[Introduction] The unique, green, elegant, healthy and bright culture of golf has attracted extraordinary attention to the golf industry and attracted the active participation of successful people from all walks of life. So, which schools in Canada offer golf and club management majors? What professional skills can students learn in this major? How are the employment prospects and salaries? What do netizens and UtoCanada think of this profession? Let’s take a look!
Introduction to the Canadian Golf and Club Management Program
Golf is not just a game. In Canada, golf is a $15 billion industry that has more than 300,000 jobs. The occupations in the golf industry are diverse, including operating and managing of golf facilities, event management, teaching and training, sales of golf equipment and custom accessories, travel and tourism, marketing, sales, retail and catering, etc. The colleges that provide this major in Canada are all certified by the PGA of Canada, and many retired players serve as mentors and coaches to guide students.
Canada’s golf and club management program is generally offered at colleges, offering undergraduate degree and college diploma programs.According to the different needs of students, Canadian colleges offer different courses and encourage students to conduct more in-depth professional learning. At the same time, students are provide paid internship opportunities so that they have the opportunity to gain relevant work experience in school.
- It should be noted that this major is suitable for students with the following characteristics:
- Strong physique and good physical fitness;
- Have excellent teamwork skills;
- Strong logical thinking and certain management ability;
- Strong computer skills;
- Strong communication skills;
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What knowledge and skills can students learn in the Canadian golf and club management major?
According to the disciplines of various majors, the education direction also differs in each.These programs provide students with professional skills and knowledge,and have the chance to participate in field visits and paid internships in the industry toprepare them for the golf and club management industry.
This major is aimed at cultivating professionals in the fields of sports management and the golf industry. Students’ classroom learning and practical activities aim to help them improve on their competence, gain professional knowledge and training in practical operations. Students are trained to understand the Canadian golf course industry, golf history and development prospects in the related fields of sports. Additionally, they can acquire foreign language communication skills, computer proficiency, a good physique, and they can master the basic skills of golf and event activities. For example, Georgian College’s four-year undergraduate diploma program provides students with business management education centred on the golf industry. Students are exposed to knowledge and understanding of the concepts, methods, trends, theoretical methods, and strategies of effective management in the golf industry. It is for those who can think critically and innovatively while apply business management skills to the industry.
The curriculum of Canadian colleges usually combines the theoretical concepts in the classroom with practical experience, so that students can be exposed to all aspects of golf operations: from lawn care and maintenance, to retail operations and event planning. Students can also conduct extensive field trips to golf courses in Canada and the United States during their internships to acquire professional and entrepreneurial skills in the industry, as well as practical work experience.
Throughout the course, students mainly develop the following skills for their career:
- Problem solving abilityTeamwork
- Human resources, membership management and accounting related skills
- Interpersonal skills
- Club management skills
Employment prospects of Canadian golf and club management graduates
Golf course management is an industry with a high demand for talent in Canada. Graduates can find employment opportunities in many companies, enterprises and departments. As a $15 billion industry in Canada, careers in the golf industry include operating and managing golf facilities, event management, teaching and training, golf equipment sales and custom accessories, travel and tourism, marketing, sales, retail, catering, and more.
With the rapid development of China's economy, golf courses have become an important place for advanced business negotiations, and golf courses have sprung up everywhere. As the development of the golf industry matures, the expectations of golf players become higher, along with the quality of education of their staff. College graduates entering the elite golf industry has become a major trend in many countries.
Graduates can find employment positions such as general managers, assistant general managers, golf/club operations directors, golf professionals, golf professionals, professional store managers, event managers, golf store retail managers, golf equipment sales representatives, golf finance/human resources/marketing expert and other positions.
》About the job of a golf course director
According to the PayScale description,，
Generally, the director of the golf course is responsible for overseeing all aspects of the golf course. They must maintain all areas of the course and must also understand the environment, including ponds, trees, gold cart routes, etc. This involves working with ground crew. They must also constantly check the lawn, collect soil samples, and record any abnormal conditions and weather. They also need to actively participate in personnel management and work with golf course personnel.
The golf course director also must have a lot of technical knowledge, which is particularly important when holding competitions. They also need to participate in recruiting employees and make suggestions for the salary structure of these positions. Finally, they are responsible for developing courses, maintenance, budgets, and reporting regularly to the facility’s ownership committee.
Of course, the golf course director should be a fan of this sport, and many whom have also been trained in horticultural science. For public safety, some local jurisdictions may require managers to hold pesticide and fertilizer management certifications. Many people have on-site work experience in this field before they start. Most golf course managers work both in the office and on the golf course.
Specifically, the duties of the golf course director include:
- Overseeing the schedules and budgets of golf course operations
- Working with government and environmental groups
- Overseeing marketing and promotion strategies to increase customer volume
- Tracking inventory and order materials and consumables, checking their usage
- Maintaining the location regularly and preparing for special events
- Hire, train and supervise employees
》Salary for golf and club management graduates: the decisive factor for their salaries & how much they earn each year
According to PayScale statistics,
in Canada, the average annual salary of a golf course director is $56,551 CAD, the lower-end salary is at $38,913, and the higher end can reach up to $86,969.
The best schools for golf and club management in Canada
Humber College
Humber College is one of the largest public colleges in Canada. It was founded in 1967 and is located in the west of Toronto, Ontario. Its excellent academic atmosphere has given Humber College Institute of Technology & Advanced Learning a good reputation in Ontario.Students of this major can use the college’s world-class golf simulation facilities, including golf club construction and repair shops and professional equipment stores.In this facility, students will gain hands-on experience with the latest golf technology, software, and equipment, as well as the guidance of golf coaches from the CanadianPGAmember team.Humber College’s courses are taught by recognized professionals, including formerPGATOUR professionalBob Beauchemin. The college also providesstudents with high-quality work internships in Canada, the United States, and the United Kingdom,guaranteeing the two-year college diploma programa100% internship rate. It is the only每年6-month course/ 6-month paid internship program，in Canada that provides internship opportunities combining the knowledge and skills developed by students in the classroom with the practical experience gained from the internship.
Geogrian College
Georgian College is located in Barrie, about 100 kilometres from Toronto, and a 1-hour drive from Toronto Pearson International Airport. Known as "Toronto's backyard" and has been rated as "Canada's fastest growing city” for many years. The college offersa two-year college diploma program (Golf Facilities Operation Management)and a four-year undergraduate degree program.The college’sfour-yearHonours Bachelor of Business Administration (Golf Management) undergraduate degree programis designed to prepare students for a successful careerin the diverse and competitive industry of golf facility operations and management. Students will learn the key concepts of effective management in the golf industry, methods, trends and theoreties. The college is equipped withthe most advanced indoor golf instructional lab(Trackman，HD Golf Simulator，V1teaching softwareQuinticTOMI putting analysis), and also provides three paid internship positions and field trips. Barrie is a tourist area in Ontario with many golf courses and resorts, so the employment prospects of graduates are quite promising. Especially for Chinese students, compared with the Vancouver and Toronto areas where there is a large Chinese population, employment in Barrie where high-end tourism is developed, Chinese-fluency has become an indispensable strength and skill
Fanshawe College
Fanshawe College is located in London, Ontario in Canada, and providesa two-year college diploma in PGA-certified golf and club management.。Being in a dynamic and evolving industry centre, students have access to a wide range of global event management industries. London is home to many international hotel brands and many local and international sports events.Students have a chance to visit these venues, establish contacts with industry professionals, and gain practical experience in the event planning industry. Fanshawe College provides students with the opportunity to visit the Orlando Championship Stadium in the United States. Students will also experience the resort club facilities and receive special guidance fromPGAprofessionals.Students not only have the chance to learn how to run a successful golf club, but alsogain hands-on experience in managing landscaping, equipment issues,key issues such as human resources, memberships and accounting,as well as gaining knowledge of retail management and food and beverage facilities.Students will also be assigned a personal advisor to help find jobs, contact employers, supervise cooperation, and evaluate with employers.
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Summary: UtoCanada’s views on golf and club management
As we all know, in the past 20 years, the popularity golf has spread widely around the world. At the end of 2014, a total of 34,011 golf facilities were established in 206 countries, with the vast majority (79%) concentrated in 10 countries, including Canada, Australia, England, Japan, and the United States. Canada is a paradise for golf because the country is sparsely populated and beautiful. There are more than 2,300 golf courses in Canada, ranging from community golf clubs to world-class large-scale top courses. Canada is currently one of the most developed regions in the golf industry in the world.
Georgian College, Humber College and Fanshawe College provide students with a large number of paid internships and field trip opportunities. With solid knowledge and practical experience in golf, graduates of this major can often be found in golf industry service companies in Canada, U.S.A., and in other parts of the world, having obtained positions as marketing specialists, human resources specialists, golf finance-related positions, retail managers, exhibition managers, golf professional managers, assistant general managers, event operation directors, and even general managers. So, if you think you have the qualifications mentioned above, then this major is for you.
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