PGA PGM program

[sonomajake]

anybody have any insight into this? im thinking about going back to school at 30 years old. i never finished my bachelors degree and i thought it would be good to try to get one in something im passionate about. im thinking about going to community college for a year first and then going to ASU. just wondering if anyone had any thoughts on the program in general or which schools program would be best overall, not only for the golf side but also degree. thanks.

[n8dogg2669]

I was accepted into the PGM program at Ferris State University in Michigan, but decided not to go(dumbest decision ever). but i needed an acceptable act/sat score, gpa, a verifiable handicap(not sure what the actual number was, but i qualified) and you need letters of recomendation. can;t really remember if there was anything else, cause it was 10 years ago, but good luck.

[EZ Swinger]

i work at a course where they recently hired a kid currently in the program and he always tells me not to do it because he thinks it was a boring experience but he got a job didnt he. Its a very nice private course and he gets to play a lot and stuff so it doesnt sound to bad to me. Right out of school getting a job at a high end private club doesnt sound bad either.

[Nick]

What is the PGM program?

[CG031]

i work at a course where they recently hired a kid currently in the program and he always tells me not to do it because he thinks it was a boring experience but he got a job didnt he. Its a very nice private course and

That's not always the case...as a matter of fact, rarely the case.

Many Ast. PGA pro's never get to play. Most of their hours are logged into the Pro Shops. They have to do book work and pass a Playing Ability Test (PAT) in order to ever be a "Head Pro." The Head Pro's have much more flexible hours, and a lot more time to play...being an Ast. Pro is rarely ever that great. I have a friend who was in the program and an Ast. Pro at a local Country Clubs. He said in the PGM program "PGA should stand for Put Golf clubs Away." With all that said, it's not terrible. The positives are you do get to work at a nice country club most of the time, and you do get to give some lessons and help people. You do, of course get to play on ocassion. For some it's once a week. For others, maybe 3-4 rounds per week. Depends on what job you land, sort of how lucky you get. It's a business also that you certainly have to work your way up in. It's better to go to college and do it though then to not go to college and do it on your own...at least in college you have the degree to fall back on.

[sonomajake]

im thinking about getting into something corporate with golf. either doing sales training for callaway or working for a club or something. im hoping im not going to finish and come out making 15 bucks an hour working as an assistant in a pro shop. im really trying to become a manager at a club or something like that.

[enarhi]

I've been wondering the same lately. I'm an architecture major at Cal, and have become interested in the course design section of the pga's program. From the info I've read, it is clear that the whole process is incredibly overly complicated and intricate. Not to threadjack or anything, but I'd love any information anyone has on the course design program. If any of you guys happen to actually be in the course design business or near it, shoot me a PM.

[CG031]

im thinking about getting into something corporate with golf. either doing sales training for callaway or working for a club or something. im hoping im not going to finish and come out making 15 bucks an hour working as an assistant in a pro shop. im really trying to become a manager at a club or something like that.

You'd have to be extremely lucky to all of a sudden get a job as Director of Golf Operations at a Club...

It seems as though it's a job you "move up" in. Start out as an ast. pro, pass your PAT (shoot two 78's in the PAT tournament) and book work, and then you can become a "head" pro at a club, which I guess is similar to what you want to do... But usually that takes years to be a Head Pro. Mosts of the time your an ast. for quite a few years before you find a head pro job somewhere, and to be honest, there aren't many head pro jobs ever available because people don't really leave once they have it.

[clubchamp]

If you are going into a pgm program thinking that you will make decent money when you get out you are mistaken. If you got 15/hr that would actually be pretty good. Jobs with club companys are far and few between and probably an asst. pro would be along the lines. 3 of my friends went into pgm and 2 of them are in europe working(pay is a little better) my other friend has been out 5 years and he is still an asst. pro. Basically its something you do because you're passionate about golf but you can't go into it expecting to make good money.

[chriskzoo]

My buddy went through it at Ferris State and it has it's pros and cons. The good part is that you get a marketing/business degree out of it. The bad news is that it's long hours at the club for little pay. You really need to at least work your way up to teaching pro (or do teaching on the side away from the club) to make a liveable wage. Unfortunately you don't have a lot of time to work on your game, but doing well in tournaments in the state and getting some name recognition is your quickest way to move up.

My buddy used to work with Steve Brady (well known pro in Michigan) who has won the Michigan Open and played in the PGA Championship a few times, but even he is kind of "stuck" as the Director of Teaching - at Oakland Hills, granted - but I'm sure he's making some good coin.

[tjy355]

I thought I read that ASU was dropping their PGM program?