The PGA 2020 Vision Explained

This recently launched initiative from The PGA aims to better train and prepare existing PGA members and others who work or volunteer in the golf industry

The PGA 2020 Vision Explained

The PGA 2020 Vision project marks a major landmark in the organisation’s 119-year history and perhaps its most significant and far-reaching evolution to date.

Over the past 25 years, many PGA pros have moved from their traditional pro shop and teaching roles into club management positions, quite possibly at your home club or a golf facility you visit regularly.

Indeed, 25 per cent of PGA members currently hold management roles.

This changing work landscape for its members has been the catalyst for the first element of the PGA 2020 Vision project.

This has seen the traditional single PGA membership category split into three distinct sectors – PGA Professional, PGA Coach and PGA Manager.

These new categories will allow members to select the specialism most suited to their current or planned role and area of expertise.

The wider remit of the PGA 2020 Vision project, though, is to bring others who work in the golf industry – either in a professional or voluntary capacity – under the PGA umbrella via the formation of two new industry membership groups: The Business Management Group and the Club Volunteer Group.

The thinking behind this second element of the project is for greater integration and unity among those who work or volunteer in various parts of the golf industry.

“We feel it is really important to bring the entire industry together with a common voice and common goal at this incredibly challenging time,” PGA chief executive, Robert Maxfield, said at the launch in late 2020.

“Getting everyone in the same tent is a phrase I keep coming back to. As an organisation, we feel we have the resource and expertise to pull the business of golf together for the good of our game, offering world-class support, education and networking services for everyone involved in golf.”

Related: "We are trying to professionalise the industry" - PGA CEO Robert Maxfield

The Club Volunteer Group

As you know, many clubs rely on volunteers to varying degrees to help keep things running efficiently.

Some oversee junior sections; some help with the staging of social events; others are involved in the recruitment process; and others still will be on hand to ensure the smooth running of tournaments or open weeks.

All do it for the love of both the game and their clubs.

The Club Volunteer Group aims to provide a formal structure to help these dedicated volunteers acquire new knowledge and relevant skills that will enable them to undertake their respective duties better and more efficiently.

Those who manage our golf clubs may not always have the time and resources to better train their willing volunteers, but members of the Club Volunteer Group will enjoy access to a similar range of PGA resources and information to the Business Management Group that will equip them to better carry out their chosen or allotted duties.

The goals of the Club Volunteer Group are to:

ν Help volunteers learn new skills specifically relevant to their role at the golf club.

ν Provide the support and tools needed to excel in a variety of roles.

ν Ensure volunteers are up-to-date with the latest legislation.

ν Help members become part of a community that can network and share best practice.

ν Provide access to CPD training and information via a state-of-the-art digital platform.

ν Help volunteers become part of the golf industry and work more effectively with PGA members.

Full access to the Club Volunteer Group is £349 per annum, but a basic access package is available for £99 per annum.

Related: What does the PGA do?

The Business Management Group

The Business Management Group will be open to all who work in the golf industry, from entry level through to senior positions.

Its goals are to help support and develop the workforce throughout golf’s many sectors, whether at golf clubs or hotels/resorts, or in other areas of the industry such as travel, retail and equipment.

It will be a professional body for all golf industry professionals, with the goal for it to evolve into the leading industry network for knowledge sharing, networking and career development.

Among the benefits for the £349 annual fee are:

ν Professional development with PGA Learn CPD programme.

ν Forums and communities access.

ν Exclusive PGA networking events.

ν Expert advice from The PGA’s business relationship officers.

ν Access to The PGA’s resource library 24/7.

ν Subscription to the new PGA Business quarterly journal.

To find out more about the PGA 2020 Vision project or to join either group, visit pga.info/pga-2020-vision/