A Golf Career Can Turn Your Passion Into A Lifestyle

A golf career sounds like an exciting and glamorous dream to many who love the sport. However, it is more accessible than you may believe. According to a 2005 study by Golf Digest, there are over 35,000 golf courses currently operating worldwide, over half located in the United States. This translates into a booming job market filled with exciting golf careers of every description. You may not be the next Tiger Woods, but many golf jobs are open to those of varying levels of skills and a wide variety of professional interests. Here is what you need to know to make your dream a reality.

Types of Golf Careers

You may never have given much thought to all of the available golf-related job titles. Here are just a few popular and in-demand career positions available at golf resorts:

Golf Professional: If you love to play and are good at the sport, this might be the position for you. You can build a career track, starting as an assistant and working your way to the top. Of course, you must be a highly skilled player for this career choice.

Marketing and Sales: Golf is big business, and resorts compete heavily to draw in customers. If you have marketing education and experience, you may want to take your skills into an industry that you truly love.

Course Design: Each new golf course must have its own unique hook to draw in players. If you have engineering and architectural expertise along with a passion for golf, it is possible to combine the two in a career as a golf course designer.

Golf Course Superintendent: If you have a passion for landscaping and maintenance, and a desire to pioneer new environmentally friendly means of course maintenance, consider a career as a golf course superintendent.

Golf Management: Qualified managers are always in demand at golf resorts around the world. If you have what it takes, you can work your way up to a highly profitable career.

Education and Experience Requirements

Traditionally, golf jobs have not had specific educational requirements beyond those that are expected for the specific position (computer science education for an IT job, for example). Experienced golf players with a passion for the sport were hired and trained on the job. It is still quite possible to begin a golf career this way. However, if you want to make yourself more competitive in the field, you may want to consider a golf degree. A two or four year specialized degree will give you an edge over other competitors for available jobs.

A Golf Career for a Non-Player

If you love the sport but do not play, you can still find a great career in golf. Many of the available jobs required specialized knowledge and training in other fields, from marketing to telecommunications. Attending a golf academy in a management program can familiarize you with how the sport is played, adding additional knowledge to your repertoire and making you a more competitive candidate. Ultimately, however, it will be your personal skill set, combined with your passion for the sport, which will lead you to the perfect career.

If you love golf but never thought you could find a career in the field, now is the perfect time to explore golf career options. Golf has become big business, and thousands of professionals from a wide variety of fields are necessary to make the golf industry a success. Even if your playing skills are less than stellar, you may find a golf career that is perfect for you.

8 Types Of Golf Course Jobs For Career-bound Individuals

Many golf enthusiasts decide not to pursue a career in the field because they are afraid there are not enough jobs available.  However, the golf industry is quite large, and with such a variety of possible positions that no one who has chosen golf as a career need fear unemployment or underemployment.  The possible positions listed below represent golf course jobs, only a small slice of what is available in the golf industry.

Golf course training and instruction:  Golf is an incredibly popular sport, which means that there is always a wealth of aspiring golfers seeking instruction.  Many golf courses keep several instructors on staff.  Providing training right there on the golf course means convenience for customers, more money for the golf course, and, of course, more jobs for professional golf experts.

Clubhouse food service crew and management:  One of the types of golf course jobs that no one ever thinks of is food service.  However, restaurant-quality food and drink is often the cornerstone of a golf course clubhouse, as it offers refreshment and creates a comfortable atmosphere.  Golf course jobs focused around clubhouse food service include the kitchen's crew, chefs, wait staff, and management.

Grounds care:  The entire existence of a golf course is dependent on the condition of the grounds.  Therefore, some of the most important golf course jobs are related to grounds care.  Chemical technicians handle the fertilization and other chemical care of the grass, while irrigation specialists ensure that the grass is well watered.  A turf manager or groundskeeper oversees all of the grounds care personnel.

Equipment operation and maintenance:  The daily business of running a golf course requires the use and maintenance of many pieces of equipment.  Golf course jobs usually include equipment operators, who are overseen by an equipment manager.  A maintenance team, including crewman and a maintenance manager, keep the equipment in good working order and handle maintenance scheduling.

Golf merchandise sales and store management:  A merchandise store is another important facet of any thriving golf course and clubhouse.  An on-site store provides a convenient place for members to purchase equipment and clothing.  Personnel needed to run the store usually includes sales associates and at least one manager.

Human Resources personnel:  As you are no doubt beginning to see, a successful golf course represents a coming together of many different employees.  As with any such workplace, a successful golf course usually includes a team of Human Resources personnel.  These professionals handle tasks such as the hiring of new employees for available golf course jobs.

Public Relations or advertising personnel:  As a thriving business, many golf courses must also manage a great deal of public relations interactions, such as advertising.  Golf course jobs therefore include positions to handle the writing of advertisements and video scripts, the photographing of the grounds for colorful ads, and a spokesperson to handle all communications with the press.

Golf course management and ownership:  A golf course is a well-oiled machine, but in order for all the moving parts to remain in good working order, there needs to be a manager to oversee it all.  The manager may also be the golf course owner in some cases.

As you can see, there are many golf course jobs available.  The careers described here are only the tip of the iceberg.  The golf industry also includes areas such as pro golfing, tour planning and management, and luxury golf resorts.  With the range of positions available throughout the industry, no one trained for a golf career need ever worry about not being able to find a job.