Coaches play a crucial role in the development of golf and also in the lives of the golfers they coach.
Good coaches ensure that individuals participating in golf have positive experiences in the game and are therefore more likely to continue their involvement into the future. High quality coaches are knowledgeable, competent and confident in their abilities and can greatly assist players in achieving their goals and aims.
Good coaching is an integral part of the development of any player in any sport and the PGA aims to ensure that all golf coaches involved in growing the game are appropriately trained and qualified to coach at their chosen level. Through the implementation of a high quality coach education structure, the PGA provides a comprehensive coach development pathway that provides relevant training to individuals with an interest in coaching - whether the interest be as a volunteer assisting with local club sessions right through to a highly qualified master professional coach.
Golf's vision for coaching throughout Great Britain and Ireland is to develop and deliver a system that recruits, trains, supports and retains excellent coaches at every stage of the player pathway. We aim to ensure that we always have the 'right coach in the right place at the right time'. This is our shared vision for the future of golf coaching, and one that will ultimately help to grow the game of golf within Great Britain and Ireland and ensure we see:
- more people playing golf
- more people achieving their potential
- more people staying in golf
- and, better performances on a world stage
Coach Education Qualifications
The PGA, on behalf of the sport of golf, leads on the development of coach education and training. A full review of the existing coach education structure, following guidance from the quality standards of the UK Coaching Certificate, has lead to the establishment of a new, coach-centered education system that meets the needs of coaches and, ultimately, players.
The finished pathway (which is still somewhat under development) will include a range of qualifications to support novice to expert coaches based on the following descriptors:
What the qualified coach will be able to do:
Level 1
Assist more qualified coaches, delivering aspects of coaching sessions, normally under direct supervision
Level 2
Prepare for, deliver and review coaching session(s)
Level 3
Plan, implement, analyse and revise annual coaching programmes
Level 4
Design, implement and evaluate the process and outcome of long-term/specialist coaching programmes
The Level 1 qualification is a basic introduction to coaching that enables volunteers or Assistant Professionals to help a more qualified coach (e.g. a Head Professional) deliver sessions to beginners. For example assisting in the delivery of a series of junior sessions in which the senior coach needs assistance due to large numbers in a group.
The qualifications at Levels 3 and Level 4 are aimed at ambitious coaches looking to expand their skills and knowledge on their development journey towards becoming an expert coach within their chosen field. A coach at Level 3 will be expected to be able to produce, deliver and evaluate holistic annual, periodised coaching plans for individual golfers. These plans will consider all aspects of that players' game, including the science behind golfing performance. The Level 4 qualification, (the pinnacle of the coach education pathway), will require coaches to adopt a critical approach to coaching and apply postgraduate research methods and thinking to their performance and behaviour as a coach.
Click here to access further details on the Level 1 and Level 2 qualifications.
Accessing The Qualifications
As the lead organisation for coaching, the PGA is fully committed to working in partnership with the governing bodies of golf in the UK to further the growth and development of the game. The PGA has therefore adopted a planned approach to the delivery of the new coaching qualifications to ensure that coaches trained through the system are actively contributing to the development of golf within the UK. Coach Education courses are therefore only organised to meet the needs of the governing bodies of golf across Great Britain and Ireland and individuals wishing to access these courses must come through the development programmes and systems established within each Home Country.
Assistant PGA Professionals
Assistant PGA professionals on either the Foundation Degree in Professional Golf or the Applied Golf Management Studies Degree will undertake coaching qualifications at Levels 1 and 2 as part of their training.
Volunteer coaches
Coach education courses will be delivered in order to meet a particular geographical need for new volunteer coaches. Each Home Country has adopted a particular approach to the recruitment of such coaches in line with their specific development plans for growing the game of golf. Specific information for each Home Country can be accessed through the links below:
ENGLAND
SCOTLAND
WALES
IRELAND
Gaining a coaching qualification as a volunteer does not lead to PGA membership - learn more from How to become a PGA Professional