PGA Cup is a perfect Fitt at Foxhills

Hosting the PGA Cup will be a very proud moment for Chris Fitt who at the age of just 29 has been tasked with getting Foxhills Resort in Surrey ready for one of the biggest events on the PGA calendar.

Despite his young age, Foxhills’ Director of Golf has revelled in making sure everything is in shape for the event from September 15-17.

What makes hosting the PGA Cup even more special for Fitt is that that the PGA is very much part of his DNA, having graduated from the hugely popular Applied Golf Management Studies (AGMS) course.

He said: “We’re all very excited here at Foxhills to be hosting such a prestigious event, but I think you could say I’m a little bit more excited than others because of my involvement with the PGA.

“I never really gave much thought into wanting to play in the PGA Cup because I knew I wasn’t going to make it to that level, but I do know how big of an event it is and we’re very honoured here at Foxhills to be hosting it.”

As part of the role, which he took on at the beginning of the year, Fitt overseas a team of five PGA Professionals and 28 golf services and greenkeepers, with the aim of getting the Longcross course into the best possible condition.

“A lot of planning and preparation has been done to make sure we’re ready for this event,” Fitt continued. “It’s been at the forefront of our minds for a very long time now and it’s surprising how fast it’s come around.

“We want to make sure we provide the best experience for the players, staff and fans; it’s been massive operation for me and my team.

“There’s still a lot of work for us to do to make sure that Foxhills is in top condition for the event. We’ve got lots of staff here working very hard to make we can put on the best event possible and we’ll be ready for when that first tee shot is struck.”

Many PGA members take the traditional route into coaching, but that was not the case for Fitt, who knew early in his career that the management side of things is where he wanted to be.

“I knew that to get into the industry and to get into the clubs to cut your teeth as a pro, you have to do a level of coaching.

“At the time I hadn’t made my mind up that being a coach is something I wanted to be. I was much more focussed and had a better idea on the operation side of things.

“The placement I did at Gleneagles helped me decide that. I worked in all areas of the operation and coached quite a bit, but I was also heavily involved in the operation and I think that made my mind up about how I wanted to be involved in a big, resort style club and I want to control and run the operation.”

Fitt has worked in a number of roles since graduating from the AGMS course in Birmingham, including Gleneagles, Brocket Hall and Golf at Goodwood.

Now firmly focussed on growing the reputation of Foxhills as one of the country’s finest golf resorts, Fitt feels he has the AGMS course to thank for his success.

Reflecting back on his time at Birmingham University, he added: “The course and its content definitely prepared me with the high level of knowledge and experience needed to go into the golf industry.

“You get the chance to do three placements so you get the vocational experience as well as working in a golf club. The three-year working time allows you to approach it in the right way and you get a lot out of it.

“I’m going to biased, but having been in a number of positions now, I will always look to hire someone from the AGMS course because it seems that people are just coming off the course with slightly higher work ethic and hunger as well.

“They have the skillset that you’re looking for and it’s a relatively elite group if you like, because 400-500 go through the system every year, but only 20 or so of them are AGMS graduates.

“It provides you with a high work ethic and hunger. It’s prepared me for every step of my career over the last ten years and I’m sure I’ve got the AGMS course to thank for where I am today.”

For more information about the PGA Cup and to follow all the action and live scoring from Foxhills from September 15-17 click here.

For more informormation about the AGMS course and other PGA training programmes click here.