PGA Golf Professionals and golf industry professionals will enjoy a comprehensive menu of educational offerings to drive their careers forward, beginning Tuesday at the 2025 PGA Show. The PGA Show Education Program is designed for professionals seeking to enhance their skills and grow their network, while offering tailored learning opportunities across key topics within the golf business.
Tuesday’s education opportunities extend from the PGA Show Demo Day at Orange County National Golf Center (see separate story), to sessions conducted by leading Association of Golf Merchandisers (AGM) and other industry experts at the Orange County Convention Center.
The informative PGA Show Education sessions at the Orange County Convention Center begin Tuesday at 2 p.m. with “Maximizing Range Revenue – The Money You’re Leaving on the Table” in Room W230B at the OCCC presented by InRange Global Brand Manager Ian Blunt.
Blunt notes that with off-course golf growing at a rapid pace (up 19 percent as per NGF 2023 reports), operators who don’t adapt with the times, will miss out on massive revenue opportunities.
“Thousands of range facilities (and golf clubs with ranges) are leaving money on the table because they are trying to sell to one type of customer over and over again. That has many problems, but all summarize to a revenue glass ceiling,” says Blunt. “Today’s top operators have smashed through that and are making far more revenue than the rest. Mimicking their success is simpler and costs less than you might think, and this presentation is here to educate you on how to capitalize on this off-course explosion and offer real life data and examples of what IS currently working for the range visitor of today.”
Sarah Dickson, PGA, Director of Golf at Wilderness Country Club in Naples, Florida, will present “Modern Pillars of Golf Operations” Tuesday at 2 p.m. in W230A. The hour-long session will discuss Recruiting and Retaining Golfers, Post-Covid; Recruiting and Retaining Staff, Post-Covid; Communication and Technology Best Practices; and Looking Forward – Role of PGA Professionals Learning Objectives.
An education session titled “Golfers’ Willingness to Pay” presented by UNLV Professional Golf Management Program Director Christopher Cain, PGA, UNLV Associate Professor Amanda Belarmino, and UNLV Assistant PGM Director Junghoon Lee in W230B at 3:15 p.m. The session examines research regarding golfers’ willingness to pay higher fees at resorts and what influences such decisions, as well as exploring attributes influencing willingness to pay in private, daily fee and off-course settings.
At 3:15 p.m. in W230A at the OCCC, former professional golfer and Executive Coach Thane Ringler, founder of Appello Partners, a leadership development firm, where he works with individuals, teams, and organizations on improving performance and becoming leaders worth following, will present “Leverage Golf’s Leadership Lessons to Drive Success for You and Your Team in Work and Life.”
Barbara Palmgren, who has an MA degree in speech communication from Northwestern University and author of the book “Saving a Golf Course,” will present “The Power of Print in Marketing for the Local Community” in W230A at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday. Palmgren, a member of the board of directors at Shalimar Pointe Golf Club in Lake Lorraine, Florida, will underscore the value of marketing golf facilities and programs in local newspaper and other print vehicles.
“Write The Book You Want to Read: 7 Game-Changing Strategies to Drive Your Brand to the Next Level” is the title of a special presentation and discussion by Larry Gulko, founder and brand strategist at New Day, Tuesday at 4:30 p.m. in W230B. The session will demonstrate how to create a brand voice that’s authentic and resonates to stay fresh and relevant, identify levers that drive value creation and reputational capital, and how to attract, retain, and build your most valued member relationships, among other pointers.