Solidarity in the crisis
22.04.2020

The lockdown, the closure of the golf courses and thus a temporary ban on golf professionals is hitting the members of the Swiss PGA hard. Playing professionals possibly even harder than Teaching Pros. The latter can count on federal assistance. Following the announcement of the official measures and the closure of the golf courses, the Swiss PGA contacted SECO in Berne and clarified the compensation options for golf professionals. As a result, the Swiss PGA was able to forward its members the application forms for compensation for loss of earnings and the links to the competent cantonal authorities as early as the beginning of April. "This service for our members was a top priority; I think we have done our homework," says Swiss PGA President Keith Marriott. Nevertheless, it is clear to him that state compensation is only a consolation or a minimum guarantee.

"The crisis hits us in the peak season," says Marriott. March, April, May and until mid-June are the most lucrative months for golf instructors in Switzerland. The demand for golf lessons is highest at the beginning of the season, but then flattens out considerably. Hours that cannot be taught in these months cannot be made up for in the rest of the season - which even in normal years lasts only 8 months.

Nevertheless, Marriott says clearly: "We are very grateful for these measures taken by the federal government; unlike our English colleagues, for example, we at least get a contribution to our fixed costs, can pay rent, health insurance and living expenses".

The President of the Swiss PGA would like to see the status of teaching professionals in the clubs reconsidered after the Corona crisis has been overcome. "Most golf instructors work on their own account, they have to settle social security and the like themselves and usually pay compensation to the club for the use of the infrastructure," says Marriott. "In a crisis like this, it's now becoming abundantly clear how much a permanent position at a club would be worth." For the self-employed teaching professionals, not only the 2020 season - when it finally begins - will be tough, but the winter of 2020/21 will be a particular challenge. "The financial cushion that you can create for yourself as a self-employed person in the first three months of a golf season will be missing in the winter months," said Marriott.

The lockdown hits the Playing Pros particularly hard. For them, too, the current time is the worst conceivable moment for a season interruption. "The superstars have their sponsorship contracts signed and sealed, but our Swiss PGA Playing Professionals will have to fight hard for every sponsorship contract. Often potential sponsors want to wait for the first seasonal tournaments before they present a contract," Marriott knows. It's common practice in this country to sign sponsorship contracts only in March or April - "but which sponsor wants to transfer money when it's unclear when his athlete will be able to play again?" asks Marriott. The Swiss PGA President knows of several playing professionals who are currently in such a waiting position. This is all the more annoying as the Swiss got off to a good start to the season in February and the first weeks of March - there was a success story from practically every tournament. "This interruption of the season is very bitter for those professionals who had their 'momentum' just before the lockdown, such as Jeremy Freiburghaus, who celebrated his first victory in the pros in Morocco," says Marriott. Instead of using this 'momentum' for further top classifications or even victories, Freiburghaus is now stuck at home like all the other pros. At home in Bonaduz, he keeps fit with athletic and technical training and hammers balls into the net in his home garden.

Keeping fit at home, hitting balls into nets in the garden, putting on mats in the living room and posting all this on the internet - at the moment, everyday life looks similar for most pros. The internet, especially social media, is more important than ever these days. Not only Playing Pros use these channels to keep their fans up to date, Teaching Pros also use these platforms to stay in touch with their customers. Just like Swiss PGA President Keith Marriott, who uses social media to pass on training tips for the home. Or Russell Warner and Roberto Francioni, who launched a 28-day golf challenge and posted training videos every other day. Or the elite coaches of Swiss Golf, who use the association's channels to continuously provide inspiration for golf training at home. Mario Caligari, for example, also showed great commitment: the head pro of the Bad Ragaz Golf Club, who is listed on the "international best list" of "Golf Digest", produced eight exercise sheets with simple Golf@Home exercises, which he sent to his customers by e-mail. Marriott is not surprised by the commitment of his colleagues: "For us, this is not just a job, golf is our passion - that's why we are always looking for ways to pass on our knowledge.

This applies not only to the Swiss PGA members, but also to golf instructors and coaches around the globe. "The whole golf world is in lockdown, and now we are feeling a huge solidarity within the pro community," says Marriott. "The best coaches in the world - including Butch Harmon and David Leadbetter - are sharing their knowledge on the Internet during these difficult times. Free of charge. These many webinars and this wealth of shared expertise are incredible experiences for me. There's never been anything like it," says Marriott. The Swiss PGA has also organized two webinars in recent weeks, and more will follow. "It's also about showing our members ways to make golf big and attract new members."