31 May. Boston West Golf Club, Lincolnshire

Require an Assistant to start or continue PGA training. Looking for an enthusiastic reliable candidate with good interpersonal skills. Minimum 30 shop hours including weekends, with opportunities to coach and develop juniors. Apply in writing with CV to Sophie Hunter at Sophie@bostonwestgolfclub.co.uk by 31 May. Chevin Golf Club, Derbyshire

Excellent opportunity for ambitious and outgoing professional to be part of exciting new project. Working with Trackman and Quintic to provide fitting, coaching, retail and repairs services whilst promoting the Pro Shop and Chevin Golf Club. Must have exceptional customer service. Send CV/Cover Letter/CPD statement to: chevinproshop@gmail.com by 20 May. Playgolfworld, Surrey

Fantastic opportunity for registered trainee/qualified professional at busy 18-hole course with newly developed driving range, short game area and gym facilities. Applicant must be enthusiastic, reliable and have excellent interpersonal skills. Plenty of opportunities to play and develop coaching, especially with juniors. For more information, email michael.lowe@playgolfworld.com by 31 May.

North Hants Golf Club, Hampshire

Exciting opportunity available mid-June for a qualified or final year assistant at this busy, prestigious private member’s club.

Exceptional customer service essential. Applicants must be highly motivated, outgoing with knowledge of retail, custom fitting and delivering effective coaching programmes. Email CV and cover letter to: proshop@georgeportergolf.com before 31 May. Tony Valentine Golf Centre – Swindon and Corsham

A full-time position has become available for a trainee/qualified PGA Professional at our Corsham and Swindon stores. This is an employed position to include salary and an attractive bonus scheme. Duties include customer fit, teaching and golf sales in our indoor facility. Send CV to: elaine@tonyvalentine.co.uk closing date 31 May 2018.

Hartswood Golf Club, Brentwood, Essex

PGA Trainee required to work in busy golf store. Applicant must be honest, reliable and generally chatty. We also run our website from this premise so computer knowledge would be useful.

Flexible hours. Please email CV to stephen.cole@centregolf.co.uk by 31 May. For more information on us please visit www.discountgolfstore.co.uk

OVERSEAS

Littlestone Golf Club, Kent

Costa Ballena Ocean Golf Club, Cadiz, Spain

The championship links of Littlestone is undergoing some exciting developments and we are looking for a registered or qualified assistant to join our team. Experience in group coaching, retailing and member/guest services would be advantageous. Email CV to james@littlestonegolfclub.org.uk by 28 May.

Seeking a PGA teaching professional to join its team from 15 July to 1 September. Basic Spanish knowledge is required.

For more details contact Enrique Soto on eso@ugolf.eu.

Closing date: 1 June.

american golf

We are seeking enthusiastic, ambitious and driven individuals who are passionate about retail and love golf! We are recruiting ASSISTANT MANAGERS for our Stoke, Northolt and Watford stores. If you’re interested in this position and joining Europe’s largest golf retailer visit http://www.americangolfcareers.co.uk for further information.

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Greenway Hall Golf Club & Driving Range, Staffordshire

Yas Links, Abu Dhabi

Exciting opportunity for outgoing, knowledgeable and selfmotivated individuals to join the reception/professional shop team at Yas Links, Abu Dhabi. The successful candidates will be responsible for delivering 5* services standards to all visitors and members that visit the facility. For more information contact: lwaggott@yaslinks.com by 22 May.

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