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 Learning the Links By Lauren Gregg, NC State News Services Most people play golf because it’s fun and relaxing, but behind that facade is a thriving and lucrative industry that requires highly skilled professionals. Students in North Carolina State University’s Professional Golf Management (PGM) Program are learning the behind the scenes work that makes the golf industry such a success. “This program is not about the game of golf, it’s about the business of golf,” says Dr. Robb Wade, assistant director and internship coordinator of the PGM program. NC State is one of a select few universities in the United States to offer a Professional Golf Association (PGA) of America accredited bachelor of science degree in professional golf management. “NC State has a stand-alone PGM degree, whereas most other programs in the U.S. offer a marketing degree or business degree with a concentration in PGM,” Wade says. Because the golf industry requires expertise in a variety of subject areas, students in the PGM program take an array of classes that tie into the business of golf, such as marketing, communication, turfgrass, accounting, food and beverage management, and merchandising, just to name a few. “If you want to be a general manager, for example, you need to learn about food and beverage operation. Most courses don’t make a lot of money on the golf side of things, but they can make a fair bit of money in merchandising and food and beverage,” Wade says. “The golf professional that understands that has a much greater change of becoming a successful general manager.” One of the most critical aspects of the PGM program is the internship requirement. PGM students are required to be away from school for 16 months working on internships at approved golf facilities under the direction of a Class A PGA Professional. “In the first two years of being at NC State our students are away from campus for about 10 months,” Wade says. “The longer internship experiences (6 or 7 months) provide students a greater chance to learn and earn more responsibilities on the job. The co-ops are also set up so that the students do their internships at different times throughout the year so they see all phases of the golf season, from preparing for the season to closing down for the season.” Students are urged to work at a public course, a private course and a resort course so they get a full range of experiences. “We also urge them to go outside of the area for their co-ops in order to build a vast network in the industry and grow personally and professionally,” Wade says. “It’s a tremendous step forward in their careers. We’ve had students working at courses across the country such as Pebble Beach, Calif., Kiawah Island, S.C. and at the Broadmoor Resort in Colorado.” Wade says graduating students are qualified for a variety of different jobs. “We try to open students’ eyes when they get here and show them all the different opportunities and options out there for them. From merchandizing to being a golf writer, there are so many different directions they can go. The most important thing is that the students figure out what they want to do within the sport they love working around. “For example, students could go on to be tournament directors where they work on getting tournaments to come to their golf course or they can go into merchandising or operating a golf retail store. We also have students who want to be superintendents and because NC State has a great turf program our students can take turf classes. The marriage of being a PGA professional and having a turfgrass background is one that you don’t see very often.” Even though PGM students spend most of their time learning about the business of golf, they still have to be able to play the game. Each student has to take a playing ability test in order to get a PGM degree. “In essence you have to be 6,7, or 8 handicap to earn this degree,” Wade says. “So there are times when students need to be playing and practicing because they have to pass the test, otherwise they won’t graduate.” There is also a handicap requirement of 12 - the maximum that the PGA allows – to get into the program. Students are also required to complete three levels of training, designated by the PGA, prior to graduation and are tested after completing each level. NC State’s Professional Golf Management Program is in its fifth year and will have its first graduating class this spring. There are currently 77 students in the program. The program is housed within the College of Natural Resources in partnership with the College of Management, the Turfgrass Management program, and the departments of Food Science and Physical Education. |
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