Changing perceptions

A recent survey commissioned by the PGA of America shows that America’s perceptions of PGA professionals are not necessarily reality.

A recent survey commissioned by the PGA of America shows that America’s perceptions of PGA professionals are not necessarily reality and that being a local PGA professional means more than just teaching golfers to have a pretty swing.

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A recent survey shows America's perception of PGA professionals may be wrong.

Survey results show nearly 90 percent of all respondents think local PGA professionals spend up to half of their day giving golf lessons. In addition, more than half of all respondents also think local PGA professionals play more than four 18-hole rounds of golf in a typical week. 

But today’s local PGA professional position has evolved from this perception, becoming more challenging and demanding than ever before. In fact, results from PGA professionals show that they rarely spend more than a quarter of their day giving golf lessons and surprisingly, almost a third do not play an 18-hole round of golf in a typical week. PGA professionals now actually spend more time on a daily basis dealing with business matters in the club house compared to giving lessons and working on their own game.

Additional results show that:
· Three-fourths of all PGA professionals surveyed log in more than 50 hours a week;
· Nearly 30 percent do not play an 18-hole round of golf in a typical week;
· Only 15 percent actually spend more than a quarter of their day giving lessons and 21 percent do not give lessons at all; and
· Nearly 60 percent of those who give lessons work with four or less students on an average day.

The survey also showed that:
· Nearly 90 percent of all PGA Professionals have played golf for more than 15 years;
· 68 percent took three or more years to become a PGA Professionals; and
· More than half (54 percent) have a bachelor’s degree.