“The skill of leadership is how you handle and inspire the people around you”

30/05/2025

The PGA’s Head of Membership Support, Joe Kelly, reflects on undertaking the League Managers Association (LMA) Postgraduate Award in Strategic Leadership

Joe Kelly works as the Head of Membership Support at The PGA. In the past year he was one of three PGA Members to complete the League Managers Association (LMA) Postgraduate Award in Strategic Leadership to elevate his management skills to new levels.

The course highlights the exclusive professional development opportunities to Members and showcases the collaboration between The PGA and leading sports bodies. Here, he shares his experiences.

“I did the Director of Golf Qualification a number of years ago and I believe that it's going to be more important than ever going forward. Most of the golf clubs in this country are traditional members' clubs and they are constantly reviewing where they spend their money.

"So, as a PGA Director of Golf, you will offer far more versatility. You have the golfing background because, as a PGA member, you have been through the PGA training programme, and you have spent your life in and around golf clubs.

"So you understand the day-to-day business, the retail and the coaching, and the qualification adds on another layer of skill, which allows you to be more versatile and have more value in that environment. So I could do more for the club and I could manage all aspects of the business.

"I've now completed the post-graduate course with the LMA and that again takes things to another level. There was a focus on strategy, governance and leadership and it's been of massive value because the most important thing in anyone's business are the people and, if you can give them a clear strategy to meet the vision of the business, then it's far easier to lead and therefore succeed.

"It allows you to create an environment where people are invested in what you're trying to achieve. Governance, for example, is critical in business and it's key to understand how good governance empowers you to lead a team to deliver on a strategy.

"It's been an evolution from PGA training, continuing to develop, then the Director of Golf and now the LMA course, layered with my experience on the ground. In my job I visit golf clubs across the UK and Ireland so it is aggregating all of that. In addition, I lead a team for The PGA as well so I hope they will also benefit from my improved leadership skills.

“A lot of the course confirms what you already know and a lot of it explains the theory behind what you're trying to achieve. There is a module on change management, which is great because, as we all know, change is difficult and how you manage that change and how you inspire people through a new period is important.

“In a nutshell, it has really focused my attention on people, and the skill of any leadership is how you handle and inspire the people who are working with and around you.

"The whole process is very achievable, the course runs for around nine months and the modules are set out in a way that flow well and the staff were great in helping and supporting you. Everything is recorded and stored on their platform so you can re-listen to any part of the course and there are also in-person days at St George’s Park which is a fantastic facility.

"Another fantastic aspect of the course is that you're working with managers from other sports. There are some comparisons that you can make between the sports, like football and cricket, but there are also some big differences as well, which is interesting to consider. In football, for example, you don't get the time to succeed so to that was interesting to work in a cohort with football managers. Everyone is in busy jobs but the course is very achievable and has been a great addition to my skillset as a manager.

"I would encourage PGA Members who are serious about developing as a manager to consider the PGA Director of Golf Qualification and additionally the LMA postgraduate award in strategic leadership.”

If you’re aiming for a senior management role in golf, the PGA Director of Golf qualification is the essential next step. With only three exclusive spaces available each year on the LMA Postgraduate Award in Strategic Leadership - reserved for those who have completed the qualification - this is a rare opportunity to join a programme that is shaping future strategic leaders.

To be considered, we strongly encourage PGA Members to undertake the Director of Golf qualification, starting with the induction day on 18th September 2025.

Find out more and register for the induction day by clicking here