As a high school golfer, have you been looking forward to working in the golf industry? There are lots of college options that can drive up your career in the golf industry. A wrong belief most high school golfers have is that becoming a professional golfer is the only career path in the industry. They forget to consider the potential for becoming a high school golf coach or going further and pursuing an online Master’s degree in sports management. In a report by WeAreGolf, the golf industry is worth 70 billion dollars, and it supports over 1 million jobs.
If it looks like a career path for you, you can check out three different degree programs that can help you set up a career path in golf. Volunteering during the Algarve Golf Holidays can help you decide what interests you and what you enjoy. You can also check out the best colleges to attend each of the courses.
1. Hospitality Management
Golf is a service-oriented business. Most students studying hospitality management are dreaming of managing The Four Seasons in Manhattan, without even a thought of working at a golf club. Anyone with a degree in hospitality management to become a General manager at a golf facility will find that it is a profitable and lucrative career.
The Club Managers Association of America (CMAA) is a national organization centered on the profession of Club Management.
CMAA has college student chapters at the following colleges;
Attending any of these institution and taking hospitality management as your major can guarantee you an opportunity for a golf management career: University of Central Florida, Iowa State University, University of West Florida, Auburn University, Johnson & Wales, NC, Kansas State University, Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Buffalo State College, Kent State University, University of Houston, University of Hawaii, Virginia Tech University, Niagara University, University of Missouri, Johnson & Wales University, University of Delaware, California State Polytechnic University.
2. Turfgrass Management
Have you ever wondered who kept the greens in Augusta National Golf Club looking so green with Azalea flowers looking so colorful? In the United States, there are about 15,000 golf courses, and every golf course has a greenkeeping staff. Their job is to maintain the course and make it look beautiful always.
As a high school student thinking of golf careers, greenkeeping is also a fantastic career path. There are about 139 colleges in America offering Turfgrass Management programs.
Most of the programs do not concentrate on golf, but you can major in Turfgrass Management.
Here are some universities: Widener University, Fairleigh Dickinson University, Eastern Illinois University, Ohio University, University of Maryland, University of San Francisco, Eastern Shore, University of South Carolina, Western Carolina University, and the University of New Hampshire.
3. Professional Golf Management
It is the most trended route for high school students. The Professional Golfers Association of America (PGA) is a national organization that promotes the growth and advancement of 29,000 golf professionals in the United States. If you decide or are considering becoming a golf professional, there some schools offering the PGM program.
Also, attending one of the 18 accredited PGM programs, you can get into the golf business.
Here are some of the Universities offering PGM program: University of Nebraska, Maryland Eastern Shore, University of Idaho, Ferris State, Mississippi State, Coastal Carolina, Florida Gulf Coast, Campbell University, Eastern Kentucky and Clemson University.
You can enjoy a profession in golf without becoming a professional golfer. You should consider any of the three courses above when you want to pick your college course.