Source: The Toronto Star
When you get up at the crack of dawn on a summer weekend to enjoy 18 holes on the golf course, it's unlikely you spend much time thinking about what's going on behind the scenes to make your game possible. Managing a golf course requires more than just watering the grass. While there are college-level programs designed to teach the technical basics of running a golf course, six years ago The Golf Management Institute of Canada recognized there was an educational gap and that no online training was available for people interested in pursuing a management career in the fast-growing golf industry. As a result, the institute developed the Graduate Studies Diploma in Golf Operations Management, an online program that won the CSTD's award for Best External E-learning Program.
Grant Fraser, founder and president of The Golf Management Institute, says this program is unique in its focus on the business side of managing a golf course, and isn't offered by any other organization. The program consists of 10 multimedia online courses that include strategic management, finance for non-financial managers, golf course design, human resources, business law and marketing.
Students accepted into the program must be college or university graduates with at least five years of business experience in any field. The program offers a flexible format for adult learners, and can be started at almost any time throughout the year. The diploma consists of 10 online courses, which are offered two at a time. Each course is $550 and runs for 8 weeks. Students log into an online chat room for each class and the courses are taught by faculty who are golf industry professionals.
For more information, visit www.golf-management/org.