The Theme is ‘Education Sans Frontière!’
PGAs of Europe Annual Review 2009-10
During the last decade, and before, a joint-initiative between The R&A and the PGAs of Europe has totally transformed the way in which young or emerging golfing nations can be supported by those with deeper roots in the sport.
In the happiest and most practical of ‘marriages’, surplus funding from The R&A’s receipts from the staging of The Open Championships combined with the PGAs of Europe’s core purpose of educating golf professionals in every possible career path, has enabled consultant/tutors to spread their teaching across the continents.
Many years ago in the UK there was a popular TV programme entitled It’s a Knock-Out (in the UK) and Jeux Sans Frontière (Games Without Boundaries) in France. That French version could easily be the motto of The R&A/PGAs of Europe Golf Development Programme because, demonstrably, it has taken, and continues to take, golf across the globe with no false boundaries of race, creed, location or ethnic background.
“This work is managed by our PGAs of Europe staff utilising a very highly skilled pool of golf development professionals from all over Europe,” explained Director of Education, Tony Bennett, “The current group consists of 30 individuals who each brings to the programme a unique blend of skills and competencies from which we can draw.
“The groundwork carried out by those professionals who are now less active within the programme will never be forgotten.
These pioneers helped to shape the development of the game in many countries around the world.
“Building on this, we are now better positioned than ever before to leave behind a lasting legacy as the ‘beneficiary’ countries build a structure to develop the game in a way that fits not only the traditions and values of the sport, but also blends into the sporting and social culture of their country.”
