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It's PGA Championship week! For many, that means watching the year's second major and enjoying some great golf on TV, and hopefully spawning an interest in some to take up the game of golf. I take a great amount of pride in watching my fellow PGA Professionals announce the names on the first tee or be inside the ropes making rulings. This is our Championship, and I couldn't be more proud! Behind the scenes of this great Championship are many PGA Professionals who have devoted their life to the game and the business of golf.
These PGA Professionals at the event are no different than the team we have here at Laurel Creek in that they have full time jobs, families, and a life outside of golf. I am here leading our team, running events, implementing policies and ensuring your day is the best it can be. When I'm home, I'm coaching two baseball teams in the Spring, two hockey teams in the winter, volunteering for my local swim club Board of Directors, and am the Secretary of the Philadelphia PGA. There isn't much "free" time, but I love everything I do. We are extremely passionate about this game and all it has to offer and we often find ourselves at the golf course more than we are at home.
I love being a PGA Professional, and wear the badge proudly, and of course sometimes we get overwhelmed or tired or just have a bad day. I'm fortunate that I love what I do, and the membership here is so appreciative and friendly, so I don't have many of those bad days, but there are many PGA Professionals that have the scales tipped in the opposite direction. The Golf Digest Article "The Club Pro Crisis" is an important read. Real people are struggling, people that we may know but don't show it. I hadn't seen or read this article until a member approached me last week and sent it to me. He saw me outside and said to me, "Hey I read this article and immediately thought of you, I just want to say Thank You for all you do." It truly meant a lot to me.
"The last subject I want to talk about, and most importantly, is something we've discussed a lot this week. We've gone from a demand problem in terms of players to a supply problem. The lack of supply is hours in the day, lack of balance in our members' lives and a lack of pipeline of talent to replace our aging population … virtually everyone has been asked to raise the bar, to do more with the same, to work insane hours. It's absolutely unsustainable, and there's a crisis brewing for facilities that don't get in front of it. They simply won't be able to deliver the same level of service in the short-term, much less attract the next generation of talent. We have to shout this message from the rooftops, change the dynamic and restore work-life balance."
—Seth Waugh, PGA of America CEO, at the PGA annual meeting in November 2021
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