The Education Program at the 2025 PGA Show will have a fresh, new look while featuring national and international experts from the world of business, golf operations, teaching and coaching, marketing and merchandising, and retail sharing their expertise during more than 70 informative sessions Tuesday through Friday.
Among the new learning wrinkles is an All-Access Education Badge providing unlimited entry to education sessions each day of the PGA Show with new amenities that include reserved seating, dining, use of the All-Access Lounge, lunch roundtable programs, and networking opportunities among peers and session presenters.
The primary meeting spaces for education are also moving to a new location in the Orange County Convention Center, West Hall E/F, to improve access to the expanding PGA Show floor while taking advantage of recently renovated meeting spaces at the convention center. PGA of America Golf Professionals can earn up to 40 PDRs by participating in education and various events at the 2025 PGA Show – an efficient way to collect PDRs, since the Professional Development Program Cycle ends on June 15, 2025.
PGA Show Education will focus on the PGA of America tracks of Golf Operations, Teaching & Coaching and Executive Management at the 2025 PGA Show, while providing additional seminars on various timely golf industry topics.
“PGA Show Education sessions are a great opportunity for our PGA of America Golf Professionals to stay current with the latest trends, technology and tools they need to advance their expertise in this evolving golf industry,” said PGA Master Professional Dawes Marlatt, Senior Director of PGA of America Member Education and Organizational Development. “The depth and diversity of content delivered by industry experts can help to drive careers forward and pave the way for transformative business success.”
A full day of PGA Education programming begins on Tuesday, featuring four hands-on PGA of America coaching workshops during the PGA Show Demo Day at Orange County National Golf Center and six PGA of America classroom sessions focused on Executive Management and Golf Operations at the Orange County Convention Center. Education sessions across a diverse schedule of topics continue at the Convention Center Wednesday through Friday with PGA Golf Professionals, PGA Master Professionals, PGA Coaches and golf industry experts conducting all sessions and sharing their insights.
PGA Show Week features a leaderboard of professional development opportunities, including industry presentations in the PGA of America Hub, PGA Member workshops in the PGA of America Member Business Center, presentations on the Fitness, Health & Wellness stage, employer panel presentations in the Career Zone and complimentary education sessions on The Clubhouse stage. In addition, the National Golf Course Owners Association Golf Business Conference Monday through Wednesday and the AGM Golf Retail Conference on Tuesday feature a variety of education seminars.
PGA of America Golf Professionals and industry professionals will learn from leading experts throughout PGA Show Week, including a presentation titled “How Proper Planning Maximizes Your Personal and Professional Success” featuring PGA of America President Don Rea and PGA Master Professional Marlatt, the PGA’s Senior Director for Education and Organizational Development, Wednesday at 2:15 p.m. in Room W230CD at the Orange County Convention Center. The session will provide proven ways in which PGA Golf Professionals can achieve Work-Life Balance and will identify key performance indicators of business success.
PGA Master Professional Cathy Harbin, a former member of the PGA National Board of Directors and president of the National Golf Course Owners Association, will present “Pledge to be a welcoming Golf Course and Welcoming Golf Professional” Wednesday at 10 a.m. of PGA Show Week in W110 at the Orange County Convention Center. The session will provide training on the barriers and hidden interactions that a new golfer faces when trying to learn to play golf, and attendees will be given the tools to create a welcoming pathway.
On the Teaching & Coaching side, PGA Master Professional Todd Sones will present “Cultivating and Teaching Short Game and Putting Instruction” on Wednesday at 11 a.m. in Room W230AB at the convention center. Sones, owner of Impact Golf and a frequent presenter at PGA of America Section and national education conferences, points out that 95 percent of all golf instruction focuses on full swing, yet 40 percent of a player’s score is putting while another 30 percent is from 50 yards. So, it is imperative that PGA of America Professionals learn to proficiently teach putting and the short game to help students score more efficiently.
On Thursday, Jan. 23, more than 30 education opportunities await PGA Show attendees at various venues inside the Orange County Convention Center. PGA Life Member Cary Cavitt will present “Authentic Leadership: How to Build an Outstanding Golf Staff” at 8:30 a.m. in Room W240AB, noting that “great golf facilities are always the reflection of great leadership.” In this session, attendees will learn the keys to building an exemplary golf staff, including the No. 1 secret in bringing out the best in each person on your team.
PGA Master Professional Kellie Stenzel will present “Teaching Recreational Golfers” Thursday at 8:30 a.m. in W230AB. The session will include an outline of how to structure a golf lesson and will provide a list of typical golfer mistakes and wrong ball flights, and how to fix them. Examples of this would be contact errors often caused through poor posture, ball curvature issues often caused by incorrect grips, swing-plane issues often caused by poor setups, and how to fix a slice or hook.
On Thursday at 1 p.m. in Room W230CD, Ronald Williams of the U.S. Mint will present “Implementing Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Initiatives at Your Club” for all golf facility leaders. The seminar is designed to help club leaders, managers and professional staff understand the vital role diversity and inclusion play in creating a welcoming atmosphere for all members and employees. The presentation will examine the benefits that a diverse and inclusive culture brings, including enhanced membership satisfaction, increased innovation and creativity, and a stronger sense of community.
A special presentation on the dimension and evolution of the immigrant workforce in the golf industry with new data collected by the golf industry and immigration experts will tee off the final day of PGA Education on Friday (Jan. 24) at 8:30 a.m. in Room W230CD at the Orange County Convention Center. The presentation by immigration and golf-industry experts will include case studies and examples of legal immigration options, and/or testimonials about successful immigrant journeys in the golf industry, in addition to an overview of challenges and opportunities for outreach, recruitment and training of immigrants.
With more than 70 PGA Education sessions scheduled Tuesday through Friday of PGA Show Week – and nearly 50 additional seminars and stage presentations sprinkled throughout the week in Orlando – PGA of America Professionals and golf industry professionals will enjoy learning experiences at every turn during the 2025 PGA Show.
Editor’s note: A detailed PGA Show Education schedule with background information on speakers and the location of each session can be found at PGAShow.com (click on the PGA Education tab).