[Dr Winston O Boogie jr]

My advice would be to make sure that the person has the letters PGA or LPGA after their name, or at the very least they should an apprentice of the PGA of America.

There are a lot of so called golf pros down here. Some have taken six week courses with organization with names like the Golf Teacher's Association. I don;t know what any of that training actually entails.

PGA Professionals go through an extensive apprenticeship that last 4-6 years. many today have gone through college through the Professional Golf Management program which is a joint program run by the PGA and several colleges throughout the country. Even after finishing with a degree in golf management the aspiring professional must spend several months working in the field as an assistant or teaching professional and then take several written test before PGA status is his.

Once someone attains membership in the PGA, they must meet certain recertification and ongoing education requirements throughout their career. It is only when one retires that these requirements are dropped.

I don't think that a lot of people understand what it takes to become a PGA professional today and how they are mandated to keep up to date with all of the latest information in the golf industry.