Becoming a PGA Member: Step 11

It’s summer in Tucson, which means it’s also time to saddle up and ride back out to Florida to attend what’s become an annual ritual: another PGA seminar.

One of the coolest things about attending a PGA seminar is that PGA Education uses an independent travel agency called Omega World Travel to book your plane tickets for you. You can fly in and out of just about anywhere you’d like. I know of guys who have flown out of one city and into another. The travel agency is very accommodating to just about every travel request.

And this is where it gets a little complicated. The last Level 3 Seminar on the schedule is June 18th through June 22nd, which means I would by flying into West Palm Beach on Sunday, June 17th: Father’s Day. This year I’m celebrating my very first Father’s Day, and an early-morning flight to meet the PGA Education Center’s mandated 8:00p arrival time just wasn’t going to cut it with the wife.

Instead, I elected to take the latest flight out of Tucson that I possibly could (3:16p), which doesn’t put me into West Palm Beach until after midnight. That means I will miss the PGA-provided shuttle to the hotel in Port St. Lucie and that I will be responsible for my own transportation and my own hotel room that night so as not to disturb my roommate. I think that’s fair. The single room rate for one night at the Hilton Garden Inn this time of year is $99 (but I won’t be adding it to the fee tally below).

There are a couple of interesting wrinkles to the Seminar schedule this time around. First, we fly in on a Sunday like we’ve always done before, but this time we fly out on Friday afternoon! That’s because the Final Experience (the special presentation component of Level 3) happens that morning. That takes me to wrinkle No. 2. The Seminar session consists of just 4.5 days of seminars at the PGA Education Center culminating with the Final Experience.

Day 1 of the Level 3 Seminar begins with an Overview of the Final Experience, team introductions, and strategy reviews. Each six-person team will also receive a USB drive on which to create the team presentation. Don’t worry. Linda Bock from PGA HQ will make sure you get an email “to-do list” prior to attending the Seminar as well as a list of team members, email addresses, and a strategy. I’m on Team No. 1, and our strategy reads: “Connecting with Her.” At first glance, I’m guessing this is in reference to the PGA Growth of the Game Initiative involving women.

I’m looking forward to going. Each Level has gotten significantly easier than the previous. By now, these attendees should be real grinders. This is the last Seminar before Class A Certification! Now, get out that abacus, and let’s do a little more math shall we?

Cost: $2,350 (which includes the online pre-seminar courses and the seminar session)
Running Total: 8,507.99

Next On the Tee
Attend the PGM 2.0 Level 3 Seminar. I know it seems like a short turnaround between blog posts, but I waited until the last possible minute to register for the Seminar. By Monday, I’m sure I’ll also have a thing or two to say about the 118th playing of the U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills.

Previous Steps
Step 1 – In order to become a PGA member, you first have to become a registered apprentice and go through the PGA Professional Golf Management (PGA PGM) Program. It takes up to three years to complete all 11 steps. Step 1 is pretty self-explanatory. To register into the PGA PGM Program, you have to register or re-register as an apprentice and complete a Background Check. (Cost: $58.99)

Step 2 – You’re not considered a PGA Apprentice until you satisfy all the requirements at the Qualifying Level and register as an apprentice. At the Qualifying Level, applicants must complete three online courses: Introduction to the PGM and the Golf Profession, PGA History and Constitution, and Rules of Golf 1 as well as pass a knowledge test based on the three courses. (Cost: $200)

PGA Qualifying Test – This 90-minute, 75 question test is administered by PSI Exam centers nationwide. The test covers three online courses: Introduction to the PGM and the Golf Profession, PGA History and Constitution, and Rules of Golf 1. A clean, unmarked copy of the Rules of Golf is permitted into the testing center and a score of 70% is required to pass. (Cost: $40)

Step 3 – The 36-hole, one-day Playing Ability Test (PAT) at a PGA Approved Golf Course requires a target score within 15 shots of the course rating in order to pass. The $160 total cost includes the $100 pre-registration fee as well another $60 paid on-site to cover the cost of green fees, cart fee, range balls, and lunch. (Cost: $160)

Step 4 – Print out the PGA PGM Program Application, get it signed by your Current Employer/Intermediate Supervisor, and then fax or email it back to the PGA. Be sure to include proof of your highest level of education and a copy of Work Permit or Employment Visa if you’re not a U.S. Citizen.

The last page of the application is a combination of National Fees ($60), Section Fees ($250), Liability Insurance ($25), Life Insurance ($34), a Registration Fee ($200), and the Level 1 Online Course Access Fee ($560). Once your registration is approved, you’ll have access to the Level 1 courses through the PGA Knowledge Center. (Cost: $1,129)

Step 5 – Register for the PGM 2.0 Level 1 Seminar in Florida
The all-inclusive package includes five days of classes, airfare to West Palm Beach (from the city you prefer to fly out of), lodging for the week (it’s $500 more for your own hotel room if you don’t want to share with another Apprentice for the five days), ground transportation, and breakfast and lunch each day. (Cost: $2,000)

Apprentices registered after January 1, 2010, can view and/or download PGA PGM 2.0 curriculum information online.

Step 6 – Level 1 Work Experience Portfolio
The average student takes 26 months to pass Level 1: the Portfolio and all five tests. That’s ridiculous! In the right environment, a properly motivated Apprentice can easily complete the task in less than two months. It’s not difficult, but it is time consuming and, at times, tedious. (Cost: $0)

Step 7 – Level 1 Test Battery
The five-test battery consists of 240 questions and took a little more than 90 minutes to complete. Check out the study guide I posted here, and really focus on the Golf Car Fleet Management section, which more Apprentices fail than any other. (Cost: $78, Retakes: $32)

Step 8 – Register for the PGM 2.0 Level 2 Seminar in Florida
This is just like Step 5. The PGA is now working with a new travel agency called Omega World Travel, but the accommodations are still the same: airfare to West Palm Beach from whichever city you prefer, lodging, and two meals per day. Oh, and don’t forget about the $350 access fee for the Level 2 online pre-seminar courses, which you have to pay beforehand. (Cost: $2,350)

Steps 9 & 10 – Level 2 Work Experience Portfolio and Level 2 Test Battery
We’re now well into the rinse and repeat stage of the PGA Class A Certification Process! Once your Portfolio is approved, you will need to pass a four-test battery consisting of 176 questions. Be sure to check out my Study Guide before you take the test. (Cost: $78, Retakes: $32)

Note:
If you’ve been convicted of a felony, misdemeanor or equivalent, you should submit documentation to the PGA Membership Department to determine eligibility for PGA Membership prior to proceeding. Per the PGA Code of Ethics, certain transgressions are cause for permanent preclusion to PGA Membership.