What does a golf pro do?

What is a Golf Pro?

Do you love golf? Do you want to make it more than just a hobby? You may want to consider a career as a golf pro!

Golf professionals have a passion and aptitude for the sport of golf. They can be anything from a golf club manager, a certified golf coach, or a touring professional that plays golf for a living.

What does a Golf Pro do?

Golf pros can fall into one of three main categories: touring professional, club professional, or instructor.

Each profession has its own requirements, responsibilities, and degrees of technical skill. All professions call for daily involvement in the sport, along with knowledge of correct techniques and rules of the game.

• Touring professionals are the professional golfers seen on television, traveling internationally to compete in major golf tournaments. They compete for money and earn additional income from their sponsors. Often touring professionals become famous and can be seen in magazine and television commercials, supporting their sponsors. Only the very best and most talented golfers make it to this level after years of dedicating their lives to the sport of golf.
• Club professionals are the golf pros who run golf courses. Whether they be country clubs, driving ranges, public courses or resorts, the golf pro is responsible for everything from daily management to course maintenance and giving advice to other golfers on what equipment to use. Club professionals are also responsible for many other managerial duties including accounting, staff supervision, advertising, press releases, keeping track of inventory, and scheduling maintenance. In addition, these golf pros are businessmen and women who are the public face of their establishment. Especially in the case of resort owners, club professionals often host charity events and golf tournaments to raise funds for their communities.
• Golf instructors work as either independent contractors or are employed with a club, hotel, or resort. They are highly successful and technically skilled golfers who have an aptitude for conveying technique and gameplay through verbal instruction and physical demonstrations. They understand weaknesses in a student's game, and will instruct and guide the student in order to make improvements. Golf instructors working for a club or resort may also have additional responsibilities including managing assistant instructors, supervising caddies, managing the club's pro shop, and informing the groundskeepers about turf problems.

What is the workplace of a Golf Pro like?

Since golf is a game that must be played outside, most golf pros spend a significant amount of time outdoors. The amount of physical activity is higher than that incurred in the average occupation, but significantly lower than in most other sports. In addition to walking and climbing hills, golf pros must sometimes carry heavy bags with clubs and other equipment.

For golf pros working in colder climates, work is often not available or severely limited during winter months. Even club professionals who spend most of their time indoors must often close the club during the winter due to a lack of customers. Sometimes, if the facilities are adequate, club managers rent out rooms for banquets, parties, and other events.