Establish Rapport With Students

Sean Casey is Teaching Professional at the ClubLink Academy at Glen Abbey in Oakville, Ont., and was recently named Teacher of the Year by the Canadian PGA. He discusses how the role of a teaching professional also involves developing a rapport with the student.

At our facility, we’re getting an increasing number of girls and I think that’s more to do with our efforts than a particular trend in the industry.

We’re trying to create programs for girls. In the past, we would have a mix of boys and girls in our Elite Junior program. This program is for kids who have progressed past the introductory four-week clinics and have developed a passion and desire to play the game. 

What we would end up with is a girl or two or three among the 15 boys and the girls would kind gravitate towards one another.

We’ve just hired Carrie Vaughn and she’s got a passion to develop and help elite junior girls or girls who want to play college or tournament golf. She’s just created our first-ever elite program for girls and recently returned from Florida where she spent five days with the eight girls in the program.

She’s going to continue the program this summer and, hopefully, we’ll get more signed up, but eight’s a good start and now, we can create a little buzz about our girls program.

I think a lot of girls prefer the all-female atmosphere, but ones that were previously in the boys program may stay there, probably for the simple reason that they’ve created a relationship with the coaches.

Carrie has plenty of experience and not every teaching professional has playing experience at the high professional level like Carrie, who has played on the Duramed Futures Tour and at the CN Canadian Women’s Open.

She’s an all-around athlete, so she brings a lot to the table and we’re lucky to have her. Obviously, she can help the girls develop as golfers, but she can provide them with much more the golf instruction.  I think it’s great that they’ve got a female to look up to and Carrie’s cool, she’s fun and she’s been successful in life, so she’s a great role model for junior girls.

I think that teaching kids goes beyond technique, especially when it’s an ongoing program where we get to know the kids better. They look for guidance in a lot of different areas. For example, they may want to know about what to look for when they’re considering university.

As a teaching professional, you can really influence them in a lot of ways and they tend to talk to us about a lot of those things, not to say they don’t talk to their parents.

At our academy, I try to encourage the professionals to develop a rapport with their students because they have the potential to be a good role model. I want them to provide as much help to the kids in different aspects, not just work on their golf games.

Sometimes, people just want your professional instruction. They’re in, they’re out and off they go. That’s fine too.

However, the nice thing about what we do is that we can connect with people and helping somebody get to the next level of development can be very rewarding and good for business. If, for whatever reason, the relationship between you and the student isn’t ideal, that’s when they go to somebody else.

You’d like to think that you connect with everybody, but the reality is that’s not the case no matter how hard to try. The important thing is to try.

The best players in the world switch coaches and the best coaches in the world lose players, so you can’t take it to heart when somebody goes elsewhere. However, developing a rapport with a player may keep that person with you longer or just ensure that person just drops by in the future for a coffee.

We Can Learn From Everybody

Bob Paley is head professional of the Kananaskis Country Golf Course near Calgary and was recently named Club Professional of the Year and Merchandiser of the Year by the Canadian PGA. Below, he chats about learning from staff members of all ages.

When I was an apprentice, there was a definite hierarchy at a golf course where you clearly knew who was the head professional, associate, first associate, second associate, assistant and backshop manager, etc.

There’s still an element of that now, but there’s also an attitude of everybody being in it together at many places, meaning that everybody’s opinion is important even if when decisions have to be made, there’s a need for a hierarchy just to maintain order.

Mentorship, to me, is probably one of the most important things for a professional at any level. I’m 41 years old and I have people in my life – people such as Tiffany Gordon at Cottonwood and Ron Laugher at Priddis Greens – who have been my mentors for a long time, who I still lean on and will always count on.

I also learn from first-year apprentices because they’ve got a finger on the pulse of some really interesting and new things such as technology. I hired a new professional who has opened my eyes to some amazing things on the Internet.

I think you really have your eyes opened when you empower those around you rather than thinking you’re the high and mighty. It’s amazing what happens when you do ask somebody who’s 20 years old, `Hey, what do you think about this,’ or `You’re in school – what have you been learning?’

To me, that’s important because it’s helping to keep our business fresh and keeping me fresh as a professional by gaining new perspectives.

If you don’t have an environment in which you’re learning from everybody – you’re learning from them, they’re learning from you – you’re not getting the most out of that team.

I really believe that’s one of the strengths of our place is that everyone’s opinion matters and everybody does everything. I’ll go pick golf balls at the range and, in turn, ask maybe a first-year assistant to run a staff meeting or do scheduling for a week.

There’s still some order, but everybody feels like they’re learning and everybody feels like they’re getting something out of it. The end result of that can only be something positive.

Making Life Easier For Junior Organizers

Winter tends to get in the way of golf at this time of year and so it was recently when I was scheduled to attend a Junior Golf 2010 and Beyond session held in partnership between the Canadian PGA, Royal Canadian Golf Association and provincial associations.

A winter storm prevented me from being at Old Ashburn in Halifax, but my lead assistant was able to make the session facilitated by Glenn Cundari of the Canadian PGA and that allowed me to pick up on the key points and objectives.

Much of the presentation and discussions were focused on the resources that the RCGA and Canadian PGA are making available to golf facilities across Canada.

Web-based applications allow a junior coordinator to input their players, track their results and set up full junior leagues. I tried one last year, but as an operator, it was tedious having to manually enter 160 juniors from our program and the league itself was a little bit limiting with only a match play format.

Things have improved significantly since then.

After receiving feedback from pros and coordinators, the joint partnership made the applications much more operator-friendly. We don’t have to type in the juniors’ information and the same goes for results of the junior skills competition. You simply upload your spreadsheet.

When I spoke with Glenn after the session, he mentioned that the online applications are a work in progress and they have people working on them all the time. If any pro or junior coordinator has feedback or would like to see something changed, they will look at it with the idea of making the site more effective.

That’s great news.

This is a great tool, so if you haven’t used it, give it a try or if you’re lacking in computer skills, have one of your assistants take it on. Either way, it’s much easier to use than in the past. Your juniors will enjoy watching their progress and seeing results over the course of a season.

You can get started by clicking here.

This provides a great added value to junior leagues and programs that will set your program apart and other topics were discussed at Junior Golf 2010 and Beyond. If you have a chance to catch one of these sessions in your area, it’s well worth the time.

Lindon Garron Usually Gets The Last Word

Gary Bernard has spent just over a month in his new role as full-time Canadian PGA executive director and faces one of the more important events in his short time on the job when he attends the annual general meeting on March 24 in Moncton. GNN had a chat with Bernard recently to get his take on the important PACE vote that will come up at the AGM, but also other issues affecting the Canadian PGA.

Gary Bernard has served in several capacities during Lindon Garron’s two-year term as Canadian PGA president, which ends at the annual general meeting in Moncton later this month, so Bernard plans to get in a few good-natured verbal shots at Garron at the President’s Dinner.

However, his experience tells him that Garron will get the final word, which he quite often did during discussions and even arguments over his term as president. Read more

CPGA Needs To Educate Potential Employers

Gary Bernard has spent just over a month in his new role as full-time Canadian PGA executive director and faces one of the more important events in his short time on the job when he attends the annual general meeting on March 24 in Moncton. GNN had a chat with Bernard recently to get his take on the important PACE vote that will come up at the AGM, but also other issues affecting the Canadian PGA.

With the Canadian PGA annual general meeting on the horizon, Gary Bernard reflects back to when he spoke at the Royal Canadian Golf Association’s AGM about what golf professionals bring to the table for facilities.

He says the reaction he received afterwards from governors and representatives of RCGA member clubs was positive, even if people were surprised at the training and education that go along with being a Canadian PGA member.

That’s a message that should be emphasized, according to Bernard, who will have a similar chat with members of the National Golf Course Owners Association this week. Read more

PACE Voting Underway With AGM On Horizon

Gary Bernard has spent just over a month in his new role as full-time Canadian PGA executive director and faces one of the more important events in his short time on the job when he attends the annual general meeting on March 24 in Moncton. GNN had a chat with Bernard recently to get his take on the important PACE vote that will come up at the AGM, but also other issues affecting the Canadian PGA.

Right about now, Canadian PGA members will be getting their proxy votes in the mail and, after returning them to the auditor, they will collectively decide the fate of the PACE (Professional Advancement, Career Enhancement) program at the annual general meeting later this month in Moncton.

“I wouldn’t say it’s going to dominate (the meeting). We’re going to have the vote. The vote will be one of the highlights of the meeting, whether or not it happens,” said Canadian PGA executive director Gary Bernard last week.

“The AGM is a two-and-a-half, three hour meeting at the most and there will be a number of items on there with finances and different things, For sure, everybody will be wondering about PACE and the new bylaws to go with it,” he added. Read more

CPGA Announces National Award-Winners

The Canadian PGA has announced the 2009 winners of its national awards.

“This year’s winners have set standards of excellence that all Canadian golf professionals can aim to achieve. On behalf of the Canadian PGA, the zones, and the membership, I congratulate them all for receiving this recognition,” said Canadian PGA president Lindon Garron.
The winners include:

• Club Professional of the Year: Bob Paley, Kananaskis Country Golf Course, Alberta

• Teacher of the Year: Sean Casey, The Clublink Academy At Glen Abbey, Ontario

• Merchandiser of the Year: Bob Paley, Kananaskis Golf Club, Alberta

• Jack McLaughlin Junior Leader of the Year Award: Henry Brunton, Henry Brunton Golf, Ontario

• Tex Noble Award: Jamie Stevens, Granite Point Golf Club, British Columbia

For more on the winners, see the website, www.cpga.com.

A Pre-AGM Chat With Gary Bernard

When last we chatted with Gary Bernard, he had just switched from interim executive director to full-time executive director of the Canadian PGA and he has since been settling into his new role.

“Things have been going great. I’ve had a lot of great support from members and industry people, lots of people calling me and sending e-mails and things of that nature,” he said.

“I’ve had great support from the national board. They’re doing everything they can to support me and making sure that I have the tools to succeed,” said Bernard, who says one of his first priorities has been looking into hiring new staff members.

“We’re trying to determine what those will be right now. We’re working with McKinley Solutions, the search firm that worked for the position that I’m in,” he said.

“I’m looking at this year as being a transitional year and we’re going to fill some gaps in our staffing. We’re going to review our strategic planning. That’s where the focus is,” said Bernard, who has an important date coming up in just under a month.

The Canadian PGA’s annual general meeting takes place Wednesday, March 24, in Moncton and Bernard’s first AGM as executive director is a critical one, according to a GNN Poll taken last week. Read more

Player Development Is Intriguing

I’m intrigued to see the proceedings this weekend at Junior Golf-2010 and Beyond, being conducted by the Royal Canadian Golf Association and Canadian PGA this weekend at Old Ashburn in Halifax.

The main topic will be the player development side and I’m interested to see where they’re going with it. They’re calling it a junior seminar and they’re doing it across the Atlantic Provinces.

It will discuss separating your junior program from others and I’m taking a couple of assistants. I’m assuming there will be a fair bit of dialogue about what people are doing to make their junior programs stand out.

It’s supposed to be an interactive session to learn what is available to enhance and support junior programs and they want to expose people to the latest long term player development research that’s been done.

We’re working on hosting a Nova Scotia Golf Association player development camp this year and we want to get more involved in player development. We’ve had a couple of kids come out of here with great success who took part in our instruction and we’re looking at an invitation to 10 top youngsters from across Atlantic Canada.

I’m pretty pleased with the job that we’ve done with the introduction to golf for the general public, especially on the women’s side with our two-day golf schools and our introductory schools. We’ve also had great success with our men’s two-day schools.

I see what going on at the elite level of hockey and there’s no reason why we can’t do the same thing in golf.

I’ve spoken with national team coach Henry Brunton and several coaches here in Atlantic Canada have enjoyed success with elite golfers.

We have a great facility, we have a great golf course to train kids. We’re full-length, we can make it as tough as we want and we’ve got a great practice facility. Why not use it for development?

A step towards that goal will be taken this weekend in Halifax and I’ll let you know how it goes next week.

Pros Should Embrace Change, Not Fear It

I never really contemplated the full possibilities of a blog and to be honest, my first few felt more like I was writing an article for a golf magazine than expressing what I really felt or thought about the golf business.

However, as I have become a bit more comfortable with writing them, I realized that I was free to air my opinions that I think are important to me and the golf industry, which I love.

I want to continue in that direction and, having talked about my past and playing for a living, I would like to offer some thoughts on our profession, especially with the PACE program coming up for a vote at our Canadian PGA annual general meeting next month.

First and foremost, not all golf professionals earn $200,000 a year, come in at 10 a.m. and tee it up with their members everyday at noon for 18 holes.

The reality within the golf industry is that each club job that opens up these days pays considerably less than the previous person in that position was making and we can have the argument that the person was there a long time; so his/her salary increased every year etc.

I guarantee that if you take inflation into consideration, the person coming into the job is making less than what the person they are replacing started at years ago.

We also work very long hours and there is an inside saying that CPGA really stands for “Can’t Play Golf Anymore.” While that is a bit extreme, I think we all feel at times that golf professionals rarely get the chance to play the game that got us into the business in the first place.

Secondly, we need to acknowledge that all industries change, the golf industry included. We need to be open to change and realize that what was once the definition of a golf professional is different today.

There isn’t a one-size-fits-all definition of a golf professional. My own experience over the years includes the National Golf Club’s early days as a men-only private club with 65 members, the ClubLink multiple club model today; to building a golf facility/course, running a large academy and playing for a living.

In all of those different experiences, the one constant was change and we need to embrace it, not be afraid of it.

The Canadian PGA has tried to include everyone who legitimately works within in the golf industry and I think we can do this and have a much stronger and cohesive association, rather than a splintered industry with everyone seemingly rowing in a different direction.

A friend of mine once said that a golf professional should win an Academy Award as he/she needs to play upwards of 120 to 150 different roles a day, depending on what member walks into the golf shop.

I believe that and I think that the ability for us to be that flexible outside of our golf shops will allow the Canadian PGA to flourish.

How Critical Is Next Month’s CPGA AGM?

It’s difficult to argue with GNN blogger Tiffany Gordon of the Cottonwood Golf and Country Club near Calgary who wrote last week about the importance of the Canadian PGA’s annual general meeting being held next month in Moncton.

You can read Tiff’s Blog here.

As she pointed out, the biggie on the agenda is the PACE (Professional Advancement, Career Enhancement) program that comes up for another vote at the AGM after several rewrites and discussions between the national office, zones and members.

PACE has the potential to affect the Canadian PGA’s direction in education and affect employment opportunities for both current and future members of the association, so it could be far-reaching. Read more

Gary Bernard Has Immediate Priorities

I’ve always been impressed with Gary Bernard and I think they made a fantastic choice in naming him executive director of the Canadian PGA.

He has such passion for the association and that’s what we need. Our industry is built on passion and we try to be leaders. I don’t think we would be as successful as a group if we weren’t built on passion.

I sit on three committees at the national level and Gary’s a part of all of those, so every conference call we have, Gary joins in and we always have quite a bit of interaction with him.

That passion will help him in the short term, with the annual general meeting coming up next month and the PACE vote a big part of that. He’s had a lot to do with that, with all the rewrites that have been required.

PACE is a big priority and, if it passes, they will have to react quickly in getting it in place and administered. That’s a huge job.

If PACE goes through in March, things have got to be running pretty smoothly because lots will happen very quickly. With Gary being such a good morale guy, he will get the office going and give the program the support it needs.

It will be interesting at the AGM to see what they lay out as their initiatives, what their game plan is because the more you take on, the more employee support you need at the national office. I also believe there are a lot of members who have a great capacity to get involved and work on different committees to help get things done.

As far as other priorities that he will likely face is getting the Canadian PGA Championship back up and running, but I don’t know where that fits in the overall scheme.

Internal communications with the members will be important. Again, that goes back to PACE because, if it is passed, there are going to be a lot of members trying to figure out where they fit in with the program.

Employment is important to both the zones and the national office – that’s also tied in with PACE.

So, the new executive director has plenty to deal with as soon as he takes office. I feel very comfortable with Gary as a pick because of what could be ahead of us in the near future.

Gary Bernard Has Knowledge, Passion For Job

I’m not sure what the search parameters were for the selection of the new Canadian PGA executive director, but I’m looking forward to seeing how Gary Bernard settles into his new position now that he’s been selected.

I’ve met Gary and he’s a great guy. He’s worked with the Canadian PGA for a long time and he’s got the knowledge, and more importantly, the passion for the association. I think that’s something Steve Carroll had when he was on the job and I think passion is a big part of success in the position.

I like the idea of a member leading the association. It’s a good thing as long as the person has the qualifications.

Gary’s got a huge job ahead of him. There are a lot of things in the hopper right now and he’s going to be a busy guy to say the least. From not only an association standpoint, but from a personal standpoint, I hope he hits the ground running and I hope to see a lot of good things in the next six to eight months.

Gary worked for a long time with Steve Carroll and, from my own dealings with Steve, I like the way he ran the ship, so if Gary can keep it going in that direction, everybody’s going to benefit. From what I understand, it seems like there will be a lot of similarities.

Anytime there’s a change like this within an association, there are going to be some who agree and some who don’t, but I think we need to give this a chance to work in the long run.

J have all the confidence in the world in the CPGA hiring committee, the executive search firm and, of course, Gary Bernard, so I’m looking forward to the next little while under his leadership.

Bernard Can Relate To CPGA Members

As mentioned in yesterday’s contribution, Gary Bernard had been serving as Canadian PGA executive director, albeit with an interim tag attached, since Steve Carroll left the job at the end of October.

Carroll, now with the Royal Canadian Golf Association, influenced Bernard’s future in more ways than just vacating a post.

“I was very fortunate to work with and for Steve Carroll and I had dinner with him (recently) in Vancouver,” said Bernard.

“I did a presentation at the RCGA (annual general meeting) and, of course, he was there. I thanked him for allowing me to have enough rope to just do your job,” he added.

“I think that helped a lot. He gave me the opportunity to try some things, maybe make a mistake or two, maybe fumble the ball, but pick it up and move on,” said Bernard, adding the last three months helped prepare him, as well. Read more

Bernard Reaches End Of Marathon

Canadian PGA president Lindon Garron wandered into a reception for Canadian visitors to the PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando last Friday and was immediately hit with the question about when the new association executive director would be named.

Garron wasn’t biting, but as it turns out, the successful candidate was his sidekick that evening, somebody who had been doing the job, for all intents and purposes, for the last three months, albeit with an interim designation.

Director of education Gary Bernard had been doing the job since the end of October when Steve Carroll, who eventually landed with the Royal Canadian Golf Association, resigned after five years on the job.

As he listened to Garron being asked about the identity of the new executive director, Bernard already knew it was him – but not for very long.

“I was told that this is between you, your wife and your dog,” said Bernard, who says he didn’t even tell other family members about his new post until it was announced to Canadian PGA members and the media on Sunday. Read more

CPGA Looks Within Itself For New Executive Director

The Canadian PGA didn’t have to look far after all for its new executive director as Gary Bernard, who had held the post on an interim basis since Steve Carroll resigned, has been named to the position on a full-time basis.

“Gary has always acted in the best interests an PGA Members and his intimate knowledge of our association will ensure that current initiatives will continue in a seamless manner,” said Canadian PGA president Lindon Garron.

The search for Carroll’s replacement began in November and was conducted by McKinley Solutions Inc. Not only had Bernard been serving as interim executive director, but he had also been the association’s director of education since 2004.

“I, along with the 3,600 members of the Canadian PGA, have a passion for our great game and I am very serious about making progressive steps for our members within the Canadian golf industry,” said Bernard.

“I welcome the challenge and look forward to working with the board, national staff and all of our partners across the country to develop new opportunities for the game of golf,” he added.

A native of Chatham, N.B., Bernard spent eight years as an educator within the New Brunswick public school system.

He also spent two years in the sporting goods industry where he managed several T & R Sports locations in Atlantic Canada. He then turned to golf where he began working with the Canadian PGA.

Bernard played an important role in the development of the Teaching and Coaching Certification Program (TCCP) with fellow Canadian PGA member Henry Brunton.

He has been involved in education with the Canadian PGA since 1995 when he began facilitating all workshops to association members across the country. Bernard led the integration of the TCCP program with the National Coaching Certification Program (NCCP) and the Coaching Association of Canada (CAC).

He was also a key member of the Royal Canadian Golf Association’s National Player Development Program coaching staff from 1999 to 2001 and has worked at a number of different facilities, both in Atlantic Canada and Ontario.

Bernard’s first official role was representing the association at the World PGA Alliance conference on the weekend in Orlando.

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