What to expect from a PGA Qualifications Open Day
The excitement was palpable as over 80 prospective students and their families gathered at PING House for the latest PGA Qualifications Open Day, where attendees had the chance to tour the facilities and meet our dedicated PGA Education team. The event was a resounding success, offering invaluable insights and sparking enthusiasm for the opportunities on offer.
“I’ve been thinking about the first step to take in my career as I’ve just left school, and golf is something I really want to do because I love it and there’s nothing better than waking up every day to go and do something you love.”
David Colclough, Head of Coaching & Sports Science, explained more: “It gives us a chance to provide the attendees with a little bit of an insight into the life and times of a PGA Trainee and Professional.
“Many of the potential students and their family actually want to know a little bit about what happens at the end of this process, so as well as giving them some guidance on the types of subject areas that they'll cover within the modules, we also talk about the types of job roles that await them, both post-qualification and even some things that they can be doing during their training.”
Attendee Jamie Figg was enthusiastic about the course: “I’ve been thinking about the first step to take in my career as I’ve just left school, and golf is something I really want to do because I love it and there’s nothing better than waking up every day to go and do something you love. I’ve learnt a lot at today’s Open Day about what the course will hold and I’m really interested in all of it - I’d like to do the 3-year course to start off with to get the PGA qualification, and then hopefully do another year to get the full degree.”
Proud parent Neil Bailey, who attended with his son Daniel, was impressed with the offerings: “Daniel's very keen to be in the industry one way or another - it's a great looking place and a very good course and it looks a great set up for continuing the golf progress that he has already started over the last couple of years. I'm not a golfer myself so he hasn't had it forced on him - it's something that he's wanted to do himself and I will be very proud of him when it comes to completing it.”
Dr Paul Wiseman, Executive Director of Education, advised who the PGA training might suit: “A lot of people come onto this programme for many different reasons - don't think it's only for people who want to become the next Rory McIlroy. PGA Professionals do 85 different jobs. Some people are interested in the more technical side of things with sports science or custom fitting, some want to work in the business of golf for companies like PING or Titleist or venues like The Belfry. We've got an average age of about 24-25 so it just shows the mixture of people we get coming on the programme from all different areas.”
The next PGA Qualifications Open Day takes place online on 15th August.