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.”