Clampett is the First Tour Player Ever to Achieve Advanced Designation as a PGA Certified Professional
PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. – On the heels of updating its education curriculum to ensure that PGA members are prepared to meet the growing demands of the current marketplace, The PGA of America announced that eight PGA Professionals have completed the requirements to achieve certification through the advanced PGA Certified Professional Program 2.0 (CPP 2.0). Among this list is PGA Tour and Champions Tour golfer Bobby Clampett, who became the first Tour player to ever achieve advanced certification from the CPP 2.0 program, with a career path in Instruction.
“I always had a passion for teaching,” said Clampett, who won the 1982 Southern Open and is a golf author, television commentator, course architect and founder of Impact Zone Golf in Bonita Springs, Fla. “It is not tradition any more for Tour players to become instructors and to do it while you are still playing [is something I am proud of]…Becoming a PGA certified Professional is a very good thing to do. I look at it as a partnership. I want to work with The PGA of America. I believe we are going to really improve instruction, and we are going to make a difference.”
Serving as The PGA’s enhanced, all-digital training and education curriculum, PGA CPP 2.0 is aligned with the goals of the Golf 2.0 strategic initiative to give PGA members a state-of-the-art skillset to grow the game of golf.
PGA CPP 2.0 is an online, career-enhancing solution that ensures that PGA members have the skills, competencies and job requirements demanded by employers and customers throughout the golf industry.
The following PGA Professionals recently achieved certifications in one of four categories:
· Bobby Clampett, PGA – Bonita Springs, Fla., PGA Tour, Champions Tour (Instruction)
· Nathan Ollhoff, PGA – Eden Prairie, Minn., Interlachen Country Club, Minnesota PGA Section (Golf Operations)
· Youngju Park, PGA – San Diego, Calif., Tecolote Canyon G.C., Southern California PGA Section (Golf Operations)
· Amanda Arciero, PGA – Boynton Beach, Fla., The Polo Club of Boca Raton, South Florida PGA Section (Golf Operations)
· Thomas Barksdale, PGA – Orinda (Calif.) C.C., Northern California PGA Section (Golf Operations)
· Joshua Coccagna, PGA – Bend, Ore., Pronghorn Club & Resort, Pacific Northwest PGA Section (Golf Operations)
· Brad Hansen, PGA – Blanchard, Idaho, StoneRidge Golf Club, Pacific Northwest PGA Section (General Management)
· Paul Vasquez, PGA – Barrigada, Guam, Navy Golf Course (Golf Operations)
“It is The PGA of America’s responsibility to ensure PGA Professionals have the necessary skill sets that will enable them to lead the growth of the golf industry, while focusing on what matters most; growing customers and improving profitability for their employers,” said PGA Master Professional Dawes Marlatt, The PGA’s Director of Education. “Feedback from our membership about the enhanced education curriculum, highlighted by CPP 2.0, has been extremely positive. By providing a more flexible learning environment, we are operating in the best interests of PGA members, while truly supporting career goals and aspirations.”
Designed with direct input from employers and industry experts to immediately enhance PGA members’ expertise and performance in the workplace, the all-digital PGA CPP 2.0 is an intuitive program available on PGALinks.com that offers certifications in Golf Operations, General Management, Player Development and Instruction. These four distinct certification programs encompass seven defined Career Paths (Golf Operations, Retail, General Management, Executive Management, Ownership and Leasing, Golf Instruction and Player Development)—supporting PGA members who are committed to continuously enhancing their golf management skills, in order to stay ahead of the increasing demands of the industry. Since the PGA Certified Professional Program’s original inception in 2004, a total of 785 PGA Professionals have earned a combined 1,522 certifications in their desired career paths.
The online learning approach ensures broad access to the program, while reducing the time and travel costs associated with traditional classes. Further, the new digital integration of the educational curriculum offers e-learning solutions and best-in-class applications, so PGA Professionals can experience unique situations, use critical thinking to acquire relevant knowledge and immediately transfer and apply their knowledge to real-time situations and everyday business matters. PGA CPP 2.0 enables PGA Professionals to maintain a competitive edge in the workforce, while gaining additional tools to enhance performance at their facility.
About The PGA of America
Since its founding in 1916, The PGA of America has maintained a twofold mission: to establish and elevate the standards of the profession and to grow interest and participation in the game of golf. By establishing and elevating the standards of the golf profession through world-class education, career services, marketing and research programs, The PGA enables its professionals to maximize their performance in their respective career paths and showcases them as experts in the game and in the multi-billion dollar golf industry. By creating and delivering world-class championships and innovative programs, The PGA of America elevates the public’s interest in the game, the desire to play more golf, and ensures accessibility to the game for everyone, everywhere. As The PGA nears its centennial, the PGA brand represents the very best in golf.
