Golf Business News – PGA Excel: The key to identifying and nurturing top talent

For those hiring or managing within the golf industry, identifying individuals who will bring proven expertise and tangible value to their role is critical.

PGA Excel, a framework created by the Professional Golfers’ Association, which gives recognition to those who have made a significant impact, is a sure way to assess this, providing clear evidence of the success of PGA members in their chosen field.

Doug McClelland, PGA Master Professional and founder of the largest club retail store in Europe – Silvermere, Surrey – is a strong advocate of PGA Excel and the benefits it offers to employers and golf facilities, as well as the individual. And as it is increasingly recognized throughout the industry, with high-profile appointments resulting in high demand among employers, McClelland believes it is critical to the success of PGA Members and the services they provide.

“All PGA Professional and golf facilities should strive to be the best they can be and the PGA is the world’s leading training organization in providing that opportunity,” explained McClelland. “Achieving CPD accreditation and committing to PGA senior status through PGA Excel gives PGA Professionals the opportunity to develop a positive career, make their mark in the industry and demonstrate their value to an employer. It can also open up great opportunities in the future, especially if you want to work abroad. That speaks volumes for the PGA’s training program and CPD and subsequent development methods.

“The PGA is one of the most powerful brands in the world of sports and is recognized around the world. It is associated with high standards, excellence, respect and integrity and there is no doubt that having the PGA and top designation behind your name is the biggest thing a PGA Member can do to improve. For employers of PGA Professionals, it adds more credibility. ”

One such Member is PGA Fellow Professional Simon Peaford, former Head Professional at Walton Heath who now teaches at Silvermere and Burhill.

“As Head Professional at Walton Heath, I hired three PGA Assistants and when new positions became available, it was very important to us that the new member of the team had the ambition to develop their knowledge and experience,” said Peaford. “Continuous professional development was part of our daily life. For that reason, most of my employees have attained a higher position, trained to become a PGA Director of Golf or become proud Head Professionals at the most prestigious golf courses.

“Personally, when I left Walton Heath to become a full-time coach, it was a natural decision for me to take on the PGA Excel framework and work towards achieving a top appointment to demonstrate my skills. Sometimes, until the application is written down, it is difficult to see how much a person has earned. But PGA Excel helps to do that.

“It also enables PGA Members to submit applications at a level that best reflects their experience. For me, that was a ‘friend’ situation and the process of documenting my achievements meant I could use my experience as a Head Pro to demonstrate my impact on the industry.”

What is PGA Excel?

The PGA Excel Framework is designed to enable PGA Professionals to clearly demonstrate their impact and achievements on the golf industry throughout their career. Continuing in the draft is rewarded with high nominations and is an important consideration for those hiring PGA Professionals.

The Advanced, Fellow, Advanced Fellow and Master designations apply to all three aspects of PGA Professional Member, Coach and Manager.

PGA Master status represents the pinnacle of achievement, with only 64 PGA Members achieving the position in the Association’s 120-year history.

For each professional (Professional, Trainer or Manager) the online application process is directly related to the four Value Blocks and their corresponding sub-categories of Professional Areas. These represent the basic skills and abilities required in each category and provide the means by which they are assessed.

For more information about the PGA Excel, visit www.pga.info/about-the-pga/pga-excel/