I’ve been a golf course operator for a long time, so I have a pretty good understanding of the business.  When the idea of an academy of golf started to become more and more popular, I was skeptical.  What would these kids learn at a golf school to separate them from people at traditional colleges and people with lots of work experience in the business?  For awhile, I was able to put off hiring anyone from a golf academy.  For high-end positions, I was always able to hire from within or find someone with years of experience somewhere else. 

Eventually, though, I couldn’t ignore the great resumes that golf academy graduates put together.  Now that I’ve hired a few of these kids, I have to admit that they know what they’re doing at the golf schools.  My new employees don’t just know about management, they know a ton about the game of golf itself.  It’s something that proves useful again and again in my profession, as you can imagine.  But it’s also something that was missing from applicants with standard bachelor’s degrees.  Golf academies don’t just supply business education; they give a full golf education, and that’s something I’ve grown to appreciate.

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