Higher Education in the Golf Industry
What Does the Future Hold for Students Pursuing Golf Management Degrees?
The trend toward colleges and universities offering degree programs in golf management will serve to strengthen the industry; however, the industry may not return the favor to the students. Young people considering a golf management degree should take certain precautions.
A Golf-Centric Trend
Eastern Kentucky University, in Richmond, Kentucky, is widely recognized for it’s Criminal Justice and Teacher Education programs. It is also one of a growing number of universities and colleges that offer a Professional Golf Management Program, leading toward a Bachelor’s Degree. In such a program students learn all facets of golf, including: playing skills, teaching methods, course maintenance, golf business development and golf management.
Colleges like Florida’s Keiser University, a career-focused college, are also getting in on the trend. In addition to a golf education that includes the knowledge and skills above, Keiser also focuses on disseminating information. The Keiser University College of Golf has recently partnered with Golf Gear Newswire to provide editorial contributions about game enhancement and technology, which would seem to be a key component to a broader spectrum of knowledge that students will need to succeed.
Economic Crunch
The tenuous nature of the world economy causes concern for degree programs centered on luxuries such as golf, hospitality and travel. People in the middle class have been forgoing vacations and golf trips as a means of cutting back on spending. Those same people, however, will continue to feed their families, make their car payments and earn extra income.
Those facts have not been good for the golf industry. A number of golf resorts and vacation destinations are now offering exceptional discounts that were previously unheard of, and the average number of rounds played per year has dropped significantly in the United States.
World economies will recover, but that does not guarantee that the golf industry will ever again see the level of popularity it once had. Young professionals with specialized training and education in any luxury area, not simply golf, would appear to be particularly susceptible to job loss and be at the mercy of economic swings.
Technology the Newest Worldwide Game
There are saving graces for a person with a degree in golf management. If the program from which a student obtained a degree offered exposure to a wide range of skills and knowledge, the insulation from job loss and prolonged unemployment will be much greater. With demonstrated success and business knowledge, a professional in the golf industry could be marketable to other areas of business.
In addition, technology has made the world very small. A golf business, even a local pro shop, can become a worldwide business. The fact that golf is booming in markets around the world, such as the Middle and Far East, bodes well for the future of the golf industry.
Even in today’s economy, China, Korea, Dubai and other locations are building championship courses, hosting top tournaments and solidifying their place in a worldwide game. All of that adds up to a generally strong prognosis for the game of golf on a global basis.
Specialization in golf management, though it may be a slight risk, can be a good career choice and direction for a college education. If the passion is there for the student, along with a measure of ingenuity, the future can still be bright despite recent economic trends.
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The trend toward colleges and universities offering degree programs in golf management will serve to strengthen the industry; however, the industry may not return the favor to the students. Young people considering a golf management degree should take certain precautions.
A Golf-Centric Trend
Eastern Kentucky University, in Richmond, Kentucky, is widely recognized for it’s Criminal Justice and Teacher Education programs. It is also one of a growing number of universities and colleges that offer a Professional Golf Management Program, leading toward a Bachelor’s Degree. In such a program students learn all facets of golf, including: playing skills, teaching methods, course maintenance, golf business development and golf management.
Colleges like Florida’s Keiser University, a career-focused college, are also getting in on the trend. In addition to a golf education that includes the knowledge and skills above, Keiser also focuses on disseminating information. The Keiser University College of Golf has recently partnered with Golf Gear Newswire to provide editorial contributions about game enhancement and technology, which would seem to be a key component to a broader spectrum of knowledge that students will need to succeed.
Economic Crunch
The tenuous nature of the world economy causes concern for degree programs centered on luxuries such as golf, hospitality and travel. People in the middle class have been forgoing vacations and golf trips as a means of cutting back on spending. Those same people, however, will continue to feed their families, make their car payments and earn extra income.
Those facts have not been good for the golf industry. A number of golf resorts and vacation destinations are now offering exceptional discounts that were previously unheard of, and the average number of rounds played per year has dropped significantly in the United States.
World economies will recover, but that does not guarantee that the golf industry will ever again see the level of popularity it once had. Young professionals with specialized training and education in any luxury area, not simply golf, would appear to be particularly susceptible to job loss and be at the mercy of economic swings.
Technology the Newest Worldwide Game
There are saving graces for a person with a degree in golf management. If the program from which a student obtained a degree offered exposure to a wide range of skills and knowledge, the insulation from job loss and prolonged unemployment will be much greater. With demonstrated success and business knowledge, a professional in the golf industry could be marketable to other areas of business.
In addition, technology has made the world very small. A golf business, even a local pro shop, can become a worldwide business. The fact that golf is booming in markets around the world, such as the Middle and Far East, bodes well for the future of the golf industry.
Even in today’s economy, China, Korea, Dubai and other locations are building championship courses, hosting top tournaments and solidifying their place in a worldwide game. All of that adds up to a generally strong prognosis for the game of golf on a global basis.
Specialization in golf management, though it may be a slight risk, can be a good career choice and direction for a college education. If the passion is there for the student, along with a measure of ingenuity, the future can still be bright despite recent economic trends.
bottom line. I was always under the impression colleges were institutions providing the skills necessary to advance society and pass on knowledge otherwise lost. having fun and playing a sport advances no one. it simply provides intertainment. what have we come to in order to make a buck? wow!