Golf Operations

LEADING THE WAY

By Maddy Belden • PGA Assistant Golf Professional Salem Country Club • Peabody, Mass.

MADDY BELDEN, PGA STARTS her position as Assistant Golf Professional at Salem Country Club in Peabody, Mass. this month. While she’s worked full-time in the golf industry since May 2020, most recently as an Assistant at Brae Burn Country Club in West Newton, Mass., she grew up working outside operations at Worcester (Mass.) Country Club where her father, Allan Beldon, was Head Golf Professional until 2020. He’s now Director of Instruction at Salem Country Club. Belden discusses her burgeoning career and what it’s like to be a woman in a male-dominated profession.

Club + Resort Business: What are your day-to-day responsibilities at the club?

Maddy Belden: My day-to-day responsibilities as an Assistant included running ladies day, coordinating tournaments, giving lessons and holding clinics for members, as well as helping merchandise the golf shop.

C+RB: How has your role changed throughout the COVID era?

Belden: I actually started working as a Golf Professional about two months after the pandemic began, so COVID hasn’t changed much for me in terms of my role.

C+RB: Why did you decide to pursue PGA membership?

Belden: I decided to pursue becoming a PGA member because I found after a few months of working as an Assistant that I really enjoyed working in the industry and this was logically the next step to take. The club that I was working at also offered to pay for my education, making the decision a lot easier. I also thought it would be cool to follow in my dad’s footsteps, who is a PGA member as well.

Degree of difficulty; Help from others at the club; etc.

Belden: The first step for me in the process was taking my PAT (Playing Ability Test), which I did in July 2020. Once I passed the PAT, I enrolled as a PGA Associate. There is a qualifying level that requires taking an exam, which then leads you to completing the three main levels. Each level requires taking a week-long seminar, submitting a work experience portfolio, and taking exams. I took the Level One seminar in December 2020, Level Two in April 2021, and Level Three in October 2021. I completed all requirements at the end of 2021 and was elected to membership on January 5, 2022. From PAT to election, it took me about 18 months to complete. The first level was the hardest and took me the longest to complete. Each level got increasingly easier to me. Before starting Level Two, each associate has to choose a path (Executive Management, Golf Operations, or Teaching & Coaching.) I chose to follow the Golf Operations path as it included equal parts of facility management and teaching material.

C+RB: You’re in a male-dominant profession ... what have some of the challenges been?

Belden: Being a female in a male-dominant profession can be both a challenge and an advantage. Some of the challenges include not being taken seriously by others in the industry and by the members at the country club. I feel like I had to work extra hard to prove that I was meant to be a golf professional. For example, a member might walk into the golf shop and ask if any of the guys were around to replace their putter grip. This would frustrate me since I’ve been helping my dad replace grips since I was a little kid, and I’m pretty good at it! Many customers think that if they see a female in the golf shop, they are probably just there to fold and sell clothes.

C+RB: Conversely, have you experienced any unexpected rewards?

Belden: Right now, facilities are searching low and high for females to employ. I was not planning on leaving my previous job, but received many offers to leave that I couldn’t pass up. Although being a female has brought me many opportunities, I am still going to have to prove that I am a good golf professional to my new membership, which is a challenge I am up for.

C+RB: How do you see the industry changing in the coming years?

Belden: I think the industry is changing as we speak. The pandemic has boosted participation in golf and has created many new golfers that I think are here to stay for the long run. On the employee side of the industry, it is changing in terms of hours worked and salaries earned. The six-day work week for less-than-optimal pay is going away. This has been the norm at country clubs for years, and young professionals like me are not willing to give up this much of their life for such little pay. Facilities are going to have to start paying more and changing the way they structure their hierarchy of employees.

C+RB: What would you say to other women—whether competitive golfers or young girls—about pursuing a career in golf?

Belden: If you are a female thinking about pursuing a career in golf, you are already at an advantage due to the lack of females in the industry. Out of the 29,000 PGA professionals, only about 5% of them are women. Don’t let this scare you, but let it inspire you. If working in golf intrigues you, reach out to PGA professionals at a facility near you or online in places like LinkedIn or Instagram and ask if they will mentor you or answer your questions. The PGA is like a family and will welcome you with open arms.