A golf professional can tell within seconds why a student’s ball is flying to the right. But whether that student comes back is often decided long before the first ball is hit: in the greeting, in the first conversation and in the feeling of being understood. This is exactly where the Swiss PGA’s “Interpersonal Skills” course comes in.

Learning from the Industry That Made Hospitality a Profession

For this course, the Swiss PGA works together with the Hotelfachschule Thun and its teaching hotel, “The Lab Hotel”. The idea behind it is simple: hardly any industry understands as well as hospitality how guests think, what they expect and why they return.

One formula runs through the course from the very start: performance divided by expectation equals delight. Whoever raises expectations has to meet them. And whoever exceeds them wins clients who stay.

From the Individual to the Team

The starting point is the individual. A short personality assessment shows how participants react under pressure, where their strengths lie and where their blind spots are. Just as important is the impression they make on others: clothing, manner and language all create expectations before a single word is spoken.

From there, the focus shifts to the team. What do I bring, what drains my energy, and what do I need from others? Participants discover why unlearning is often harder than learning something new, especially for someone who has spent years automating their golf swing. They also learn what sets successful teams apart and how psychological safety is created in everyday working life.

From Golf Teacher to Entrepreneur

The second part puts golf professionals as entrepreneurs at the centre. Entrepreneurship is treated not as a talent but as a method. Topics range from personal vision and positioning to first impressions and the customer journey, through to trust, client loyalty and difficult conversations. One key insight: those who listen first and ask the right questions understand what the other person is really trying to achieve.

Practising, Not Just Listening

The course is built consistently on learning by doing. Short inputs alternate with realistic role plays, observation and feedback. Every exercise ends with the same questions: What did I notice about my own behaviour? What will I do differently next time? The course concludes with a live simulation that brings all the elements together.

Nobody leaves the course without a concrete plan. Each participant writes down what they will start doing, which habit they will drop and which strength they will continue to use deliberately. On top of that comes a small experiment to be put into practice within 48 hours.

More Than Technique

Today, golf clubs and golfers expect more from a Swiss PGA Professional than technical expertise. What is needed are hosts, coaches and entrepreneurs who inspire people to take up golf and keep them in the game for the long term. This makes them important partners for golf clubs: Swiss PGA Members bring new golfers to the club and play a decisive role in keeping them as members. The “Interpersonal Skills” course shows that the skills this requires can be trained, just like a golf swing. You just have to be willing to practise them.