The PGA Institute offers tertiary study for women seeking a career in the golf industry. The PGA’s Suzanne Burns explains what the institute offers.
The PGA Institute is a registered training organisation (RTO) that delivers qualifications and professional development for people wanting to work in golf and for people employed in the industry who wish to upskill. Owned by the PGA of Australia, the institute is effectively managed by the very industry for which it’s delivering the skills and nationally recognised qualifications.
Originally based at Sanctuary Cove on Queensland’s Gold Coast when launched in 2005, the PGA Institute’s campus is now based in the PGA Learning Hub at Sandhurst Club in Melbourne’s south-east where students have access to a 36-hole golf facility. Senior manager of the PGA Institute Suzanne Burns spoke about its variety of educational courses that equip students with the vocational skills to work in the golf industry.
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How did the PGA Institute come to fruition?
It came about because there was a need for turning what is the Diploma of Golf Business & Management into an actual qualification. That and the Diploma of Sport, which we also deliver. Instead of getting a separate RTO to deliver those qualifications, the PGA of Australia decided to set up its own RTO, which meant we could then deliver those qualifications. Other sports, say football, Richmond partner with Swinburne University to deliver qualifications.
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What’s the stated purpose of the PGA Institute?
To deliver qualifications for people that want to work in the golf industry and professional development for those looking for the next step in their career in golf.
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What type of person are you targeting?
I always see a lot of our students are people that are passionate about golf in some way that want to turn it into a career. On campus, we get a lot of school leavers who have finished Year 12. They come and do the Diploma of Golf Business & Management with us. Some of them go straight into the golf workforce, others actually use the partnerships that we have to go into a university degree. Then the third lot, some of them go into the Membership Pathway Program for the PGA of Australia. It’s like a little stepping stone for some of our students. We also get some career changers. So people that love their golf like me – I’m mid-50s and feel I’m pretty lucky to combine my passion with my career.
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How many students do you have enrolled at the PGA Institute?
On campus we have a small class of 13 students, but we have more than 180 students with our online courses.
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What type of courses and subjects do you offer?
We have a couple of courses. The main course is our Diploma of Golf Business & Management. You can do that on campus or online. We also have our Diploma of Sport and what we call our “micro-credentials”. So they’re units of competency from our diploma courses where you can do a couple of units instead of taking on a whole course. They are all nationally accredited qualifications.
Then we have more industry training as well. We have our Emerging Leaders Program. It’s a professional-development program really targeted at the next generation of leaders in the golf industry. That’s for people who are currently working in golf and want to take the step up into middle management. This year and last year we’ve delivered the R&A Women in Golf Leadership Foundation Program. We’ve delivered two cohorts over the past 12 months of that program.
Sort of different industry training. At the moment we’re working with Golf Australia and the High Performance Team, and we’re delivering workshops for the high-performance athletes on some basic skills if they turn to being a tour player or just working in golf… We’re talking about finance, we’re talking about time management, we’re talking about how to actually book their own accommodation because some of these young kids are 17-18 – Mum and Dad, and Golf Australia probably do all their bookings for them. It’s about teaching them those life skills. A little bit of health and wellbeing, and then also sponsorship, communication and media training.
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What sort of skills can you acquire that would prepare you for a job in the golf industry?
I’ll use the Diploma of Golf Business & Management as a good example because it is a broad course that is supposed to provide people with the skills… if you want to talk golf operations, tournaments, events, use of sport technology, all those things are critical. Administrative skills really come into play. Time management, operational planning, finance, people leadership is part of it, and a big one is customer service. Really having that customer-focused mentality. And then overarching knowledge if you’re talking about skills that help you in the golf industry. Basic workplace health and safety. Sustainability, which is becoming a big part of a lot of clubs and facilities.
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What sector of the golf industry do you think offers the greatest opportunities for women?
I think at the moment there’s equal opportunity in every sector of the golf industry. In my role, I work with a lot of capable women in my education team and within the broader industry as well… There are more women entering into roles in turf management and general management.
If you take the latest stats as well, it’s about 60 percent of new off-course golfers are women. The opportunity is for more women to aspire to become a PGA professional by entering the PGA Membership Pathway Program to facilitate more women coaching women golfers.
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Can you give an example of a female graduate who holds a specific position in the golf industry?
Certainly. We had an on-campus student who came from Vietnam and did our Diploma of Golf Business & Management. She has gone back to be a tournament co-ordinator for the Vietnam Golf Association. We’ve had another student who has done the course and she’s working in golf operations at Mt Derrimut Golf & Community Club. We’ve had a student who has finished the course and she’s working in administration at Keysborough Golf Club.
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What’s the cost to undertake the Diploma of Golf Business & Management?
For the on-campus course for a domestic student it’s $7,450. For an online student it’s $4,950.
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And the duration of the course?
For on-campus it’s a one-year duration. Online students have up to two years to complete the course.
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What is another message you would like to get across to women about pursuing a career in golf?
It’s a very rewarding career. I think the people that are working in golf are very passionate. I think there is a lot of headway being made in networks and opportunities for women to support each other. Golf Australia have the Connecting Women in Golf network that they’ve launched nationally. And that’s providing opportunities for women that are working in golf to meet other women working in golf, and to network and to build a relationship.
In terms of our course, I think it’s a good connector that gives you a broad range of skills… We have an industry immersion program where we place students so they can get work experience at a host club in golf operations. If they suggest they want a particular area, we get them some work experience in that area. They’re not just finishing a course and not having any real-world experience.
I see more women entering the golf industry workforce all the time that are supported not only by the existing women but the whole of industry.
For more information, visit golf.com.au and choose Study & Work.
