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(Assistant / Associate / Executive / Teaching / Tournament) Professional, Educator, Head Pro, Instructor
In Canada, the federal government groups and organizes occupations based on a National Occupational Classification (NOC) system. This alis occupation may not reflect the entire NOC group it is part of. Data for the NOC group can apply across multiple occupations.
The NOC system is updated every 5 years to reflect changes in the labour market. Government forms and labour market data may group and refer to an occupation differently, depending on the system used. Here is how this occupation has been classified over time:
| Starting | $18.18 |
|---|---|
| Overall | $20.07 |
| Top | $25.06 |
Interest in manipulating and assembling supplies and sports and game equipment; and in monitoring recreational and sports activities to ensure safety and provide emergency and first aid assistance when required
Interest in instructing groups and individuals in arts, crafts and similar activities; in leading groups and individuals in recreational and leisure programs, and in attending clients with special needs by conducting therapeutic recreational and athletic activities
Interest in co-ordinating information to plan recreational, athletic, fitness and sports programs
The interest code helps you figure out if you’d like to work in a particular occupation.
It’s based on the Canadian Work Preference Inventory (CWPI), which measures 5 occupational interests: Directive, Innovative, Methodical, Objective and Social.
Each set of 3 interest codes is listed in order of importance.
A code in capital letters means it’s a strong fit for the occupation.
A code in all lowercase letters means the fit is weaker.
Golf professionals are expert players who promote all aspects of the sport, including teaching. They provide services such as golf club cleaning, storing, and repairs, caddie service, and rentals of clubs and power carts. They also:
Golf pros who play in tournaments are called tournament professionals. Tournament professionals must be associated with a recognized golf tour.
Golf professionals work indoors in golf shops and outdoors playing and teaching. They may need to lift and carry heavy and bulky equipment. They often work long hours in summer, but most of the time they work 40-hour week. The work can be seasonal, from early spring to late fall. To ensure year-round employment, some golf pros develop other golf-related activities, such as indoor teaching, indoor driving ranges, or making custom golf clubs. Some have introduced winter sports to clubs, such as cross-country skiing.
Tournament professionals may play year-round, in Canada during the warmer months and in the southern United States during the winter months. An important part of their work is practicing many hours a day.
Golf professionals need:
They should enjoy taking a methodical approach to assembling and custom-fitting equipment. They should enjoy monitoring activities, teaching people, and planning programs.
This chart shows which job skills are currently in highest demand for this occupational group. It was created using this occupation's 19 most recent Alberta job postings, collected between Nov 17, 2020 and Jan 14, 2021.
Review these skills to learn:
| Plan and carry out recreational, fitness and sports activities | 18 |
|---|---|
| Ensure health and safety regulations are followed | 17 |
| Assist clients/guests with special needs | 17 |
| Demonstrate and instruct athletic, fitness or sports activities and techniques | 17 |
| Monitor recreational, sports or fitness activities to ensure safety and provide emergency or first aid assistance when required | 16 |
| Lead groups and individuals in recreational or leisure programs | 15 |
| Schedule activities, keep logs, maintain records and prepare reports | 15 |
| Personal Suitability: Excellent oral communication | 14 |
| Personal Suitability: Reliability | 14 |
| Personal Suitability: Organized | 14 |
The Professional Golfers’ Association of Alberta recommends that aspiring golf professionals develop skills in:
Additionally, they should learn club house management, turf care, and pro shop merchandising skills.
As well as exceptional golfing skills, golf pros need strong business skills. Most employers prefer to hire members of the Professional Golfers’ Association (PGA) of Canada. Membership requires completion of the PGA Training Academy program, which has partnered with 3 post-secondary programs in Canada.
For more information about membership requirements and registration, visit the PGA of Canada website.
The following schools offer programs or courses that are related to this occupation but are not required to enter the field.
For a broad list of programs and courses that may be related to this occupation try searching using keywords.
There is currently no provincial legislation regulating this occupation in Alberta.
Golf professionals working at facilities in Canada must give up their amateur status. Visit the Golf Canada website for more information.
Golf professionals work for golf clubs, golf courses, driving ranges, and golf retail shops. After completing an apprenticeship, it may take up to 10 years to secure a position as a head golf professional.
Once employed, golf professionals may advance from assistant professional to associate, head, and executive professional. They may become general managers, which means overseeing clubhouse operations and possibly golf course maintenance. Or they may open their own driving ranges or specialty golf shops.
Golf professionals are part of the larger 2011 National Occupational Classification 5254: Program leaders and instructors in recreation, sport and fitness. In Alberta, 75% of people employed in this classification work in the following industries:
The employment outlook [pdf] in this occupation is influenced by a wide variety of factors including:
In Alberta, the F154: Program Leaders and Instructors in Recreation and Sport occupational group is expected to have a below-average annual growth of 1.5% from 2016 to 2020. In addition to job openings created by employment turnover, 179 new positions are forecasted to be created within this occupational group each year.
Employment turnover is expected to increase as members of the baby boom generation retire over the next few years.
Salaries vary with an individual’s experience and between different employers.
According to PGA of Alberta’s 2018-2019 Membership Compensation Survey, Class A registered golf professionals earned, on average, $46,920 per year. Head professionals averaged $87,189 per year.
Private clubs may pay golf professionals more than public facilities.
| Wages* | Low (5th percentile) | High (95th percentile) | Average | Median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starting | $15.00 | $25.00 | $18.18 | $16.50 |
| Overall | $15.00 | $32.50 | $20.07 | $18.00 |
| Top | $15.70 | $43.75 | $25.06 | $22.00 |
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* All wage estimates are hourly except where otherwise indicated. Wages and salaries do not include overtime hours, tips, benefits, profit shares, bonuses (unrelated to production) and other forms of compensation.
Good Reliability, represents a CV of between 6.01% and 15.00% and/or fewer than 30 survey observations and/or if survey observations represent less than 50% of all estimated employment for the occupation.
| Educational Services | $46,581 |
|---|---|
| Public Administration | $40,847 |
| Health Care & Social Assistance | $27,445 |
| ALL INDUSTRIES | $19,222 |
| Information, Culture, Recreation | $14,220 |
| Other Services (Repair, Personal Services and Related) | $13,979 |
| Accommodation & Food Services | $10,096 |
Canadian Society of Club Managers (CSCM) website: cscm.org
Golf Canada website: golfcanada.ca
Professional Golfers’ Association of Alberta website: www.pgaofalberta.com
Professional Golfers’ Association (PGA) of Canada website: www.pgaofcanada.com
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Updated Mar 31, 2020. The information contained in this profile is current as of the dates shown. Salary, employment outlook, and educational program information may change without notice. It is advised that you confirm this information before making any career decisions.