First candidates commence the Diploma in Golf Club Management

21 October 2016

Marking the culmination of two years of planning, the first candidates to enroll on the brand new ASQ Level 5 Diploma in Golf Club Management attended the initial induction day at The PGA National Training Academy on Wednesday 19 October 2016.

Having launched in August, interest has been high, with nearly 200 expressions of interest – a number of which have already committed to one of the four available qualifications. The next induction day will take place on Tuesday 29 November.

The initial intake came from a diverse variety of backgrounds, including serving managers and assistants, club professionals and golf operations managers. Two attendees were also working in unrelated roles, but looking to move into the industry.

The induction day marks the first step in a journey that will most likely take candidates enrolled on the ASQ L5 Diploma between eighteen months and three years, whilst the three ASQ L5 Certificates can be completed in between four and eighteen months.

GCMA CEO Bob Williams, who welcomed delegates alongside BIGGA CEO Jim Croxton and PGA Executive Director – Education & Global Development Kyle Phillpots, explained the significance of the day:

The launch of the Diploma and Certificates marks a landmark moment for the Golf Club Managers’ Association. The association’s Introduction to Golf Club Management training course has been a vital stepping stone for managers since 1991, but with the increasing professionalisation of the industry, it became clear that a new generation of managers were demanding an accredited, academic qualification to take themselves, and the industry, to the next level. We have been delighted by the level of initial interest, and look forward to seeing these managers take their learning and expertise into the industry.

After two years of exhaustive discussions, planning and preparation, I’d like to thank the people who have been involved in putting these qualifications together. When we embarked on this journey I am not sure any of us quite anticipated what a mammoth task we had ahead, but I hope I speak for everyone that seeing those first delegates attending today was hugely satisfying, and we look forward to welcoming many more onto the qualifications.

Joshua Moses, Assistant General Manager at Sunningdale Ladies Golf Club said:

I’m looking to further my career development, they are very supportive at the club. I’ve always been interested in golf, and management is certainly an area of the golf industry I am particularly interested in and I thought where else is better to go than GCMA, PGA and BIGGA and this diploma.

Looking at all the nine units involved, being nine separate ones, they are all really important areas of golf management and golf clubs and how they are run which I’m looking forward to taking back and putting into practice.

Created by the Golf Club Management Partnership – GCMA (the lead body), PGA (the delivery centre) and BIGGA – the ASQ Level 5 Diploma in Golf Club Management represents a fundamental shift in the approach to professional education in golf club management.

Suitable for, and open to, all levels of skills and experience, this accredited golf-specific qualification is perfectly suited for existing managers, and those looking to move into the profession, perhaps from related roles in the golf industry – including club professionals and greenkeepers of all levels.

The Diploma can be studied at the learner’s own pace, to accommodate the varying schedules of working managers, or aspiring industry professionals. With an emphasis on flexible learning it will be delivered through a combination of online and face to face workshops.

Training and education that has been previously undertaken, and is relevant to this new qualification, can be recognised through a formal process in order that course work is not unnecessarily repeated. The Diploma covers all the core skills required to manage a golf club, and notably will be an ASQ externally quality assured qualification, visible on the framework of regulated qualifications.

The nine units that comprise the qualification, whilst being specific to the Golf Industry, contain some practical skills and competencies that compare to other Level 5 business and management general units.

The units have been developed by, and based on SFEDI business and enterprise National Occupational Standards and are detailed below:

Leading and Managing People in a Golf Club
Managing Change in a Golf Club
Managing The Operations of a Golf Club
Marketing of a Golf Club
Managing The Finances of a Golf Club
Understand Personal and Enterprising Behaviours and Skills
Keeping Up to Date With Legislation of a Golf Club
Developing and Managing a Socially Responsible Golf Club
Managing Innovation and Growth in a Golf Club

For anyone looking to specialise in a particular area of the industry, or to supplement existing experience, there will be an option to complete pre-defined, individual ASQ Level 5 Certificates (Golf Operations and Management of People; Finance, Legislation and Marketing in Golf; and Enterprise, Innovation and Management of Change in Golf) within an 18 month period. If all three Certificates are successfully completed, learners will be awarded the Diploma in Golf Club Management.

The qualification has been developed in partnership by the Golf Club Managers’ Association (GCMA) the Professional Golfers’ Association (PGA), and the British and International Golf Greenkeepers Association (BIGGA), alongside the Small Firms Enterprise Development Initiative, (SFEDI). The Diploma and Certificates are awarded via the Associated Sports Qualifications (ASQ) awarding body.

For more information, or to apply, visit https://www.gcma.org.uk/diploma

By Mike Hyde

More from Your Community

GCMA Teams Up with 59Club as an Official Education Partner

5 Dec 2025By Mark Shanley

Press Release The Golf Club Managers Association (GCMA) is delighted…

Announcing the Winners of the 2025 Women in Golf Awards

4 Dec 2025By Mark Shanley

The Women in Golf Awards announced its 2025 winners at…

‘Governance is key’ — David Holmes

3 Dec 2025By GCMA Content Team

Drawing on over two decades of experience, David Holmes shares…

John Steele

John Steele is a former professional athlete, sports coach, Olympic Leader and is the Executive Director of Sport at Loughborough University. He has been Chief Executive across a range of sectors. Drawing on leadership experience of nine different Olympic and Paralympic Games (including the amazing events at the Rio Games), John reflects on the lessons from this unique period in British sport and relays his fascinating views on creating high performing teams.

Indeed, inspired from PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Winter Games, by the most successful performance ever for Team GB, he has a whole host of new business and leadership insights into how this was brilliant performance was achieved and how it can translate back into your organisation.

John moved into the corporate world, before he enjoyed an outstanding career as a professional rugby player achieving international honours. After his playing career, he turned his hand to coaching and achieved the highest accolade for a British club coach by winning the European Cup with Northampton Saints. He then became Executive Director on the Saints Board during a period of unprecedented growth, and served on the England Rugby Board during the successful world cup campaign of 2003. It was no surprise that John’s talents were called upon to drive through a change and modernisation programme as CEO of the Rugby Football Union – a challenge that became controversial and ended in his departure from the post after only a year, but with his dignity and professional pride intact.

Headhunted by UK Sport, John took up post as CEO the day before London won the 2012 Olympic bid – and this promising start was sustained as he embarked on developing the UK’s high performance sport system, which he led for a six-year period of unprecedented success through the Beijing and London Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Post-London 2012, with the Olympic legacy in place and an obligation to continue inspiring a generation, John took up his post as Group Chief Executive of the Youth Sport Trust. He has also succeeded Steve Cram as Chairman of the English Institute of Sport, an organisation described as ‘the team behind the team’, which delivers a range of performance impacting solutions to over 40 Olympic and Paralympic sports and some non-Olympic sports.

This will close in 0 seconds

Dr Jo Salter MBE

Dr Jo Salter MBE is famed for becoming the first female fast jet pilot, having flown the Panavia Tornado ground attack aircraft during her services in the Royal Air Force. Joining the RAF aged 18, Jo has since taken Air Cadets into the skies as part of Air Experience Flights, become the Director of Global Transformative Leadership for PWC, and most recently become a Global Advisory of GenAI for PwC.

Jo has piloted flights in the Air Cadets Air Experience Flights and inspired countless budding armed service members to pioneer a male-dominated sector, having been the leader of an all-male squadron. Since leaving the military behind, Jo has established a strong business career working in roles such as Head of Technical Services for NetConnect, European Operations Manager for Automated Power Exchange and Managing Director of Saltin Ltd.

Having developed first-class expertise in leadership, analytical thinking and performing under pressure, Jo is now a highly sought-after public speaker to share stories from her time in the skies.

Jo is a passionate Trustee of The Royal Air Force Club and an Ambassador of the Global Angels charity, an organisation that gives communities around the world access to clean water, education, healthcare and encourages female and youth empowerment. Jo has also authored two books, titled Energy: 52 Ways to Fire Up Your Life and Become an Energy Angel and Energize: Spring Clean Your Mind and Body to Get Your Bounce Back Today and Every Day.

In recognition of her achievements throughout her career, Jo has also been named as one of the 50 Most Inspiring Women in the World by Harpers & Queen. She is now working as the Director of Global Transformation Leadership at PWC, after working in other roles such as Director of Risk Technology Strategy, Director Chief of Staff to Head of Technology & Investments and the Director of People & Organisations.

In 2022, Jo was invited personally by Tom Cruise to attend the premiere of Top Gun: Maverick. Most recently, Jo received an honorary doctorate of Arts from Bournemouth University.