With at least 25 public and private golf courses in the Ozarks, golf enthusiasts have plenty of choices to hit the greens. But behind the course scenery is a well-oiled sports machine, with PGA professionals at the core.
There are 28 classifications of PGA professionals, ranging from head pros and assistants to professional tour players.
While the classification that includes the likes of Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson is the most famous, the other groups have more direct impact on the local community.
“When a member or guest makes the choice to enlist the services of a PGA professional, the PGA professional not only teaches them how to become better, they coach them along the way in their practice routines, give them needed encouragement and become their mentors,” said Chris Obert, PGA director of golf at Millwood Golf and Racquet Club in Ozark.
According to
www.pga.com, there are 27 PGA professionals in Springfield, Ozark and Nixa, home of Fremont Hills Country Club.
While many golfers might think of their courses’ pros as being those who teach golf lessons, the role of a PGA professional goes beyond instruction.
“There is no such thing as a time clock for PGA professionals. They are typically here before anyone arrives and are usually here well after everyone leaves,” said Obert, who added that PGA pro duties can include business management, facility and event planning, golf shop operation, tournament coordination, club repair, junior golf mentoring, publicity, marketing and advertising.
Rich Brittan, PGA head professional at Twin Oaks Country Club, said PGA pros first have to take a playing ability test and a rules test. After that, PGA schooling includes courses on business, marketing, customer service and other responsibilities.
“It takes about seven years to go through it,” Brittan said. “Some could go through it faster but they allow a seven-year window to finish. It’s fairly costly.”
After certification, which costs at least $3,000, there are yearly dues of $500 for PGA members, while assistants, or apprentices, pay $300 a year as they work toward full certification.
Millwood CEO Kristy Horton said there are two pro staff members for the course – Obert, and his assistant, Scott DeLong, though it’s not uncommon for a course to have a head golf pro and several apprentices or assistants.
“The PGA pro is one of your most valuable employees,” Horton said. “You get what you pay for. You don’t need several on staff; you need the best.”
Still, though PGA professionals do plenty to further the game, helping others achieve glory on the green is a key part of their job.
“To a certain extent, everyone who is fairly new to the game of golf wants a quick fix,” said Larry Ray, PGA assistant professional at Rivercut Golf Course.
“But the ones who have played it for a while are willing to sacrifice their time, because what we give them is not a quick fix, but the basic fundamentals they need to make applicable day in and day out,” Ray added.
According to Springfield Business Journal research, lessons at Rivercut and Millwood are $50 each and range from $40 to $50 at Twin Oaks Country Club.
Ray said once instructors establish working relationships with golfers, they know their tendencies and what compensations they may be making in their swings.
“The last person who knows what their golf swing looks like is the person swinging the club,” Ray said.
Many PGA professionals start out with the goal of playing professionally, Brittan said, and while a select few get the opportunity to make a living playing, there are plenty of opportunities for PGA professionals.
“I always tell young guys to get their PGA membership, because at least they have something to fall back on,” Brittan said. “If it doesn’t work out for them out there playing, they’ve still got the membership and don’t have to start from square one.”[[In-content Ad]]
