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Master of Your Craft
By Michael D. Levine
USGTF Master Teaching Professional
"I achieved
USGTF certification, and
it has led to a great career for me."
--James Freeman, California |
Membership in USGTF
Becoming a member of the
United States Golf Teachers Federation® is one of the most important steps you will
take during your professional golf career. You have made the decision to yourself and
others that you are committed to standards of excellence in our growing organization.
Getting Certified
Choosing to attain certification with USGTF is a demanding task. Those of you fortunate enough to succeed at this challenge are already on the way to a solid place within the golf profession. You have taken the first step to acquiring the necessary credentials that are required in today's competitive marketplace. It is now time to make some accurate and honest assessments of both your skills as a golfer and your skills with people. It is also necessary to be honest with yourself in order to make these career choices.
Qualified Teaching Professionals
The golf profession has many different facets, some are obvious and some are not. For the experienced teacher, the obvious goals within this profession are teaching positions available at the multitude of public and private clubs. Qualified personable teaching specialists are required to fill these vacancies. First and foremost, however, one must be more than a fine teacher to maintain your position as either a head professional or teaching professional. Your students are like family, they don't go away, but you might! For this reason, if you are new to the profession, inexperienced or just lack confidence, there are alternatives or building blocks prior to seeking club jobs.
Interpersonal Skills
Also within the club teaching pathway is the requirement of interpersonal skills. You must be at ease and comfortable with your membership and able to relate to the "whole family" if necessary. Both your behavior and general appearance must set an example if you are to maintain a professional status at the club. The more exclusive the facility, the more demanding these requirements are. Usually public or semi-private clubs are a little less demanding in these areas, however professional conduct and behavior are necessary ingredients for a long-lived club pro career. Being late for lessons, drinking or drugs, foul language, sloppy dress, or improper social conduct as in any profession will send you out the door.
People Skills and Playing Skills
The club route also makes
sense if you consider yourself an excellent player. You are already based at a course
and obviously have more opportunity to play. If you can play better than your membership,
you will be in demand for playing lessons and a welcome addition to any group of players.
If you have the winning combination of people skills and excellent playing skills, the
club job would be the avenue to pursue. As in all areas of business life, "selling yourself"
is instrumental. Once you get your foot in the door, maintaining your success can be a
full-time job.
Teach at a Driving
Range
The least demanding teaching position for a newcomer or someone who does not want to deal with the social graces necessary for most club jobs is the driving range or golf learning center. This in no way means that you can be a slouch, but the demands are usually less than those club jobs. Since your membership did not pay thousands of dollars to join, you are not employed by the clientele but simply those that choose to take lessons from you. A driving range is a great place to strengthen your teaching skills and to sharpen your eye. To be honest, most of the great teachers of the game today have spent much of their time "home on the range". Quite often many facilities of this nature allow their teaching staff quite a bit of scheduling flexibility which is great if you have other commitments. If playing is not really your forte, you may feel more comfortable in this scenario.
Video Analysis of
the Golf Swing
Other areas of opportunity
in the golf teaching business include the expertise involved with video analysis of the
golf swing. With the appropriate professional video equipment, you can help your students
refine their skills under various conditions. Students love to see themselves on video,
and it is one of the greatest learning aids available. A great arena for providing this
type of expertise is an indoor studio or learning center. A well situated indoor facility
with a personable staff and quality equipment can generate big income and even other avenues
for increasing revenue, such as on-course playing lessons and the possibility of club
sales, custom or otherwise. Several USGTF members have such facilities in major urban
settings and make themselves in excess of 6 figures per year. With a little bit of imagination
and that "can do" attitude, the sky is truly the limit.
Other Golf Ventures
Yet another avenue is shared expense ventures such as leasing space in a golf store for giving lessons. Most owners are all ears when it comes to this type of venture. You lessen their monthly expense and overhead and add to the potential of increasing their equipment sales. Also specializing in some high level computer equipment to generate high quality swing images and graphics can easily be an entity all its own that can readily fit into the above scenarios.
Travel with the
Seasons
Directing
or teaching in golf schools is another lucrative avenue of employment
within the industry. These scenarios are usually seasonal but
many professionals make a fine living year round by simply traveling
to warmer climates during the winter months. Many professionals
prefer teaching in golf schools because of the interesting array
of clientele, the camaraderie and sense of accomplishment that
is felt in watching students improve over a 2 or 3-day period.
Seeking
Employment
In
seeking employment, commitment and a positive attitude play a
huge role. Prepare yourself with a high quality resume, a professional
business card promoting the USGTF, and naturally be dressed appropriately
for any interviews. First impressions mean everything.
Pride in Your Craft
The golfing profession
is a big world and has plenty of room for qualified personable people. The demands are
many and so are the challenges. The rewards, however, can be certainly wonderful. The
limits are only in your imagination and desire to succeed. Above all, be a professional,
be proud of your golf teaching skills and the USGTF will be proud of you. Be a master
of your craft.
Golf
Teaching Careers
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