Students completing courses with the PGA Institute, the PGA’s Registered Training Organisation, as well as those enrolled in various PGA Academy programs, hit the books – and the golf course – in a bumper first day for the New Year.

“It’s wonderful to be back for 2023, welcoming students both here on campus and online,” said the PGA Institute RTO Manager, Suzanne Burns.

“We know that our sport is booming at the moment, so to see students of varying ages embracing their passion for the game and looking to turn it into a career is a very special thing.”

New on-campus Institute students enrolled in the Diploma of Golf Management, met their returning classmates and received their official Learning Hub golf bag and apparel, before an afternoon of classes.

Bronte Kirkman, who currently works at Cheltenham Golf Club in Melbourne, is looking forward to expanding her understanding and fully immersing herself in the industry, as she begins her time with the PGA Institute.

“I just love golf,” she smiled. “I already work at Cheltenham, so this is a great chance for me to learn everything there is about club management and other aspects of the sport.

“I also really want to improve my golf game, so to have the chance to do that as well is really exciting for me.”

Nick Bielawski, Coaching Programs Manager for the PGA of Australia was also pleased to meet a new cohort of golfers on Monday at the PGA Academy. Both the Golf Performance Program and the Golf Development Program welcomed students; keen to immerse themselves in a true golfing experience to help take their game to the next level.

“The programs we offer are designed to help golfers take the next step in their golfing development,” Bielawski explained. “All of our students have the drive to improve and we are looking forward to going on that journey with them.”

For Brock Caldwell, the PGA Performance Program was enough of a lure to move across the country from Western Australia. A member at Seaview Golf Club in Cottesloe, he has made the move to lower his handicap and improve all aspects of his golf game.

“I want to get to a level where I can eventually look to start playing professionally,” he said. “I’m looking forward to having a training plan with real consistency and driving my passion to improve.”

Bielawski is also excited that the 2023 cohort of PGA Academy students will have access to the new TrackMan Performance Zone at the Golf Learning Hub. Including four state-of-the-art simulators, the facility will help fast-track game improvement for everyone.

“Getting our students using our brand new TrackMan simulators means that we can use data and real-time insights to aid game improvement,” he said. “We are really proud of the facility and it’s a big step forward for the PGA Academy offering.”

For more information on the various PGA education programs, click HERE