A lot has changed since those days but some things have remained the same.

In my presentation in Hungary, I will kick-start the day with my Top 5 (In honour of TOTP!) tips to do our bit, as coaches and administrators, in helping the players of tomorrow develop. My top 5, in keeping with the modern Holistic approach we have to our game, include Psychological, Physiological and technical nuggets.

To whet the appetite, I will give you number 6, didn’t make it into the top 5, but important none the less.

Communicate with young players’ parents:

When beginning the journey with these kids, it is almost as important to keep the parents as up to speed as the kids on what you are doing and the reasons and rationale behind your interventions. It is an investment that can be taxing and time consuming but definitely worth investing in. Parents like to know what the plan is and what their kids are up to.

Studies show that Parents of performing players reduce their involvement as time goes on, so the key here is to invest early when it is appropriate and effective.

See you all in Hungary!

For more information and to register visit http://eur.pe/ASKWorkshops-Hungary

For more information about the 2016 A.S.K. Workshops visit http://eur.pe/ASKWorkshops-Hungary, follow @PGAsofEurope on Twitter and search #ASKWorkshops, or like the Confederation of Professional Golf Facebook Page.

To create happy and well-educated Citizen Golfers is my dedication.

I was very lucky to meet Bill Owens in 1993 and decided to work with him since 1995.

Bill is Golf Professional Member of PGA of Great Britain & Ireland since 1976 who moved to France in 1991. Shortly afterwards he created a very unique approach based on sensations, balance and co-ordination that allows everyone to find their inner natural swing and therefore enables them to play golf very quickly.

A lot has happened since 1997 when we first created the “Association pour le Golf Educatif”.

Since then, Golf has become THE Educational and Environment Tool for tomorrow !

In fact, it’s one of the best ways to teach moral and civic education (like all sports you might say!) although it is not only a sport but also a GAME, filled with values and virtues. This is what makes it accessible to everyone and not just to sportsmen. As a matter of fact, golf is probably “the” game for all sportsmen !

I believe it therefore essential to put the GAME back into our daily lives.

PLAYING helps to reconsolidate the rules, to stop fighting, and to recreate a social bond between different kinds of people.

Redefining the fundamental principles (for oneself and for the game) thanks to a personal instruction guide will inevitably boost behaviour as a group.

The project is called “Educational Golf” but it’s no longer a project!  As part of their school syllabus, hundreds of kids from 18 different French towns, now PLAY at auto-educating themselves each week and are proud of their actions, replanting trees on waste and uncultivated land. Some have even found employment in this new environment.

I’m sure that you’ll look at our game differently afterwards, which I hope you’ll go on to share the idea with as many people as possible.

Ready to PLAY ?

How about Golf…? (Why not Golf…?)

Pre-Reading:

• www.triangulaid.com/en
• www.triangulaid.com/up/presentation-of-adge.pdf
• In French: www.triangulaid.com/golf-educatif
• Golf Educatif Website: www.golfeducatif.org

For more information and to register visit http://eur.pe/ASKWorkshops-Hungary

For more information about the 2016 A.S.K. Workshops visit http://eur.pe/ASKWorkshops-Hungary, follow @PGAsofEurope on Twitter and search #ASKWorkshops, or like the Confederation of Professional Golf Facebook Page.

The event will take place on 26th July this year in Budapest, Hungary, and is open to any PGA Professionals to join.  Registration is €99 and includes access to the full day of presentations, Q&A sessions, networking with the speakers, along with coffee breaks and buffet lunch during the day.

The day will begin with presentations from David Kearney (PGA of GB&I), Jim van Heuven van Staereling (PGA of Holland), and Steven Orr, who recently became the PGA of GB&I’s youngest ever Master Professional.

Sarah Claridge (PGA of GB&I) will draw on her expertise with the mental game looking at on-course emotions, whilst Ian Peek (PGA of Germany and GB&I), will be looking at ‘Barriers and Coping Resources’, and is followed by the inclusive golf specialist, Craig Thomas (PGA of GB&I).

European Senior Tour player and commentator, Paul Eales (PGA of GB&I), will look at how players can practice more effectively, with England Golf’s Mark Taylor (PGA of GB&I) explaining how Professionals can support facilities with membership and recruitment.

Junior specialist, Jesus Rodriguez (PGA of Spain), will look at various games and environments for youth golf, along with the Confederation of Professional Golf’s own Director of Education & Membership, Tony Bennett (PGA of GB&I), looking at the work of the Association in golf development, and SNAG Golf’s Dan Killen will join speakers looking at their approach to junior golf development.

Finishing off the day, the PGA of France’s Stéphane Bachoz will give delegates a look behind the scenes at the successful ‘Golf Educatif’ project and the importance of play in junior golf, while Confederation of Professional Golf Education Committee Chairman, Jonathan Mannie (PGA of Austria), will explain how he has worked with aspiring elite golfers.

The first ‘A.S.K. Workshops’ event, titled ‘Developing the Players of Tomorrow’, will see each of the 12 speakers present for exactly 20 minutes to share a story, present an idea, and pass on their thoughts about junior coaching and development in golf.

‘A.S.K.’, standing for ‘Attributes.Skills.Knowledge.’, is the Confederation of Professional Golf’s initiative to help share useful, relevant and interesting content to its Member Country PGAs and their individual PGA Professionals members through various written, video, live and audio media.

The ‘A.S.K. Workshops’ are the first live element within the initiative and will give PGA Professionals a platform to share their experiences, ideas and thoughts on junior golf in front of an audience who will be able to listen to, and interact with, the speakers.

View the Full Schedule & Register at http://eur.pe/ASKWorkshops-Hungary

For more information about the 2016 A.S.K. Workshops visit http://eur.pe/ASKWorkshops-Hungary, follow @PGAsofEurope on Twitter and search #ASKWorkshops, or like the Confederation of Professional Golf Facebook Page.

Following up and down front nines for both Rodiles and the leader at the beginning of the day, Jonathan Grogan (PGA of Germany), the positions had reversed with Rodiles one shot ahead.

The Professionals both then shot a two-under 34 on the back nine of BlackSeaRama Golf & Villas’ Gary Player-designed championship course, giving Rodiles the winning advantage at six-under par (209).

“I had a good finish – a couple under in the last five holes,” said Rodiles.  “Even then on the last hole it was hard to tell what Jonathan was doing, but I was lucky as I played safe [on 18] and then got it up and down and…I ended up winning by a shot.

“All in all it was a great week – I had a great bunch of partners who are friends from where I live, and we truly enjoyed it – it’s obviously a bonus when you win so I’m really very happy.”

Grogan was close to making it three consecutive BlackSeaRama wins, but having recovered from a double bogey on 12 with immediate birdies, four pars to close were not enough to allow him to catch up, finishing at five-under (210):

“I Managed to get a few birdies on the back nine and it was just an up and down round really.  But I’m totally happy with the week it was just a great week again.”

Third place went to another PGA of Spain Professional, Adam Sagar, with a level par 72 and a one-under par total (214) for the week.

The Team Pro-Am followed on from the previous day’s events culminating in a reverse of the individual one-two with Jonathan Grogan and amateurs, Michael Gustke, Frank Otten, and Hannelore Pricker, taking the honours with 258 points (-42), followed by Rodiles’ team of Simon Ingram, Tobias Ingram, and John Groszek came second with 252 points (-36).

The teams of Ulas Karatas (PGA of Turkey) and Adam Sagar tied for third position each on 251 points (-35).

For Full Final Scores Visit http://eur.pe/2016BlackSeaRama

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For more information visit the Tournament Hub Page (http://eur.pe/2016BlackSeaRama) or proam.blacksearama.com, follow @PGAsofEurope on Twitter and search the hashtag ‘#BlackSeaRama’, or like the Confederation of Professional Golf Facebook Page.

For more information on BlackSeaRama Golf & Villas visit www.BlackSeaRama.com.

With BlackSeaRama victories in 2014 and 2015, Grogan’s confidence levels must be sky high having taken the lead through 36 holes.  A second round full of peaks and troughs with six birdies, three bogeys and a double bogey have him at four-under par for the tournament (139).

“It went great today,” said Grogan.  “The course was in fantastic condition, the greens are brilliant. I started off with a few little birdies and a double bogey on nine…which shook me up a little bit, but I got back into it and hit some solid shots.  I’m having a great week – we travelled here four days earlier and played a bit and everyone loves it.”

One shot behind Grogan is Round 01 Leader, Carlos Rodiles (PGA of Spain) who dropped down a single shot to three-under (140).  Having actually got to six-under at Thracian, three back nine bogeys meant he ended with a 73 (+1), but definitely still in the mix for the final round.

In third place is another PGA of Spain Member, Adam Sagar, who mirrored his first round score of 71 only this time he also equalled the low round of the day with Grogan, closing at one-under (142) and again very much still in it.

With only 10 shots separating the top 11 players, the final round at the Gary Player-designed BlackSeaRama Golf & Villas course looks to be an exciting battle for the top spot.

In the Team Pro-Am event, Grogan and his team of amateurs, Michael Gustke, Frank Otten and Hannelore Pricker, advanced one place into the lead following a second round 85 points (-13) for a 172-point total (-28).

Andrea Zanini’s team are just one point behind at -27, and are closely followed by the teams of Adam Sagar (170 points) and Carlos Rodiles (169 points), leaving it wide open for the final round.

For Full Round 01 Scores Visit http://eur.pe/2016BlackSeaRama

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For more information visit the Tournament Hub Page (http://eur.pe/2016BlackSeaRama) or proam.blacksearama.com, follow @PGAsofEurope on Twitter and search the hashtag ‘#BlackSeaRama’, or like the Confederation of Professional Golf Facebook Page.

For more information on BlackSeaRama Golf & Villas visit www.BlackSeaRama.com.

“I’m actually very happy with the way it finished,” explained Rodiles.  “I birdied the last three holes which is always a bonus especially around the Lighthouse course. I started off really well and  got to a couple under early on, but I sort of lost it a little bit mid-round.  [But] I finished strong so overall it was a very positive day.

“We’ve got two more days at two spectacular golf courses – tomorrow is Thracian Cliffs which will probably determine the destiny of this golf tournament; you can’t be too aggressive there.”

Three birdies cancelled out three bogeys in his opening 10 holes, but the four birdies in from the 13th hole pushed him into the lead, one shot ahead of defending champion, Jonathan Grogan (PGA of Germany), and Panos Karantzias (PGA of Greece).

Karantzias carried on his form from the Aegean Airlines Pro-Am two weeks ago with an excellent opening 68 (-3) in which a super front nine 33 together with a level back nine left him in good stead after the opening 18 holes.

“It went great today,” said Karantzias.  “Off the tee I was pretty solid, I putted great in the front nine but then ran out of putts on the back nine.  The course was amazing as always.  [Thracian Cliffs] tomorrow is going to be a little bit more challenging off the tee but as long as you keep the ball on the fairway then things get a little bit easier.”

Setting the early pace was the PGA of Slovenia’s Sebastian Ajster, who made a spectacular eagle on the par-five 3rd hole after hitting a six iron to a couple of feet, helping him on his way to a 70 (-1). This score was to be matched by the PGA of Italy’s Andrea Zanini and PGA of Turkey’s Hakan Yamac tying them at fourth place.

In the Team Pro-Am tournament it was the PGA of Italy’s Andrea Zanini, with amateurs Micol Marsala, Fabrizio Mo and Raul Mo, who lead the way after a superb opening 88 Points (-16). Just one point behind are the teams led by PGA of Spain’s Adam Sagar and Germany’s Grogan in T2 after an opening 87 points (-15).

Round 02 starts at 08.30 [GMT+3].at the Gary player designed Thracian Cliffs Golf Resort & Spa.

For Full Round 01 Scores Visit http://eur.pe/2016BlackSeaRama

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For more information visit the Tournament Hub Page (http://eur.pe/2016BlackSeaRama) or proam.blacksearama.com, follow @PGAsofEurope on Twitter and search the hashtag ‘#BlackSeaRama’, or like the Confederation of Professional Golf Facebook Page.

For more information on BlackSeaRama Golf & Villas visit www.BlackSeaRama.com.

With no fewer than 40 countries included in the Final Rankings across the men’s and women’s competitions, to be played at Reserva de Marapendi Golf Course between August 11 and 20, the composition of the Olympic fields will highlight the broad global diversity of the sport in Rio de Janeiro.

Already, the ‘Olympic effect’ can be witnessed by the increase in the number of National Federations under the umbrella of the International Golf Federation (IGF), which has grown from just over 100 to an all-time high of 147, with opportunities arising for increased support to grow the game.

The Olympic golf competitions, beginning with the men from August 11-14 followed by the women from August 17-20, will have a potential global audience of around 3.6 billion, representing the ultimate shop-window for the sport and having the capacity to reach a brand new audience, especially among the younger generation across all the continents.

Peter Dawson, President of the IGF, said:

“After eight years of intense planning and preparation for golf’s historic return to the Olympic Games, the IGF is extremely excited finally to have reached this important milestone of identifying those players who are eligible to compete in Rio de Janeiro.

“We are particularly gratified to see how many countries are represented among the men and women and anticipate compelling competitions for both on the outstanding golf course that Gil Hanse and Amy Alcott have created. It has taken a tremendous amount of work by a number of people to get to this stage, and we at the IGF are extremely grateful for the role each and every one of them has played in making this possible.”

Qualification began on July 14, 2014 and concluded yesterday (Sunday, July 10). The full list of qualifiers confirms the names of the 120 players – 60 male and 60 female – who are now eligible to be entered by their respective National Olympic Committees (NOCs) in accordance with the qualification criteria.

The IGF will send confirmation of the quota places to the NOCs no later than 17.00 Eastern US time tomorrow (Tuesday, July 12). The NOCs will then confirm use of allocated quota places to the IGF who, in turn, will reallocate all unused quota places before the Rio 2016 Sport Entries Deadline on July 18.

The IGF will publish a further list of 60 names for both the men’s and women’s events on Monday, July 18, which will provide ratification of all the competitors who will comprise the respective fields at the Olympic Games.

The Final Rankings underline the diversity of the fields who will tee off in Olympic competition next month for the first time in over a century, with a total of 40 countries being represented across both the men’s and women’s events.

Additionally, every continent is represented in the Rankings, affording golf a unique opportunity to grow the game in unexposed territories and to achieve greater visibility with the potential television audience during the Games in Rio.  Across the two individual competitions, Africa has eight eligible players; Asia 29; Australasia & Oceania eight; Europe 52; North America 11; South America 12.

Full information on the Qualifying System for the 2016 Olympic Games can be found here:

http://www.igfgolf.org/olympic-games/qualification-system/

View Women’s Olympic Rankings

View Men’s Olympic Rankings

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For up-to-the-minute information on #OlympicGolf and regular updates, please follow us on Twitter (@OlympicGolf), Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.

Johnson Jumps to No.1

Dustin Johnson is the hottest property in world golf right now. The new U.S. Open champion followed up his debut major victory at Oakmont by firing a final round 66 to win the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational at Firestone Country Club by a shot from Scott Piercy.

In the process, Johnson soared to the head of the Olympic Golf Rankings and is now No.1 as the two-year qualifying period to determine the names of those heading to Rio reaches the final green this weekend. After Sunday’s cut-off, the National Olympic Committees will then confirm selection of the athletes to represent their country in Rio.

Johnson takes over at the top from Jordan Spieth, who tied for third in Akron with Bubba Watson moving above Henrik Stenson into fourth, which means the USA currently have a clean sweep of the leading three places.

Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama has declared himself unavailable for selection and is placed at No.30 on the Rankings by Hideto Tanihara.

Quote…Unquote

“I can’t wait. My wife played professional basketball and she missed out on the Olympics because of a knee injury the one time she had a chance to make the team. So for me, it’s an amazing sporting event that I get to be inside the ropes at. I get to see some of the athletes I’ve always wanted to see. I get to go to some of the events I’ve always wanted to watch and then I get to play in it.” Bubba Watson.

Jaidee Ready for Rio – At 46

Thongchai Jaidee, a former paratrooper who used to jump out of airplanes for a living, enjoyed a more leisurely leap when he was propelled a hefty nine places up the Olympic Rankings, from 20th to 11th, following the biggest win of his career in the 100th Open de France at Le Golf National.

The popular Thai golfer became the oldest winner of the tournament at 46 years and 238 days, finishing four shots ahead of another Rio-bound player in Italian Francesco Molinari with Spanish Olympic candidate Rafa Cabrera Bello sharing fourth place.

Quote…Unquote

“The Olympics is the greatest sporting event in the world so I’m grateful to be a part of it. To be honest, I’m proud and excited to represent Thailand. I really can’t wait to be there. If I do win a medal, it will be a plus but representing my country and Asia is what I’m really looking forward to. I’ve won many events in Asia and Europe and play in all the major tournaments.

“The only sporting event missing from my career is playing in the Olympics so it really ranks on top of my list. The ultimate goal is to win in any tournament which I’m playing in but if I do win a medal at the Olympics, it will be an entirely different story. When you win for your country, the feeling is definitely better than winning it for yourself.” Thongchai Jaidee.

“It’s about the pride and the hard work that other athletes put in as well. Coming from your country, you all work as one team — it’s a little bit like The Ryder Cup, but a lot bigger. You know, Ryder Cup is a lot of passion and a lot of heart, but if you play for your country, and you see the people from your country sitting next to you having lunch, getting prepared for the Olympic Games, for their moment, that they prepared for four years; so that’s super inspiring.

“The Opening Ceremony? It’s huge to be part of that and walking in there. I don’t know what my chances are to carry the flag, but it would be massive. I mean, what a pleasure that would be.” Martin Kaymer.

THE WOMEN

The upwardly mobile Brooke Henderson of Canada proved that anything Dustin Johnson can do, she can do equally well. The Canadian teenager, who claimed her first major title at the recent KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, emulated Johnson by following up with another victory in the Cambia Portland Classic on the LPGA Tour to tuck in at No.2 behind leader Lydia Ko on the Olympic Rankings.

For good measure, the 18-year-old was also making a successful defence of her title. Stacy Lewis of the United States finished runner-up and climbs one place in the Olympic Rankings to eighth spot while Norway’s Suzann Pettersen remains at No.13 after her third place finish in Portland.

Quote…Unquote

“The Olympics to me is kind of like the sixth major on the LPGA Tour. The LPGA has five extremely strong events on the schedule and every time you mention a major championship it kind of sends shivers down your back little bit. It’s really important to me (to play in Rio) and I think everybody else competing this week. So to choose one over the other, I don’t think I can do that.” Brooke Henderson.

View Women’s Olympic Rankings

View Men’s Olympic Rankings

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For up-to-the-minute information on #OlympicGolf and regular updates, please follow us on Twitter (@OlympicGolf), Facebook.

Image courtesy of Action Images

Similarly, the European Order of Merit at the end of 2000 showed 20 English players in the Top 115, whereas at the end of 2013 the Race to Dubai rankings showed that number had increased 50% to 30.   Having worked with many of the players involved in this successful period in my role as England team psychologist for over 15 years, I observed many successful transitions, and unfortunately, many unsuccessful ones.

The transition from amateur to professional can be one of the biggest challenges for any aspiring player. A transition is defined as ‘the process or a period of changing from one state or condition to another’, which suggests it is a process that takes unstated amount of time.   In my work with elite players over the years I have stressed that this process starts whilst they are an amateur, in that the preparation, work ethic, lifestyle and skills of the professional player can be actively worked upon before the decision to turn professional is made.

In combination with my observations and experience, I recently asked a number of England national coaches and professional English European Tour players to reflect on the transition process.  What emerged were very similar views and accounts.

1. Get invites

Playing in professional events as an amateur before the decision to turn professional is made is vital.  A player must be able to see and feel that they can compete strongly in professional tournaments as soon as they turn professional.

2. Invest in yourself

Players need to invest in themselves to develop their skills.  Investment can be in time and money. A player should start to carefully develop a support team around themselves that can elevate their performances.

3. Become a ‘student’ of golf

In order to invest wisely players need to understand their game, their equipment, their statistics – what they need to work on and how to get better.  If golf is to be their career, players need to take an active interest in all things about themselves and their golf.

4. Take on a professional lifestyle and work ethic

Ross Fisher, when in the England team in 2003, personalised the cover of his training diary to say ‘I must think and act more like a professional.’  Being a professional is not just about the opportunity to earn money through playing, it is also about possessing the character, attitude, competencies and work ethic to make the most of the skills a player possesses.  What Ross was referring to was that he needed to pay more attention to some of these behaviours whilst he was still an amateur.  He was amateur in name, but professional in his approach.

5. Travel and play

One of the main adaptations in professional life on tour is learning to travel abroad and play.  This means coping with travel, fatigue and the challenge of getting sufficient rest.  There is also the challenge of learning to play in different climates and on different types of grass and courses.  In recent years through lottery funding in England, national squad players have had a huge advantage in this regard.   Any aspiring player would be wise to start this process in their amateur career.

6. Are they ready?

Players take advice about turning professional from coaches, players, parents, friends, and often, management companies.  The message from successful players was to take advice but to make the decision to turn professional and start that journey when the player themselves feel ready.  Frequently a player may feel they get plenty of sound advice, but fail to remember that advice may not be impartial.

7. Work with a coach who knows

As well as talking to players who are already professional about the lifestyle and challenges of tour life, working with a coach who has knowledge of the skills necessary to compete at the highest level is desirable.   Coaches who have experience through their work with other professionals can often spot when players are chasing rankings in tournaments and over-playing, rather than developing the necessary skills to compete.

8. Learn time-management and self-management skills

Closely linked to lifestyle and work ethic, is the need to develop a greater awareness of planning ahead for practice opportunities, of minimising distractions off the course, fitting in physical conditioning work, and to work with a coach who may often also have a busy diary.   Establishing disciplined patterns of playing, practising, going to the gym, eating and particularly rest are vital to maintain freshness and desire.

9. Can they shoot low regularly?

Too often players make the decision to turn professional based on their best golf rather than their typical golf.  Players that I spoke to expressed there was a need to be able to regularly shoot under par in consecutive rounds in tournaments as this was the likely scoring needed for success in tour life.  If you are unable to do this at the start of your professional life, it is not the place to learn.

Ray Floyd remarked that he was fortunate to have enough talent to succeed early in his career and then was able to keep learning and improving.  Many players turn professional without the skills to have enough initial success.

10. A lonely life

Players would be wise to decide if the life of a playing professional is really what they want, as it requires immense resilience, financial risk, loneliness and ceaseless travel and airports.  Players I have spoken to talk of a tough, demanding, ruthless world where no one is particularly interested in you or your game.  As an amateur you may start travelling and rooming alone to acclimatise to these demands.

*Thanks to Stephen Burnett, Jonathan Lupton, Graham Walker, David Ridley, Seve Benson and Chris Wood for their help in the preparation of this article.

Interviews are an opportunity for both you and the employer to evaluate each other- it’s a two way process!  Through an interview you can gain valuable information which may assist you in assessing the prospective job, employer or industry.

Prepare for Interviews

• Identify your transferable skills and abilities (eg. writing and organising information, managing events, leading a group, working as a team player)
• Look at the selection criteria for the position or the job description. Make simpler headings under which you can provide examples of how your skills, abilities, qualities and experience match the employer’s requirements.
• Think about your past achievements.
  • These could be problems you have overcome, critical incidents you have been involved in, issues you have resolved, or demands you have met.
  • Consider your role in these achievements, the actions you took and the result of your involvement and what you have learnt from it.
  • These can involve study, part-time work or extra-curricular activities.
• Research the organisation – it might sound obvious, but make sure you know about the job you are applying for and about the organisation itself.
  • What internal or external influences are affecting it?
  • Is it in a state of growth or decline?
  • How is the market changing or developing?
  • How are organisations in the sector responding?
  • Keep up with current affairs, particularly local/global issues affecting the organisation. It is a good idea to listen to news programs or read good quality newspapers or relevant journals everyday in the lead up to your interview. This will impress the employer and demonstrate commitment to and interest in the organisation to which you are applying.

• Practise for the interview with family or friends – it is important to verbalise the answers to questions, not just think about them, so your explanations will run smoothly.

The Interview

Be on time – check how to get there in advance by doing a practice run. Allow time for unexpected delays. Don’t be afraid to call if you are running late.

Wear what is appropriate for the role and the company – if in doubt always opt for a suit.

Be positive; try to make others feel comfortable. Greet others with a firm handshake and a smile.

Relax. Think of the interview as a conversation, not an interrogation.

Establish a rapport with the interviewer – make eye contact and answer clearly.

Be yourself – sounding too rehearsed or like someone else is off-putting for the employer.

Listen. If you are talking too much you will probably miss cues concerning what the employer feels is important.

Reflect before answering a difficult question – if unsure ask for clarification.

Be honest – it is all too easy to get caught out by exaggerating your skills or experiences.

Show you want the job – demonstrate how your skills could contribute to the company.

Avoid negative body language (eg. frequently touching your mouth, gnawing on your lip, folding your arms, etc.)

At the end of the interview, shake hands and thank them for their time.

Pairs made up of one Professional and one amateur will compete over 54 holes of betterball strokeplay for The Invitational Team Championship, whilst Professionals will also aim to take the Individual Invitational Championship title and their share of the €50,000 prize fund*.

“We are delighted to be taking The Invitational Pro-Am back to the Algarve and to Quinta do Lago for its third year,” said, Warren Pike, Group Managing Director of Eligo, one of the event’s sponsors.

“We hope that this year will be just as, if not more successful, than the previous two years as the tournament’s reputation grows, and we are delighted to once again be working alongside the Confederation of Professional Golf.”

The 2015 event was won by Spain’s Victor Garcia after being chased to the finishing line by his fellow Professionals, making a pressure-stoked two-foot putt on the last hole to capture his maiden Professional title.

“The Invitational Pro-Am is growing to be a highly anticipated event each year and the Confederation of Professional Golf are very pleased to see it returning for its third edition,” explained Confederation of Professional Golf Chief Executive, Ian Randell.

“We are also delighted to see the event supporting such worthy causes in the shape of The 
Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, The Anderson Foundation and Shooting Star Chase.”

Competitors will play each of Quinta do Lago’s Laranjal, South and North Courses in rotation over the three days of competition with evening events and activities to look forward to off the course as well.

Entry includes a practice round on the 2nd November and tournament rounds on the Laranjal, South and North Courses, with both amateurs and Professionals using buggies in all rounds, along with access to the welcome drinks reception and Gala Dinner and Charity Auction evening.

For More Information & to Enter Visit http://eur.pe/2016Invitational

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For more information about The Invitational Pro-Am 2016, visit the Tournament Hub Page, follow @PGAsofEurope and search ‘#TheInvitationalProAm‘ on Twitter, or like the Confederation of Professional Golf Facebook Page.

More information on The Invitational Pro-Am 2016 is available at www.TheInvitational.eu.

A study by the Institute of Psychiatry for Hewlett Packard found that constant distractions resulted in a 10-point drop in the IQ of workers. That’s twice the impact of marijuana!

According to another study of Microsoft workers it took them 10 minutes to deal with a distraction, caused by an alert, and then another 10-15 minutes to get back into their primary task. Many workers also used the alert of an incoming message as an opportunity not only to check their messages, but then to look at several other applications, which sometimes resulted in a two-hour gap before the primary task was resumed.

Sound familiar?

How often do you get to the end of the day having achieved a tiny percentage of what you set out to do because you’ve been ‘multitasking’ all day? Did you realise that the effect on your mind of these constant distractions is equivalent to missing a night’s sleep? So to top a frustrating day’s worth of unproductiveness you’re probably damaging your brain cells too.

If you recognise that maybe you’re just a bit addicted to the beep, then you can deal with it. Switch the sound off, cover your phone up or just use good old fashioned will power and finish what you’re doing before you check your messages. It’s probably just an email offering you 10% off your next airport transfer anyway.

This content appears courtesy of Abintegro, experts in career management, transition technology & e-learning for today’s modern, mobile and technology-savvy workforce – Find out more at www.abintegro.com

Credit: HBR; Microsoft; BBC

I was really happy to read Frank Vain’s (president of McMahon Group) article about increasing usage of technology (in many instances social technology) in private golf clubs to improve connectivity, reduce operating costs and increase revenue (not to forget new member sales as well) [things that could apply to other types of clubs too].

Every day, an increasing number of connected consumers (yes, private golf club members as well!!) are taking to social networks to ask for help or express sentiment (social posts, blogs & reviews) related to business- or product-related experiences. The reality is that social media is the new normal and will only continue to grow.

In addition to this smart phone and mobile application usage does not belong solely to the under 45 age group and will also only continue to grow over the coming years.

Online banking, online booking and online shopping are now part of our daily life. So those who think ‘if we use social and other new technologies in our sales and CRM activities it will alienate golf club members’, then I must say: they are wrong.

In a recent survey of The Economist Intelligence Unit, 60% of the surveyed North American executives (not from the golf industry) said they will invest in 2013 and in the following years in socila media and technology.

Companies should view social technologies not as another tool to utilise, but as an enabler of organisational transformation as well. Those who don’t recognise this will fail to identify the specific organisational problems social technologies can solve. I think it is important to facilitate collaboration among employees.

Needless to say companies/golf clubs must define their objectives, select technology and then consider what kind of organisational change supports the new objectives.

Therefore private golf club managers (and other golf club managers as well) should think about the following 3 major challenges: Customer experience, Conversation management and Collaboration with clients (suppliers as well),golf club members, and golf club workers.

Since July 2012 I have looked at several solutions and ideas that can help golf club managers and owners to reach their business goals and objectives. Here are some of them:

• Mobile applications
• Golf social networking sites
• Dynamic pricing
• Social CRM

These ideas and concepts could be used within a company/golf club as well. We should inspire our workforce to innovate and collaborate more productively. This way we can create tangible business value.

Probably the biggest challenge of social technology implementations is how we can build them into the corporate culture.

How have you incorporated social technology into your golf club/business? Leave your thoughts and ideas in the comments box below.

There is nothing much wrong with Golf. The game that we play, which by my definition is a sport where we take a stick, hit an object to a target that is either in, on or above the ground, is old. In fact, Golf is very old. 600 years or more we are informed. Well if it’s old it must be good, otherwise, it would have died, or at least be on its death bed.

Solo Synchronised Swimming (Los Angeles Olympics 1984), yes I could not believe it either, is one such sport that is no longer practised, while Croquet, Tug-of-War and Rackets are little more than niche sports.

The demise of Golf is exaggerated, it is not dying as some people would have you believe. Perhaps, as is the case with an old car or house for that matter, Golf could have done with a little renovation and restoration towards the end of the last century, but when things were going well, why would it change?

Initiatives such as Sprint6Golf and Golf Educatif will at least, in my opinion, make a difference. Each keeps the fundamental principles of golf at their core and address the key issues of time, cost and difficulty. The PGA Junior Golf League is growing the number of kids engaged in the sport in the USA and soon in Europe, while Golf Europe’s GoGolf Europe project is now being trialled in five countries with the objective of keeping adolescents in the game for longer.

Golf development is about making sure that people have a chance to take part in the sport, ensuring that all sections of the community are aware of available activities, and letting them know where they can get involved. I have long been an advocate of the golf professional having the capability to transform into a Golf Developer, a bit like Clark Kent who works as a newspaper journalist for the Daily Planet, only to change into Superman at a moments notice. Golf Developers ooze a passion for the sport, organise golf related activities, distribute information, arrange taster sessions, coaching and put like-minded people together. The golf developer is a facilitator who makes things happen.

If you want some things to change, then you have to change some things. Often it starts with ourselves. Perhaps you can consider the five questions that always get me thinking about the realisation of the things that I want to achieve.

To achieve my objective:

1. What type of person do I need to become?
2. What attitude do I need to have?
3. What do I need to learn?
4. Who can help me to develop the attitudes, skills and knowledge that I need?
5. What barriers do I need to overcome?

See you in Budapest.

For more information and to register visit http://eur.pe/ASKWorkshops-Hungary

For more information about the 2016 A.S.K. Workshops visit http://eur.pe/ASKWorkshops-Hungary, follow @PGAsofEurope on Twitter and search #ASKWorkshops, or like the Confederation of Professional Golf Facebook Page.

For More Information on SNAG Golf Visit www.SNAG.golf