I’ll be heading east to the nation’s capital region this weekend to take in the Canadian PGA Centennial celebrations.
I don’t play a lot of professional golf anymore, but I’m very proud to be a member of the association. A lot of my great friends who are golf pros agree and many of my friends are golf pros, I think, because we’re like-minded people who enjoy the game and the business of golf.
There’s so much history to the association, but I also think there’s a great future. I look around and I see guys from my generation and before us who are mentoring a lot of great young pros.
I’ve got four guys right now in my shop who are associates and all four are going to be head professionals one day. I can guarantee you that the young people these days are better-equipped through education and they’re growing up in a business environment.
I think I grew up in a business environment, but I may have just been on the cusp of it. When I was a young golf pro, most of us were still focused on playing and giving lessons, but we grew into the business of golf.
I still love to play, but I see the young people now who may be great players – there always will be great players in our business – but I think what has changed is the business side of it, with more young people aspiring to be a general manager who comes from the golf side.
The four guys in my shop are incredible and I see that everywhere I go these days. I’m really impressed with the calibre of people who are coming into the business and I think we can be proud if we’ve had a hand in mentoring them.
I’m looking forward to the future and I think the Canadian PGA will be in good hands. There are so many young golf pros who are well-equipped to become great head professionals and great general managers through business programs and ongoing education through the association.
