USGTF Monthly Newsletter Archives - Page 9 of 130 - United States Golf Teachers Federation

1 Aug 2023 admin

STUDENT SPOTLIGHT – CHRISTINA GLADNEY

Dr. Christina Gladney is not your typical golfer. Gladney, a student of USGTF professional John Rosenthall, is a college professor, fitness expert, and higher education administrator with a passion for helping African Americans live healthy lives and excel in their professions. “I am new to the game of golf and see this game as a way of sharing tips for a healthy lifestyle while having fun,” is something Gladney says on a regular basis. She is the director of assessment at Stillman College in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, and a visiting professor at Jackson State University in Mississippi.

Golf is new to Gladney. She has taken a very aggressive approach to learning the game and creating opportunities for her friends and colleagues to be introduced to the game of golf. For those who are already golfers, she loves to create opportunities for them to network while partaking in the sport. As a public health instructor, the very same traits she expects and demands from her students are the ones she brings to her golf lessons. Those traits are to listen carefully, pay close attention to your environment, watch how others perfect their skills, and mimic what you see in others you would like to emulate.

Although new to the game, Gladney has taken her enthusiasm and interest to the next level. While sharpening her skills, she has decided to expand the game by introducing golf to African-American women and girls by combining golf with healthy living aspects and professional development. The new program she is leading is The Essence of Golf. The program supports participants through empowerment initiatives related to holistic wellness and professional networking.

A typical Essence of Golf event includes a weekend of golf lessons, rounds of golf, and facilitated discussions designed to strengthen individuals spiritually, emotionally, physically, financially, socially, and professionally. Professional networking is an essential element of the weekend. Participants leave the weekend with a renewed spirit, new relationships, and new approaches to self-improvement.

PROFESSIONALIZATION AND GROWTH OF DUTCH WGTF CONTINUES IN 2023

With the arrival of the World Golf Teachers Federation (WGTF) in the Netherlands, a lot has changed in the Dutch golf teaching landscape. Where previously PGA Holland was the only golf teachers organization in the Netherlands, the WGTF Netherlands was added three years ago. The fact that the organization now has a firm foothold is not only evident from the growing number of studentsthat graduate each year, the organization is now also KSS certified (Kwalificatie Structuur Sport).

Said Bjorn Beekman, director of WGTF Netherlands, “It is exactly at professionalism that we have made the biggest leap in recent years. It is clear that the international WGTF product is very solid, but in the Netherlands the requirements are slightly different. Here, the sports federations united in NOC/NSF strive for professionalism and therefore well-trained sports management. For this reason, every sports organization in the Netherlands is held by NOC/NSF to a number of minimum quality requirements. To meet these requirements, the KSS is used. And that’s exactly what we successfully passed this year.”

Beekman continued, “A few months ago we organized a few courses and clinics at BurgGolf Haverleij, a large club in Den Bosch. What turned out? The response was so positive that we received a request to provide several teachers. So, we are not a union that just educates golf teachers, but we also help them with internships and jobs. Plus, due to the large number of teachers in our network, we can also quickly meet any requests from clubs for full- or part-time teachers. The bottom line is that WGTF teachers are currently working at more than a hundred clubs in the Netherlands.”

EDITORIAL – WHAT IS THE ANTICIPATED IMPACT ON FUTURE GOLF TOURNAMENT SINCE PGA TOUR AND LIV GOLF MERGER

On June 6, PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan and Yasir Al-Rumayyan, the governor of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), announced to the world that the PGA Tour, the DP World Tour and the PIF agreed to drop lawsuits against each other and work collaboratively for the good of the game. What does this mean for the future of professional golf?

According to Sports Illustrated, “The PGA Tour would control the structure of golf moving forward – including whether PIF’s LIV Tour continues operations, and if so, in what form. The Tour has promised a ‘good-faith’ evaluation of LIV’s viability, though potential penalties for LIV players who apply for PGA Tour reinstatement have already been discussed. The parties have set a deadline of the end of 2023 to reach a deal, and that condensed timeline means that 2024 could be a transition year for the sport. The PGA Tour, DP World Tour and LIV Tour’s assets would all go into a separate company, of which the Tour would have controlling interest. PIF would then be an investor in that company with the right of first refusal for future investments.”

Reading into this, it sounds like LIV may or may not exist going forward, and if it does still exist, it’s not likely to be in its present form. LIV’s current business model includes selling its teams as franchises, and at this point in time there doesn’t seem to be much interest. It’s no secret the Saudis want to get into professional golf as a major player, and at the moment, LIV just isn’t resonating enough.

Going forward and based on what Sports Illustrated reported, since the PGA Tour has assets in professional golf far and above what the Saudis have, it looks like the PIF will provide funding in return for a chance at greater returns in professional golf in the future. This may include having PGA Tour events in Saudi Arabia, for example. But the Saudis have made it clear this is a business venture, not a charity, and they expect a good return on their investment. Time will tell how exactly this will happen. And part of that certainly will include welcoming back LIV players to the PGA and DP Tours.