Annual Congress of the PGAs of Europe
03.01.2019
PGAs of Europe stand for Quality
38 national PGAs (33 from Europe, 5 from the rest of the world) are affiliated to the umbrella organization PGAs of Europe. Together, they represent 21,100 golf professionals. At the time, the PGAs of Europe was founded with the overall objective of creating a uniform standard in the training of golf professionals. This has been achieved with the introduction of the European Education Level System (EELS).
New opportunities are opening up: "If Swiss PGA members complete EELS modules abroad, they will be credited with the relevant further education credits," explains Andrea Mantoan. In return, foreign pros like to participate in courses of the Swiss PGA, whose training is awarded the "Professional Level" (highest level).
«The PGAs of Europe Annual Congress is an ideal platform for networking and sharing experiences. For example, we get valuable information about how other associations tackle certain tasks, "explains Mantoan. In Greece, the umbrella organization addressed the issue of joint marketing for the first time; "We are at the very beginning, and now national soundings are the first thing to happen," says Mantoan.
Andrea Mantoan, Board Member Swiss PGA
«The PGAs of Europe Annual Congress is an ideal platform for networking and sharing experiences. "For example, we get valuable information about how other associations tackle certain tasks", explains Mantoan. In Greece, the umbrella organization addressed the issue of joint marketing for the first time. "We are at the very beginning, and now national soundings are the first thing to happen," says Mantoan.
Club professionals with versatile skills
One topic that has been talked about for some time within the PGAs of Europe is the role of the pros in the clubs. «The main task of the pros is working as a golf teacher and coach. For many golfers, the pro is a trusted person, ideally it also represents a link between golf club and members, "says Andrea Mantoan.
Due to their training, pros have a wide range of skills in the golf field, which go far beyond technical knowledge. A certified PGA Pro also has a lot of experience in all areas of golf. Therefore, it is clear: "The role of club pros is changing." More and more clubs are taking advantage of the wide-ranging golf knowledge of the pros and get them as a conversation partner at the board table. Or as a manager in the office - a trend that has long been recognizable in other countries and is slowly spilling into Switzerland.
