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When PGA Professional Josh Shaw plans out his week at Flinders Golf Club on the south-east tip of the Mornington Peninsula in Victoria, he schedules days off on Wednesday and Sunday.
Not that it made any difference this particular Wednesday morning.
Most PGA Members live for the golf industry and on his day off Shaw was picking up a new benchtop to be installed in the pro shop and had an afternoon of paperwork scheduled for later that day.
It’s a familiar tale for most PGA Professionals throughout the country but highlights the demands on time and the diversity of attributes necessary to keep a golf club’s golf operations running smoothly.
Shaw’s connection with the membership at Flinders runs deep.
He completed the PGA Membership Pathway Program under fellow PGA Professional Gavin Coyle at the club and plans to remain the club’s Professional for the foreseeable future.
“Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday we’re doing a lot of important coaching of our golfers,” says Shaw in an acknowledgement of the importance of coaching in assisting golfers with their enjoyment of the sport.
“I try and coach all day on a Monday if I can, which is generally from 9am until 5 or 6pm.
“We introduced a beginners program called Pathways to Golf which has been very popular.
“It was a group setting designed for people that had never touched a golf club before in their life and has gone above and beyond our expectations. We are at the point where we run two classes on a Monday, Friday and Saturday.
“That’s 36 brand new golfers entering the game and has certainly been an achievement for myself and the club.”
The positive influx of new golfers has put further pressure on a timesheet already being stretched to its limit and which has required constant adjustments by Shaw according to ever-changing COVID requirements.
The role of the PGA Professional also sees fitting days with equipment companies such as Callaway Golf, TaylorMade and Wilson Staff, and stock within the pro shop that requires regular consideration as part of the overall business.
“There’s something at the club, in the Pro-Shop and in the coaching activities that keeps me on my toes all the time as a PGA Professional,” Shaw admits.
“You’re always trying something new and something different to help our golfers enjoy the sport more, have more fun or play better. And if it doesn’t work, then you put a line through it and try something different.
“I find it very difficult to sit still. This whole job and how it all pans out keeps you busy,” he adds.
“I certainly wouldn’t want it any other way.”
PGA Professionals all around Australia are the heartbeat of the sport and custodians of the game. Find your local PGA Professional for everything golf at pga.org.au.
