SAN ANTONIO – If you have a passion for golf and are business-savvy, you may consider taking a swing at the Professional Golf Management Program offered by The University of the Incarnate Word.
"We are not teaching you to play the game of golf. We are teaching you to learn the business and be a general manager," said program director Brian Graybeal.
There are several things to note about the program.
The main thing is you don't have to be a great golfer to get into management, just the passion for the game and a desire to grow the game from the business side.
"Someone who is business-minded, they are familiar with golf, they have a passion for the game of golf, but they have a passion to grow business," Graybeal said.
Students graduate with a bachelor's in Business Administration with a concentration in Professional Golf Management from the H-E-B School of Business and Administration.
Part of the curriculum includes classes with an emphasis on golf management. Currently, there are five one-hour classes, a pair of two-hour classes and three internships offered.
The classes concentrate on how to hire the right staff and how to market the golf course and the game to the community.
"There is a lot that goes into the creation of the product, creation of the business, the marketing of the business. That's what this program covers," said Ed Miller, chief operation officer of Forsight Golf, a golf course ownership and management company that has partnered with UIW to create the program.
Part of the marketing plan is directed at getting youth to love the game.
The facility where the classes are taught is a relatively new building that sits adjacent to the Republic Golf Course, on Southeast Military Drive. The building was completed in 2015 and has classrooms and conference rooms. The other end of the building has a plenty of space for the men's and woman's golf teams. There's also a club repair shop, a weight room, a swing simulator and two bays with cameras.
There is a putting and chipping green outside.
"To have the technology is a big deal, but having it all on one site is also a big deal," said Stirling Phillips, a UIW junior.
One of Phillips' teammates, Chase Rios, from New Braunfels, is a member of the golf team and is studying the program.
"The facility is the cherry on top. We are learning about golf, but the facility UIW has provided us is top-tier," Rios said.