You won't find many club pros in tournaments; they are too busy tending to business at home.
By BOB HARIG
Published August 7, 2003
There are pro golfers and golf pros. Although some people can be both, there is a difference.
One plays golf for a living, while the other makes a living in golf but hardly plays.
One plays tournaments from week to week, while the other runs them, among other duties.
One is extremely proficient at the game, while the other does his/her best to help others become that way.
Pro golfer. Golf pro.
"There is the professional golfer and the golf professional," said longtime area pro Bill Conway. "The golf professional is the guy who runs the day-to-day operation, runs tournaments at a club. The professional golfer is Tiger Woods and Jim Furyk. They represent the playing aspect of the game."
Conway has intimate knowledge of life as a golf pro. He has been the head professional at Belleair Country Club since 1971 and has worked at the Belleair courses since 1962, when he became an apprentice in the PGA of America.
Located in Palm Beach Gardens (and once in Dunedin), the PGA of America is the national organization for club pros and has some 28,000 members across the country.
The organization is not to be confused (it often is) with the PGA Tour, located in Ponte Vedra Beach. That group runs events such as this weekend's International in Colorado. It does not, however, run next week's PGA Championship, the fourth major of the year. That is run by the PGA of America. Get it?
"What you see in the general public is they see the PGA touring professionals playing on TV and they equate the PGA of America professional, the club professional, somewhat in the same light," said Chris Hunkler, senior director of education for the PGA of America. "It's not uncommon for someone to see one of our members and ask what tournament are you going to play in next week, as opposed to understanding that these people are being trained to provide quality service and training to 26-million golfers out there."
Another common misconception?
"The biggest is that you do nothing but play golf," Conway said. "Oh what a great job, you play golf all the time.' It's a lot different than people think. They think it's glamorous, a fun time. That's not always the case."
"The last time I played 18 holes," said Dave Stewart, the head professional at Fox Hollow in Pasco County, "was the Fourth of July. I got one round in in July. I might get nine holes in here and there, but that's it. And this is supposed to be our slow time."
Another misconception?
"People think that the PGA is the all-ruling governing body of golf," Stewart said. "They think they play by PGA rules. No, they're USGA (United States Golf Association) rules. There are a lot of misunderstandings about what we do."
Stewart and all PGA pros go through an extensive training program to get where they are. More than 600 hours of study and work is required by an apprentice to become a member of the PGA. Included is a playing ability test.
"We emphasize people skills, game skills and business skills," Hunkler said, the latter being a relatively recent requirement.
"Certainly we value the game skills that are taught," Hunkler said. "Teaching is a significant cornerstone of the association. ... But employers today are requiring significantly more business skills than ever before. Facilities are requiring golf professionals to add to their bottom line."
On average, it takes 36 to 40 months to complete the PGA program and be classified as a PGA of America professional. Additional training is required every three years.
The PGA of America was formed in 1916 to help, among other things, promote the game and elevate the vocation of the golf professional. There was no distinction between club and touring professionals. In 1968, PGA tournament players broke away from the association to form a Tournament Players Division, which was renamed the PGA Tour in 1975.
Most PGA Tour players, however, also are PGA of America members. In fact, it is a requirement to be a member of the U.S. Ryder Cup team. That competition is run by the PGA of America.
As in many other professions, the role of a club pro has changed over the years.
"They used to want a golf pro to be able to display a game, to be able to give your club champion a good game. And I think teaching held more of a higher position than it does now," said Ned Hall, the teaching pro at Clearwater Country Club.
"Twenty-five years ago, it was more selling clubs, teaching and playing golf," Stewart said. "There is still a lot of that. Now, though, it's more corporate than ever. There are more layers of management, more reports to fill out, more supervisors to answer to, more policies. It's become more of an administrative job than ever."
