Golf Teaching Professional Job Description
A professional golf teacher gives lessons on the game to beginning and accomplished players. They are usually called golf instructors. Their primary duty is to explain and demonstrate numerous aspects of how to play to their pupils. Most golf instructors are employed by private or public courses, and have other responsibilities on top of teaching golf--from running a pro shop to hiring a staff of caddies.
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Basics
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Golf instructors teach pupils aspects of the game that include stance, balance, mechanics on swings, putting and which club to use in certain situations. They instruct a wide range of age groups of male and female players, offering one-on-one instruction. Occasionally, they will monitor a player's performance before beginning a teaching session to gauge areas that need improvement. In the event a golf instructor also runs a pro shop, his duties are likely to involve selling merchandise, stocking shelves, running a cash register and managing a budget. Many also set up tournaments at their course.
Skills
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A golf instructor must be analytical and an expert communicator, since she may have to explain the rules and other unwritten guidelines surrounding what is often referred to as "a gentleman's game." She also has to possess a high degree of patience, considering she will be instructing many players who have never before picked up a golf club. Golf instructors who run pro shops will also need customer service skills, as well as those related to bookkeeping, scheduling and general office work.
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Background
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Most golf instructors are accomplished, and sometimes well known, players who have had success at the amateur or professional levels. Many also have to be certified to teach the game. While certification varies, it typically involves extensive playing tests, as well as class work and testing on pro shop management and how to set up and run tournaments. In many instances, golf instructors serve an apprenticeship before giving lessons at their respective courses.
Prospects
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Becoming a golf pro takes dedication to the game, as well as a thorough knowledge of all aspects of it. You also will need to possess an ability to work with and teach others. Overall employment of sports instructors in general was expected to grow by 23 percent from 2008 through 2018, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). That is a faster growth rate than all occupations, with jobs for golf teachers assumed to increase along with the rest of the sports instruction industry.
Earnings
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Salaries for golf instructors vary greatly by the type of course at which they are employed, as well as experience. PayScale.com listed sports instructors' earnings at anywhere from $28,000 to more than $68,000 per year in February 2010. Also, golf instructors at private courses earned anywhere from $43,000 to nearly $80,000 per year in May 2009, according to Salary.com.
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References
- Photo Credit excellent golf drive image by Denise Kappa from Fotolia.com
