We also get updates from across our Member Countries, find the perfect way to set up a golf event with Golf Genius, reveal the latest in the 2023 CPG event schedule, and much more.

THE VALUE OF THE PGA: TO MEMBERS AND GOLF

EXPANDED GOLFSIXES INSPIRES MORE YOUNG PEOPLE IN EUROPE INTO PLAYING GOLF

SPHERES OF INFLUENCE: WHY PGA PROFESSIONALS ARE THE GO-TOS FOR GOLF TRAVEL

CPG MEMBER COUNTRY UPDATES

RYDER CUP: YEAR TO GO CELEBRATIONS

THE CPG VIRTUAL SERIES POWERED BY TRACKMAN RETURNS THIS WINTER

5 KEY BENEFITS OF THE EDUGOLF PROJECT FOR PGAS & PROS

WHY BALLMARK REPAIR SHOULD BE TOP OF YOUR AGENDA WITH PITCHFIX

WHAT’S ON YOUR JUNIOR GOLF COACHING & DEVELOPMENT MENU WITH GOLPHIN

GOLF SHOP BY GOLF GENIUS – WIN A 6-MONTH SUBSCRIPTION

#IGPN 68 is live and delves deeper in to the value of PGAs to Members and all of golf, the role of the PGA Pro as golf’s ultimate influencer, what the #EDUGOLF Project means for PGAs, and features from @PINGTourEurope, @GolphinForKids, @PitchfixUSA, @golfgenius_emea & much more!

— Confederation of Professional Golf [CPG] (@cpg_golf) November 22, 2022

READ IGPN 68

Golfpark Metzenhof will stage the 72 hole stroke play event from 30th September – 3rd October 2019 and with an overall professional prize fund of €20,000, is set to be a fantastic opportunity for Austrian Golf and all competing professionals.

Entry fees for Austrian PGA Professionals and International PGA Professionals are €150 and €250 respectively. Entries are on a first-come-first-serve basis and close on the 23rd September. Players are asked to enter through the Austrian Golf Association website www.anmeldesystem.com/sport/golf/foreigner.php.

Find out more about the health benefits of golf at golfandhealth.org

Whether you’re a professional, a serious amateur, or a recreational golfer, you are sure to have heard the phrase ‘golf fitness’ and have more than likely been advised that you should have a gym routine to help your golf.

Given the somewhat vogue status of ‘golf fitness’ at present, there is a large body of information around the topic portraying a complexity which for some creates a barrier to getting started. If you are a professional you are sure to have a busy schedule, and the typical amateur doesn’t have the spare time to devote to over-elaborate routines, so it is important allotted gym-time is used wisely; abolishing components which are unlikely to offer much return.

Herein we present a probability of performance-impact model which underpins the S&C service provided at the European Tour Performance Institute (ETPI). The aim herein is to add clarity to where a golf-impact will most readily be achieved, and reassure that gym programmes need not be complicated. The authors hope this will encourage players of all levels to make that behaviour change towards a healthier lifestyle and compliment their golf training with a no-frills gym routine.

Driving Distance

Sceptics of weight training for golfers will be quick to point out legends of the game who didn’t engage in such activities. Notwithstanding the evolution of the modern golf game (longer courses and more forgiving clubs), of course all this tells us is that it’s possible to be genetically blessed and get away with not engaging in additional physical work.

Despite this few golf coaches or analysts would contest the importance of CHS in modern day golf, research has shown that the faster you swing the club the lower your handicap (r=0.95) (Fradkin et al, 2004). Further, even subtle increases are associated with significantly lower scores on par 4 and 5 holes (Hellstrom, 2014).

Therefore, this is one avenue where a gym programme can have a direct performance impact. Indeed, from Mark Broadie’s (2014) revolutionary book ‘Every shot counts’, it is evidenced that a 20-yard increase in distance off the tee will incur 0.75 strokes gained per round.

As with most striking, hitting or throwing sports, the lower body is the engine (force generation) for the motion of the golf swing. This is why leg strength is a priority.

This is now supported by research indicating significant relationships between lower body strength, explosive strength and CHS (Wells et al, 2018a, Wells et al, 2018b). Most amateurs (and many professionals!) will benefit from increases in driving distance secondary to strength training due to their often ‘untapped’ strength potential. This is particularly true for females and more senior players who generally speaking are more likely to have lower pre-existing muscle mass and strength levels than their younger, male counterparts.

Once the force has been generated by the lower body, this then needs to be transmitted into the clubhead across the trunk and through the arms in a well-sequenced pattern. The trunk should therefore be developed to effectively transmit force, thus enhancing the efficiency of the engine (lower body). The latter is equally important, as otherwise the energy created by the lower body is leaked and not transferred into the clubhead.

Injury and Illness Risk-Reduction

Inherently as CHS increases so does injury risk, as the player has to sustain the increased forces associated with swinging faster. To counter this when we plan to upgrade the engine size we also need to build a well-balanced chassis. This means increasing the ability of the relevant tissues (i.e. muscles and tendons) and structures (i.e. bones) to tolerate load.

The force magnitude at the lumbar spine alone is worthy justification for the inclusion of strength training. Forces of ~7500N (equivalent to ~ 750 Kg) have been reported from elite players swinging with a driver (Hosea, 1990). It is therefore unsurprising that in a published injury audit from the PGA European Tour the lower back, along with the neck and wrist, were the most prevalent injury sites (Smith and Hillman, 2012).

The same report showed that 80% of these injuries were related to overuse, which according to a large meta-analysis and systematic review could be reduced substantially through engaging in strength training (Laursen et al 2014). Many injury resilience strength exercises may actually be the same as the performance enhancement solutions.

By way of example, the deadlift will not only increase leg strength to facilitate longer drives but it will also increase the tolerance of the back, trunk and wrist musculature, with particular supporting evidence that it is useful in the rehabilitation of lower back pain (Welch et al 2015). This is a real bonus as it makes for efficient programming.

Unfortunately, this is not the case for the neck which is insufficiently exposed in traditional compound strength exercises (i.e. deadlifts), so some additional, isolated neck specific conditioning is recommended.

Improving or maintaining mobility is another side effect of good quality strength training. Contrary to common belief, the lengthening phase of muscle activity in strength training exercises increase muscle length and overall mobility (O’Sullivan, McAuliffe, DeBurca, 2012).

Like cardio-respiratory and mobility development, strength training offer an array of health- related benefits which are well documented. Indeed, the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) now include (twice weekly) strength training as part of their recommendations for general health. Exercise is now often described as a vaccine to illness given its protective effects against an array of both acute and chronic conditions.

Injury or illness means time away from practice, and given that golf is a highly technical sport this is very likely to have a large negative impact on performance over time. Considering the significance of this, it becomes clear that perhaps the largest (albeit indirect) accumulative performance impact we can have is long-term injury avoidance.

Unlike with determinants of performance (CHS) where we can only suggest strength training may help, we are probably safe to insist that avoiding injury and illness will help performance. If we enable the player to take to the course, range or putting green as often as they like and miss very few practice days or tournaments, this is likely to accumulate into a large positive performance impact. This is a long process and not a sell that is likely to excite a player, but for the reasons discussed this is the primary goal of the S&C service we provide at the European Tour Performance Institute (ETPI) as reflected by our probability of performance-impact pyramid.

Transfer to Technical Ability

It is commonly accepted that a change in technique is a product of a particular activity, drill, practice design, or pedagogical strategy – this underpins the golf coaching process anyone who has had lessons will be familiar with. However, it is perhaps underappreciated how altering a physical capacity (i.e. strength, stability, mobility or control) can over time influence technique.

It is important for players and coaches alike to understand that although ‘golf fitness’ can certainly play an important part in helping a player make a swing change, the gym is not the place to rehearse the aspired movement pattern.

Rather, the gym should be used to drive changes in physical capacities (identified through a discussion with the swing coach) that may impact on the players ability to make the shapes their coach wants from them.

This is best achieved with de-contextualised exercises that don’t resemble the swing pattern, but carry the potential to remove physical barriers that are preventing a player from moving a certain way without loss of posture or compensations.

Changes in technique could then obviously have a whole host of secondary effects on CHS, injury risk, or consistency. For this reason transfer to technical ability shouldn’t be overlooked, but it is difficult to predict cause and effect within this training space due to the complexity of human movement variability and motor learning. The exercises used to impact technical ability will obviously be specific to the individual, but specialist input will be required to identify and implement this.

Even then, the true impact on technique is often unpredictable. It is therefore important that players don’t become perturbed by this area, and let this dominate their allotted-gym time. As a general rule of thumb, no more than 10-20% of the exercises in your gym programme should be designed with this in mind.

Conclusion

Prior to starting a gym programme, players are advised to seek the help of an accredited strength and conditioning coach (ASCC) or certified strength and conditioning specialist (CSCS). One or two coaching sessions under such qualified supervision would be sufficient to establish a gym programme which has a high probability of performance-impact through facilitating longer drives, promoting health and wellbeing, and increasing resilience to known injury sites. Many golfer’s lives are complicated, gym programmes don’t need to be.

References

Broadie, M. (2014) Every Shot Counts: Using the Revolutionary Strokes Gained Approach to Improve your Golf Performance and Strategy. USA: Penguin Random House.

Fradkin, A.J., Sherman, C.A., & Finch, C.F. (2004) How well does club head speed correlate with golf handicaps, Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, 7(4) 465-472.

Hellstrom, J., Nilsson, J. & Isberg, L. (2014) Drive for dough. PGA Tour golfers’ tee shot functional accuracy, distance and hole score, Journal of Sports Science, 32(5) 462-469.

Hosea, TM., Gatt. C.J., Galli. K.M,, Langrana. N.A., & Zawadsky. J.P. (1990). Biomechanical analysis of the golfer’s back. In A.J. Cochran (Ed.), Science and Golf: Proceedings of the World Scientific Congress Of Golf (pp. 43-48). London: E&FN Spon

Lauersen JB, Bertelsen DM, Andersen L.B. (2014) The effectiveness of exercise interventions to prevent sports injuries: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 48(11) 871–877.

Smith, MF and Hillman R. (2012) A retrospective service audit of a mobile physiotherapy unit on the PGA European Golf Tour. Phys Ther Sport; 13:41–4.

Welch, N., Moran, K., Antony, J., Richter, C., Marshall, B., Coyle, J., Falvey, E. and Franklyn- Miller, A. (2015) The effects of a free-weight-based resistance training intervention on pain, squat biomechanics and MRI-defined lumbar fat infiltration and functional cross-sectional area in those with chronic low back. BMJ Open Sport and Exercise Medicine, 1(1).

Wells, JE, Mitchell, AC, Charalambous, LH,and Fletcher, IM. (2018a) Relationships between highly skilled golfers’ clubhead velocity and force producing capabilities during vertical jumps and an isometric mid-thigh pull. Journal of Sports Sciences, 36(16):1847-51.

Wells, JET., Charalambous, LH., Mitchell, ACS., Coughlan, D., Brearley, SL., Hawkes, RA., Murray, AD., Hillman, RG. and Fletcher, IM. (2018b). Relationships between Challenge Tour golfers’ clubhead velocity and force producing capabilities during a countermovement jump and isometric mid-thigh pull. Journal of Sports Sciences, 1-6.

O’Sullivan, KO., McAuliffe, S. DeBurca, N. (2012). The effects of eccentric training on lower limb flexibility: a systematic review. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 46(12): 838-845.

Find out more about the health benefits of golf at www.golfandhealth.org.

This special edition of the #ASK Podcast celebrates #GolfHealthWeek and its work to shine a light on the many benefits that golf can have.

We are joined by Dr Roger Hawkes and Dr Andrew Murray from the Golf & Health Project to get an overview of the Project’s progress so far, as well as a look into its future work, but also to discuss each of the #GolfHealthWeek themes looking at the research and activities behind them and what you can do to help spread the message:

• Day 01 – Fitness – 07:23
• Day 02 – Mental health – 11:16
• Day 03 – Disability Golf – 17:54
• Day 04 – Golf For Everyone – 23:23
• Day 05 – Club Level – 36:08
• The Future of Golf & Health – 44:06

Find out more about the health benefits of golf at www.golfandhealth.org.

Listen to the full interview and subscribe to more episodes from the Confederation of Professional Golf A.S.K. Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Anchor.fm, Podbean or Soundcloud.

Whether it is promoting a tournament, curating content from contributors, adding posts to our social media presences, or creating content around our education and golf development work, it is undoubtedly marketing.

We see, hear and touch (and often taste smell) marketing all the time, and the world of golf is no exception to this.  Ever walked into a pro shop and been hit with offers on the latest gear?  Ever been playing and at the halfway house you wonder why there is a fan directing the smell of bacon out across the ninth green?  How about winning a prize in a tournament that’s been donated by an equipment manufacturer?

What I really like about marketing (to talk about it in very general terms) is that it can really be simple, clean and effective.

PR stunts and activities are often some of the simplest (and most fun) ways of generating interest in something and getting people talking – and that’s what PR is really all about.  Here are some examples:

The ALS ‘Ice Bucket Challenge’

Simple concept – you film yourself being doused in ice cold water, you donate to the cause, and you nominate three others to do the same and so on.   [You can view our Chief Executive, Ian’s challenge below:]

Here the marketing focus was on generating funds and encouraging people to share that message through social media.  The ALS Association went from a previous year of $1.7 million in donations to $13.3 million.

Tiger Woods Hits a Ball From Europe to Asia

To promote the Turkish Airlines World Golf Final in 2013, Tiger took to Istanbul’s Bosphorus Bridge and after closing one side from traffic he launched a ball across the bridge.

It might have caused chaos at rush hour in Istanbul but the stunt went all over the world generating a huge amount of PR for the event and for Turkish Airlines who are renowned for working with the biggest stars.

Bubba Watson and Oakley Make a Hovercraft…

Bubba has form in this area – barely a week goes by where his sponsors have made use of his personality and liveliness to promote products and services.  Two years ago Bubba teamed up with Oakley to create Bubba’s very own fully operational hovercraft golf cart.

In the video he wears Oakley product but, as with many things like this, it’s not about the product.  It’s about creating something that is fun, shareable and gets people talking.

It was released ahead of the 2013 Masters where Bubba would hope to defend his 2012 title and to date has had almost 9 million views.

Creating your own hovercraft might be a step too far but it is always worth looking out for examples and see how you could apply the principles to your business, club or brand.

You might not reach millions but it can be a cost effective way of showing a fun and innovative side to a business and activating PR (stunts or otherwise) could well generate excellent quality interest in what you do.

Seen any good examples of golf PR?  Feel free to send then to aw@CPG.com.

My Reading List

• ‘How Topgolf Flipped The Traditional Driving Range Model And Created A New Category Of Entertainment’ [Forbes.com] – http://eur.pe/1wUdQI6
• ‘Donald Trump: I’m Huge!’ [GolfDigest.com] – http://eur.pe/1MlTxoy
• ‘Public Relations Tips and Tricks for Your Business’ [Inc.com] – http://eur.pe/184KH13
• ‘My top tip for a great speech – Richard Branson’ [Virgin.com] – http://eur.pe/1x8Y2f7
• ‘The psychology of Web design: How colours, typefaces and spacing affect your mood’ [TheNextWeb.com] – http://eur.pe/1ELQs06
• ‘7 Goal-Setting Tips and Strategies for Social Media Marketers’ [Blog.Bufferapp.com] – http://eur.pe/1GyBrkH

This article originally featured in International Golf Pro News. Visit the IGPN Page to find out more and subscribe for free.

Whilst having been Head Professional at John O’ Gaunt Golf Club in Bedfordshire, United Kingdom, since 2001, Lee has amassed a long list of pupils that have been successful throughout the amateur and professional games in his indoor teaching facility, including LET Professional and Solheim Cup player, Charley Hull, and Ryder Cup and European Tour star, Ian Poulter

But Lee is no stranger to teaching your average golf club member as well, and his work in the development of junior programmes in the UK added to the reasoning behind his recognition in 2013 with the Confederation of Professional Golf’s highest coaching accolade, the John Jacobs Teaching and Coaching Award.

IGPN recently caught up with Scarbrow to find out more about he manages his coaching style and activities between those at the top-level of the game and those amateurs who are there to get the most enjoyment and fun out of their games.

Your first ‘top’ player was Ian Poulter – how did you start working with him and what was it that made him different to others?

I first start working with Ian when he came to work for me as an Assistant.  He had an unbelievable desire to achieve his goals, which made him both easy and hard to work with…!

The thing that made Ian stand out was his belief in his own self and that nothing was going to stop him.  His self-belief needed to be maintained when coaching him, so I would suggest things I was working with on other players to him.  When he used these ideas in his own swing they where now his ideas and as such became something he wanted to work on.

It was a little sneaky but it was the best way to help him achieve.  What was great was watching Ian attain his goals and finish rookie of the year on the European tour, something I am so proud we achieved.

Later on you have worked with another more recent figurehead of the women’s game, Charley Hull – did you see the same characteristics in Charley as you did with Ian?

I first met Charley when she was nine and her first words to me were that she wanted to become world number one!  She then would visit once or twice a year until she was fourteen when she came to me full time to be her swing coach.

Charley had got her swing in a bit of a mess and we set about making it more solid and reliable without taking a step back.  In the first year she won the Scottish and Welsh National Championships and then a couple of other major amateur tournaments.

What set Charley apart was her unquenchable thirst for practice, getting her to slow down and practice with class and thought was the tough bit.

We did a great job and winning rookie of the year and becoming number one in Europe are great achievements that can’t be taken away.

What are the key differences that set the Poulters and the Hulls of the world apart from the rest?

Both of these two had an unreal desire to achieve, channelled in different ways yes, but both were not going to fail in their goals and I am honoured to have helped them along the way.  They are the names that would stand out on my resume but I am lucky to have a lot of great players working hard to rise to both Charley and Ian’s level.

As a coach you are always pushing and trying to find ways to help your players improve not just their technical golf swing but their overall performance.  Sometimes you need to push them to do things they may not like, but you have to believe in what you are doing and find the best way to get the most out of the player you’re working with.

What differences do the players at that level have to perhaps the elite amateurs you work with?

The gap between tour players and elite amateur players is closer than ever, most of the top amateurs are working the way tour pros do as this tends to be their long-term goal.

As a coach I am always just trying to get the most out of my player whether they are a tour winner or complete beginner.  As a coach my attitude stays the same to make the person before me the best they can be whatever level that takes us to.

Elite pros are likely to be travelling around more, how do you manage the coach-player relationship at distance and across a season?

Working with tour players as a Club Pro is tricky as it is not possible to travel to all events, but with all modern media tools it is easy to video golf swings and send them to be analysed as well as keep in touch in general these days really.

Personally I would like my player to be clear in what they are working on and try to get their minds more in play mode rather than trapped in technique, but, as always, it is totally down to the individual and what works best for them.

What do you think makes for a successful coach-player relationship both for beginners and then for elite players?

A player coach relationship has to start with communication as if either person is not understanding what is required confusion will reign.  This is the basic for all coaching regardless of the ability of the student.

Do you have a different mindset for coaching beginners as you do for elite players?

As I said before, I would treat both a beginner or tour winner the same and just try to get the best from that person.  But how I would do that or go about achieving that would vary as you would expect based on the time they can give me and the individual requirements, characteristics and ultimately level of their game.

But then when working with top players you become more and more aware of the small margins to success.  Building swings and players to be winners is more than just swing the club like this – it’s a total holistic approach and finding how to make them perform their best is like putting together a puzzle and has great rewards.

It can be hard work but you can only give your best and working with these players makes you question yourself and the swing so much that it forces you to improve your own knowledge and keep questioning whether there is more you could do.  This helps with all lessons as you become more aware of how different types of people work so helping becomes easier.

Find out more about Lee and John O’Gaunt Golf Club here: www.johnogauntgolfclub.co.uk.

This article originally featured in International Golf Pro News. Visit the IGPN Page to find out more and subscribe for free.

We have many people working on various elements of developing golf across the continent and further afield including coaching, development of programmes, monitoring of standards etc.  But something I can assist with in my capacity as Communications Manager is two-fold:

1 – Communicating Best Practice Examples and Initiatives

Golf development activities are taking place all the time all over the world but it is safe to say that very few of them will be exactly the same.  Of course general concepts and ideas are followed but locally they will be heavily tailored to the market.

Where communications can help is in developing a library of good practice examples that can then be applied to other places – the best bits of one programme and the best of another could mix and be adapted to create a very effective activity somewhere else.

These resources can be collected and shared effectively with organisations that are interested in creating an initiative or programme with, for example, the assistance of the Confederation of Professional Golf’s Golf Development Professionals and Education Committee.

2 – Raising Awareness of Development Activity

Communications then plays a part in sharing information and updates about development activities.  Using case studies and sharing success stories helps to bolster the resources mentioned earlier but it also gives coverage to specific initiatives that can help them.

A project or programme may also want to gain coverage to promote their work and its outcomes, promote the host facilities, the key supporters, etc.  Often programmes will be supported by commercial entities so promotion will give them coverage and hopefully spur on continued investment and support.

There are some excellent examples of golf development activities out there and plenty put a strong emphasis on promoting what they do.

A good example of strong promotion and coverage from an initiative is this week’s Drive, Chip & Putt Championship – The PGA of America, USGA and Masters Tournament’s nationwide youth golf development program final.

Of course three major organisations in the game have a lot of resources behind them but their methods of communication can still be learnt from and replicated.

Daily articles from the finals, blog posts, interviews with competitors, videos of the event, and fantastic imagery all make for a well formulated comms plan – take a look at www.drivechipandputt.com for examples of how to build content and communicate it around an initiative.

This article originally featured in International Golf Pro News. Visit the IGPN Page to find out more and subscribe for free.

I am very fortunate to be able to represent the Confederation of Professional Golf, along with Board Member and Chief Executive of the PGA of Holland, Frank Kirsten, and join officials from PGAs, Federations, Tours and other golfing bodies from around the world for a week that provides a great deal of opportunity to speak with golfing colleagues on the varying issues affecting the game and initiatives to assist its development.

And this issue of IGPN focuses on exactly that…Golf Development.

Golf Development is at the very heart of the Confederation of Professional Golf as we focus on advancing PGAs, advancing PGA Professionals and as a result advancing the enjoyment and playing standards of golfers and introducing many new potential golfers.

Last month I was pleased to be a part of GolfBIC (The Golf Business and Industry Convention) at the Forest of Arden in the UK not far from our Belfry Headquarters. The yearly gathering of British industry representatives was as insightful as ever and I enjoyed the back and forth with my fellow panel members during our discussions on key issues for the industry. Once again growing the game was at the forefront of discussions.

It is in just about every golf organisation’s interests to get more golfers playing more often and we are uniquely positioned to be able to share good practice across Europe and beyond through the network of some 21,000 PGA Professionals who make up the membership of our 36 Member Associations.

As the sole member of the Ryder Cup European Development Trust as well as being service providers to The R&A in their Working for Golf Programme, along with many other activities, the Association, its PGAs and the PGA Professionals they represent should be viewed as experts at the forefront of the development of our sport carrying out much of the development work for both amateur and professional bodies.

The Ryder Cup and Open Championship are just two great examples of this and they are joined on weekly basis by other initiatives and investment across the globe. Just this week it is great to see the addition of the ‘Drive, Chip & Putt Championship’ to the start of the Masters. Operated by the Masters Tournament, the PGA of America and the USGA, it is another fantastic example of organisations working together to promote the sport and create initiatives that continue to stimulate its growth.

Enjoy the issue and we would be delighted to hear of any golf development initiatives that you are involved in. Please contact Aston Ward on aw@CPG.com with these and we will feature the best initiatives over the coming issues.

This article originally featured in International Golf Pro News. Visit the IGPN Page to find out more and subscribe for free.

Goldstein, 13, an eighth-grader from Las Vegas, became the first participant to win all three disciplines as she claimed the title in the Girls 12-13 division. Her two drives were measured at 233.4 and 243 yards. She holed her first 16-yard chip, and the second finished 4 feet, 1 inch from the cup. She also holed the second of her two putts – from 15 feet – to win comfortably. On the longer 30-foot putt, she finished 2 feet, 10 inches.

“I was really nervous,” Goldstein said. “I was shaking. When I stepped out there and I hit my first drive, I was nervous. But my second one, it was natural and it started to come to me. It just felt amazing to be out there. My chipping was really good, and it was me, the hole and the ball.

“Chipping is the best part of my game. Putter and driver are pretty good, too.”

Those skills will come in pretty handy next month, when Goldstein will join her partner, Veronica Joels, in the inaugural U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball Championship (May 9-13) at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort in Bandon, Ore.

The second Drive, Chip & Putt Championship produced close finishes in many of the eight divisions – Boys and Girls 7-9, 10-11, 12-13 and 14-15.

The winners were greeted by Masters champions, among them Gary Player, Mark O’Meara and Trevor Immelman, who shared stories and offered advice.

“To be able to have something like this to shoot for at such a young age is such an opportunity,” said Immelman, the 2008 Masters champion. “Someday one of these kids may win the Masters and say, ‘The first time I came here was for the Drive, Chip & Putt Championship.’ What would that be like?”

Player, a three-time Masters champion, told the young competitors to work hard on the short game because that’s where champions are made.

Jay Leng demonstrated that his short game was solid. Leng, of Rancho Santa Fe, Calif., won both the chipping and putting skills to overtake the longer drivers in the Boys 7-9 division. His combined distance from the hole on two putts was 2 feet, 2 inches.

Other winners among the boys were: Jake Peacock of Alpharetta, Ga., 10-11; George Duangmanee of Fairfax, Va., 12-13; and Toby Wilson of Bartlett, Tenn., 14-15.

Wilson rallied from a poor drive to win both the chipping and putting competitions. His two putts finished a combined 37 inches from the hole.

Matt Camel of Greenwich, Conn., hit the longest drive – 281.5 yards – after missing the grid with his first attempt. He finished fifth in the Boys 14-15 division.

Others winners among the girls were: Effie Perakis of Glenview, Ill., 7-9; Lydia Swan of North East, Pa., 10-11; and Alexandra Swayne of Maineville, Ohio, 14-15.

Swan won the chipping competition on her way to the title in a group that included last year’s Girls 7-9 division champion, Kelly Xu.

Perakis, who made the 30-foot putt, relied on balance in the three disciplines to post her victory.

“I was very nervous,” she said, before giving a thumbs up.

In the Boys 12-13 group, two finished tied for the top spot with 20 points and three others were tied just one point behind. In the event of ties, the putting rank was the tiebreaker.

Duangmanee, who tweeted his participation in the Drive, Chip & Putt Championship, was greeted by Augusta National member Condoleezza Rice after his victory. He capitalized on a strong driving performance – 260.7 yards his best – to claim the title.

The Drive, Chip & Putt Championship is a free nationwide youth golf development initiative created by The Masters Tournament, the USGA, and the PGA of America.

Boys and girls ages 7-15, of all abilities, competing in separate divisions in four age categories. The competition focuses on the three fundamental skills employed in golf and taps the creative and competitive spirit of participants. The Drive, Chip and Putt Championship provides aspiring junior golfers an opportunity to play with their peers in qualifiers around the country.

Find out more here: www.drivechipandputt.com.

I was lucky to be invited to South Africa earlier this month to spend time with the Chief Executive of the PGA of South Africa, Ivano Ficalbi, and his team. It was great to work with them on some details of their operation and to see first hand their work in the country.

A whistle-stop tour of the country took me to three cities in four days along with a stop at the World Club Pro-Am that was defended again by the PGA of Greece’s Henrik Engdahl. It’s been a pleasure to see the event grow in its two years and we’re looking forward to working closely with them on the 2016 edition next year.

Meanwhile this month our eyes have been drawn to the announcement of not one, but two Ryder Cup Captains in the form of Davis Love III for the USA Team and Northern Ireland’s Darren Clarke as the European Captain.

We have had the pleasure of Darren competing in the Beko Classic on several occasions and having left his mark on the Ryder Cup, including his fantastic efforts in 2006 at The K Club, we wish him every success in this latest chapter.

We should also take time to acknowledge the outstanding achievements of New Zealander Lydia Ko. To see an ascension from someone so young is incredible.

Back-to-back wins including her second home-win at the New Zealand Open are exemplary of what could easily become full-scale dominance of the ladies game. Lydia plans to retire when she reaches 30 – who knows what she’ll have achieved by then!

This month’s issue of IGPN focuses on marketing and PR and the ways in which PGA Professionals and golf facilities promote themselves and their products and engage with their clients.

Pretty much all of the things I have mentioned above involve marketing and PR – when you stop to think about it then marketing touches more elements of life than you would assume. The success of events, our Organisation’s work, and much more is dependent on the ability to provide value to sponsors, partners, and ultimately the end-user.

The communications side of the Confederation of Professional Golf’s operations continues to be hugely important to the success of our endeavours and with an increasingly digital world, along with more and more discerning customers, marketing yourself and your business properly has never been more important.

This article originally featured in International Golf Pro News. Visit the IGPN Page to find out more and subscribe for free.

International Golf Pro News (IGPN) is now available to download free as a native smartphone application on Apple’s iOS devices (iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch) and Google’s Android devices (Android 2.3 and up) direct from the relevant app stores.

IGPN is now in its 14th edition and has continued to grow to become a key resource for the 36 Confederation of Professional Golf Member Countries and their individual members.

To reflect the constantly changing nature of how media and content are consumed, IGPN has taken an upgrade to become available as a native smartphone application that ensures a reader’s experience and interaction with the magazine is as streamlined and relevant for their use.

The addition of a native application also optimises their experience on the devices used by the reader, and, together with the still responsive web version, ensures that no matter what device a reader is using, the magazine will render itself in the best way possible for the screen size and internet connectivity.

The success of the magazine comes down to its continuous remit to provide useful, interesting and actionable content relevant to PGAs and their Professionals, whilst also looking to incorporate the huge wealth of experience that PGA Professionals and those involved in the game have. Huge thanks goes to all of those that have contributed so far to the success of the magazine.

Click here to ready the latest Issue of IGPN: www.InternationalGolfProNews.com

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For more information on the Confederation of Professional Golf visit cpg.golf, follow @PGAsofEurope on Twitter, or like the Confederation of Professional Golf Facebook Page.

Here IGPN takes a look at some of these PGA Professionals that all touch the Confederation of Professional Golf in some way to give an insight into some of the varied roles that they play, and find out more about their industry and see what tips they can pass on to other Professionals looking to enter their respective fields of work…

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THE TEACHER

Kevin Flynn – Head professional at Tournerbury Golf Centre; Confederation of Professional Golf Golf Development Professional

Q. What does your current role involve?

As a PGA professional you have to firstly be very versatile. The areas of work my current position demands is coach, presenter, designer of development programs, rules advisor, competition organiser and handicap secretary, shop manager, club manager, developing golf in other countries, and educating golf coaches on new technology and swing theories.  Being in the position of Head Professional you have to lead by example and support your staff while making sure that all things golf are catered for at the club.

Q. What was your reason for going into your area of the industry?

The reason for going into the industry was originally to play on tour, however I soon realised i did not have the desire or commitment to practice the game at the level needed to achieve at the highest level.  Meeting John Jacobs gave me the desire and inspiration to better myself as a coach and I feel as though I am continually getting better through my own self-motivation to become the best I can be.   I hear the words “those that cant play teach” an awful lot but in my own personal experience I get greater satisfaction from seeing others improve than actually improving as a player myself.

Q. What are the main obstacles you face in your position?

I have found it difficult to find staff that are as passionate towards the game of golf as I am.  I think a lot of youngsters who embark on a career in golf do so because it is an easy route into a profession, however I think this is changing with the introduction of new education programs and the criteria needed to be accepted into the PGA.  It is also frustrating to see how many outstanding golf professionals are struggling to establish themselves as Head professionals.  The PGA are doing a fantastic job in raising the standards of our professionals however I feel that golf clubs in the UK need to be better informed as to how the PGA professional is evolving.

Q. What are the main pieces of advice you would give to a PGA Pro looking to move into your area of the industry?

My advice to an aspiring PGA trainee would be to remain passionate about the game of golf.  We are so lucky to be involved in the game of golf and what better way to spend your life, teaching golf, living in an environment where you meet new people everyday and enjoy walking in some of the most beautiful places on the planet.  Embrace the game of golf and never stop learning.

Q. Is there one key thing that you have learnt in your area of expertise that could be applied to all areas and if so what is it?

The greatest thing I have learnt and try to use as a reminder to myself is this quote by John Wooden: “It is what we learn after we think we know it all, that counts”.

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THE MANAGER

Gavin Chappell – Golf Manager, Al Ain Equestrian, Shooting & Golf Club, Abu Dhabi

Q. What does your current role involve?

I am lucky that I have a great team working with me in the golf department here in Al Ain which makes it easier for me to oversee that the club is moving in the right direction. Managing that team to ensure that we are giving our members and guest the best experience possible when they visit the club and at the same time continually looking to promote the resort to both new members and guests. The standards of clubs in the region are so high, so unless we are constantly looking to improve on how our club is run then we would be left behind.

Q. What was your reason for going into your area of the industry?

I had the opportunity to move in to my current role at the start of this year and I felt it was something that I wanted to do to further my career and also the additional role and responsibilities it presented. I have been in the golf industry for the last 18 years with various roles which I have all enjoyed but I feel that most people want to continue to grow in whatever field they are in and I am certainly no different.

Q. What were your reasons for going to work in that particular location?

I have been lucky since leaving the UK in the opportunities that I have been given and the different places I have worked.  My first role in Cairo led to a new challenge in Ras Al Khaimah which is the most northern Emirate in the UAE, which in turn presented a move to Al Ain, part of the Abu Dhabi Emirate. I have been in the UAE for almost 9 years now and in that relatively short period of time I have seen great growth in the game of golf which has been fantastic as both local and international rounds continue to raise, for these points and also the fact of the quality of our golf facility go together as main reasons in why I am here in the UAE.

Q. What are the main obstacles you face in your position?

Again I am lucky in the team I have in Al Ain which makes a lot of the potential obstacles you could face not being a problem. One challenge we face in Al Ain is with our location, being over an hour from both Abu Dhabi and Dubai. We not only have to compete with the more well known clubs in the region we have to do it from where we are situated. This has its obvious  problems in encouraging visitors from either inside or outside of the UAE to visit us but again I feel what we have to offer at the resort goes a long way to counter act this.

Q. What are the main pieces of advice you would give to a PGA Pro looking to move into your area of the industry?

Even though your roles and responsibilities would change from your previous position, a lot of what you had been involved in previously will hold you in good stead. I feel that is the case for myself as I try to use my experiences from past roles while at the same time trying to look for ways in moving forward. Each club or resort will vary in terms of what they are looking to achieve and what is the vision of their owners or management, but by understanding those and continuing to do the basics well and being pro active in moving forward to grow the club and the services you offer would in my opinion be important traits.

Q. Is there one key thing that you have learnt in your area of expertise that could be applied to all areas and if so what is it?

I feel having good interpersonal relationship is certainly a major point and one that is necessary in the role. From having a team that you oversee as well as being responsible in reporting to and meeting with superiors, and at the same time dealing with golfers be it members or visitors to the club. All of the 3 different points do take different forms but all of them are crucial in having a successful club.

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THE TOURNAMENT DIRECTOR

Robert Moss – PGA of Great Britain & Ireland Advanced Golf Professional, Mendip Spring Golf & Country Club; Confederation of Professional Golf Tournament Director; PGA Rules Referee  

Q. What does your current role involve?

I am the club Professional at Mendip Spring and spend most of my time coaching individuals, groups as well as going in to the local schools to develop a local schools/club link.  I’m also involved with the Somerset Golf Partnership taking golf to the community and encouraging more participation.   I am a member of the PGA Rules panel, refereeing at tournaments for the PGA, European Tour and the LET.   I’m also the Tournament Director for the Confederation of Professional Golf’s tournaments.  This involves making sure the tournament runs smoothly from start to finish from meeting with the host venue/sponsor, course set up and marking the course to ensure the fair and strict applications of the rules of golf, producing local rules, identifying tee and pin positions to use during the week and locating areas of the course for referees to cover during tournament days. I MC prize presentations and follow up with correspondence with all personnel attached to the event to maintain relationships.

Q. What was your reason for going into your area of the industry?

I have been on the PGA Rules Panel for 12/13 years and it all started with one of my members always coming into the pro shop asking ‘worst-case scenario’ rules questions, which I struggled to answer!  I saw the PGA had a CPD Rules course, which I attended and did reasonably well in the exam and was invited to join the panel.

Q. What are the main obstacles you face in your position?

The biggest problem is slow play!!  Pros are playing for a lot of money and understandably don’t want to rush shots and the amateurs pay a lot of money to play so also want to take their time and enjoy the day.  Our job is to ensure a sensible pace of play is maintained for the enjoyment of everyone.  I also think as coaches we have an obligation to the game to work on set-up routines with our pupils that is an acceptable time whilst still getting them prepared for the shot.  There’s nothing worse as a referee than having to put a player on the clock and increasing the pressure on him when he is playing for his living!

Q. What are the main pieces of advice you would give to a PGA Pro looking to move into your area of the industry?

Learn the rules and in particular the ‘Definitions’ as they are the foundations of which the rule book is written.  Once you are comfortable navigating the rule book, contact your PGA or federation to find out about any refereeing opportunities.  Whilst the days on the course can be long, I have been very fortunate to go to some fantastic venues around the world for tournaments.

Q. Is there one key thing that you have learnt in your area of expertise that could be applied to all areas and if so what is it?

I would say take your time and gather all the facts/information before giving an answer.  The last thing you want to do is dive straight in and answer and then find out material facts that would have changed the outcome!  It is better to take your time and give the correct answer rather than rush and give a wrong answer.  Also never be afraid to call for a second opinion, that is a strength rather than a weakness.  The same can be applied to coaching as well, I like to take my time to fully assess the situation before delivering my verdict and I am never afraid to seek a second pair of eyes or opinion if needed.

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THE PLAYER

Henrik Engdahl – Head Professional, The Crete Golf Club Greece

Q. What does your current role involve?

At the moment I run the club’s academies, coach the Greek national team, give lessons and then play in Pro-Ams with members and clients.

Q. What was your reason for going into your area of the industry?

As a fully qualified PGA Professional I find it important to offer a full service in many areas to all my members and guests.  That’s why I try to have a broad variety of services and expertise under my belt.

Q. What were your reasons for going to work in that particular location?

Leaving Sweden as a very mature market and going to Greece where golf is a lot newer was quite a challenge, but I wanted to help build and support Greek Golf.  Now there are a few new developments happening and I think we’re on the right track.

Q. What are the main obstacles you face in your position?

I would say only language really, many of our guests are coming from Russian speaking countries and my knowledge in Russian is very limited but luckily I have a Russian-speaking assistant this year.

Q. What are the main pieces of advice you would give to a PGA Pro looking to move into your area of the industry?

Build a good foundation based on education/experience, be open-minded and accept that you are in a different culture.

Q. Is there one key thing that you have learnt in your area of expertise that could be applied to all areas and if so what is it?

Work on your social skills and be a good listener and last but not least, make sure you are educated a proper education can get you everywhere.

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THE OPERATIONS DIRECTOR

Michael Braidwood – PGA of Great Britain & Ireland Advanced Fellow Professional; Operations Director, Braemar Golf  

Q. What does your current role involve?

I am the Operations Director for Braemar Golf Developments who are a golf management company.  My role is to oversee any project we have from a Golf Operations standpoint of view, however I do get involved in Human resources and Sales, Marketing and PR related issues.   I have for the past 2 seasons been on secondment to a Russian developer called Millhouse (owned by Roman Abramovich) who have developed a golf course on the outskirts of Moscow.  Skolkovo Golf Club is unique in many ways, however with its location so close to the centre of Moscow it is fast becoming the most desired club in Russia.   My role here is actually closer to General Management and Director of Golf and it very much at the coal face meeting prospective clients, selling memberships, organising the golf operations and events.

Q. What was your reason for going into your area of the industry?

I moved to Braemar Golf in 2010 after spending 12 years in Bahrain as the General Manager of Riffa then the Royal Golf Club.  During my time in Bahrain I got involved with Braemar Golf on a couple of projects and we jointly did the pre- and post- opening of the Sahara Golf and Country Club in Kuwait.  The progression from running one facility in Bahrain to running multiple facilities on behalf of Braemar Golf seemed a natural one and one that I find interesting as it poses many interesting challenges.

Q. What are the main obstacles you face in your position?

The main obstacles I come across are –   1. Vision – many of our clients don’t really understand golf and don’t have a clear vision from their project!  This leaves me trying to tease out of them what they really want!   2. Communication – In some of the locations we work English is not widely spoken and the language of golf is almost non-existent! (Golf is very alien to many people we deal with). This means we have to be very, very clear in how we communicate. I am currently trying to learn Russian – My Russian language handicap must be around 34!!   3. Procurement – in some parts of the world you just cannot get some things you would expect to have to run a successful golf operations, or it takes a very long time to get it. Procurement internationally is really planning and planning so far ahead.  In the UK now we are spoilt, we want something today and it is delivered tomorrow, this is not the case in Russia and other parts of the world!

Q. What are the main pieces of advice you would give to a PGA Pro looking to move into your area of the industry?

Learn every aspect of the golf club operation plus a few things more!  I could not do my role if I did not understand the structure of a good human resources framework, understand the sales, marketing and PR process, have a good insight into F&B operations etc.  You also need to be good and efficient at writing reports, as that‘s what our clients like.   I was lucky early in my career to work at Gleneagles and they were very progressive with training and cross-training.  I volunteered to spend time with the housekeeping department so I could understand how the process of cleaning rooms worked.  I also went on the Hotel Duty Manager rota, which gave me an insight into how the hotel operated.   Signing up for the PGA Director of Golf Program is also a good way of ensuring that you have competency and knowledge across all of the disciplines required.

Q. Is there one key thing that you have learnt in your area of expertise that could be applied to all areas and if so what is it?

There are 2 key ones really – planning in detail and communication. You can’t do enough of both.