The Professional Golfers’ Association of Great Britain and Ireland, a PGA with almost 8,000 members in 65 countries around the world, has more than a century of history. These professionals are affiliated with more than 2,500 golf clubs, where a total of around four million amateurs play. Liam Greasley, Director of Regions and Members of the PGA of Great Britain and Ireland, talks in this interview about the historic organization and the situation of the Costa del Sol as a golf destination.
-Does the PGA of Great Britain and Ireland represent the leading group of professional golfers in the world?
-It’s not the largest association – the US PGA has 28,000 members – but it is the oldest, dating back to 1901, and we have about 8,000 members. Most are in the UK, and we have about 2,000 working in 65 countries around the world, covering most developed countries.
-Would we be correct in saying that the PGA of Great Britain and Ireland has been instrumental in developing teaching programs and launching partnerships across Europe for many years?
-I think historically our associates have traveled the world to teach the game and develop their careers. In the early days it was Scottish professionals who went to the United States, then it was British professionals who moved to continental Europe and now it’s British professionals who are traveling all over the world, mainly to the Far East, which is the biggest emerging market. So the PGA of Great Britain and Ireland has been instrumental in the development of the game of golf around the world.
-Are you, as an organization, now opening PGA locations in the Far East?
-We have a number of licensed properties that we work with there. We also have a presence in China on an ongoing basis, because that particular area is important for the development of the game, and the business and career opportunities for PGA members today are significant, so that’s a big step forward.
-Back in the UK, do you work with the other associations – English Golf Union and Scottish Golf Union – on golf development?
-We work very closely with all the local bodies in developing the game in their particular area, whether it’s the County Golf Partnership in England, or Golf Wales or Club Golf Scotland or Junior Golf Ireland or Golfing Union of Ireland, and the PGA members are essential in developing the game. There’s no doubt about that.
-How do you have access to the many golfers with potential contact with PGA professionals?
-In Great Britain and Ireland we have about 6,000 PGA professionals, serving about 2,500 golf clubs, and in total, between members and non-members, there are about four million golfers, and through our network of professionals that’s a large number of golfers to reach.
– Do you think new initiatives are needed to attract young people and women to golf?
– A lot of the work we do is geared toward that, linking up with the schools and the groups in town, and the PGA pros have been involved in that, so the more people we can attract to the sport, the better it will be for the health and wealth of golf in the future.
– Does the PGA still consider the Costa del Sol as a favorite destination?
– There is no doubt that the reputation of the Costa del Sol among our associates is significant. I think in recent years perhaps travel to this area has not been as numerous as it had been in the past, probably due to the emergence of different destinations, such as Turkey or Dubai, so there is a more competitive market in this regard, but the Costa del Sol still has a great reputation in golf. It has a great infrastructure and is a fantastic place to visit.
– You mentioned infrastructure. Do you think the Coast’s strengths are its history and its infrastructure?
– Of course. The area has had great relationships not only with the PGA, but also with the European Tour and other entities, and is synonymous with golf.
– For the PGA, what should be changed to improve the Costa del Sol’s golf services and facilities? What could be improved to reinforce the message of what a great place it is to visit?
– The Costa del Sol has all the ingredients, but the reputation for service and price is perhaps not as good as it should be, and people need to be reminded of that. Also, perhaps there needs to be some initiatives within the Costa del Sol to start getting the message across to the PGA in Britain or indeed the rest of the world.
– Would the general opinion be that golf needs to be updated? And not only in Spain…
– Yes, considering the reputation of the Costa del Sol and the extent to which it is based on golf-related tourism, there is a responsibility in the sense that we should not wait any longer to undertake some initiatives to re-engage with golf tourism. There is obviously a willingness to do that on the Costa del Sol, and we are waiting to see how it develops.
– Of those four million golfers who play at the clubs where PGA professionals work, how many might be encouraged to travel to the Costa del Sol?
It’s difficult, because there are so many different activities – do you want to come and live here, come on vacation, come to a golf tournament, come on a training course, come and do something completely different? Our access to four million golfers allows us to send a very powerful message, whatever the initiative.
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