Although golf is very popular, the industry has not been immune from the
economic downturn of recent years.
"The golf business, in general, is trying to resurge itself, so to speak,
from the boom in the '80s and '90s," says golf pro Mark Csencsits. "It has
been through a decline... and it's trying to get back up to its heyday."
This decline has added to the competition for jobs in an industry that
has always drawn a lot of interest from aspiring golf professionals.
If your goal is to play in tournaments, keep in mind that there are only
a few hundred pro golfers who make their living playing golf in competitive
tours throughout North America. On the other hand, there are nearly 30,000
golf professionals that belong to the PGA of America. These people make their
living by teaching lessons, running tournaments and helping to manage golf
courses.
Terry Zachary was a professional golfer for several years. He says it wasn't
easy financially.
"No security was the biggest challenge for me," says Zachary. "It is in
many cases 'hit or miss' where the rare one makes it very 'big.' [However,]
in most cases, the financial challenges can create a great deal of stress
in many aspects of life."
Csencsits says your success in the job hunt will depend on your education
and the skills you bring to the table.
"With me, personally, I'm just a lifelong learner in general, but the advice
that I get from anybody that I've talked to in the business is to just continually
keep educating yourself as far as golf goes," says Csencsits.
The closest category to golf club professionals in the Occupational Outlook
Handbook (OOH) is Coaches and Scouts. There were 242,900 coaches and scouts
in 2010. The number of jobs is expected to grow by 71,400 between 2010 and
2020.
In 2010, coaches and scouts earned a median salary of $28,340 per year.
That's according to the OOH.