Howieson awarded PGA’s highest honour
30/09/2020
Ian Howieson has attained The PGA’s highest honour, the status of PGA Master Professional, for his overall services to golf.
Howieson left Scotland as a teenager to pursue his career as Assistant Professional at Rossendale Golf Club where he gained his PGA qualifications through training from Vincent Crabtree between 1977-1980.
The 61-year-old also enjoyed spells as an Assistant at The Berkshire Golf Club (1980-1981) and Lytham Green Drive Golf Club (1981-1983) before becoming the Head Professional where he remained for seven years.
He went on to accumulate more than 28 years as a head professional at Fairhaven Golf Club (1990-1993), The Royal Automobile Club (1994-2008) and The Leatherhead Golf Club (2009-2013).
Howieson began supporting clubs in the South East of England after Golf Management Group (GMG) was launched in 2010 before returning home to his native Scotland to continue his golf consultancy role in 2015.
Two years later, he founded the Scottish Golf Buying Group where he continues to help golf clubs in Scotland through his vast wealth of knowledge and experience in golf club management.
Howieson, who is also a qualified PGA Director of Golf, commented: “Whether I give officials advice on how to make their scorecards compliant with the new World Handicap System or make a club money by improving their customer experience, my enthusiasm and drive to succeed is still as ambitious as I was at 17 when I started my journey.”
As a big advocate of The PGA, Howieson has also fulfilled a number of roles at both regional and national level having served as the PGA in Lancashire (1990-1991) and PGA in Surrey (2003-2004) Captain, while also supporting the next generation of PGA Professionals as a PGA tutor for more than 20 years.
He continued: “I am extremely proud to be recognised with such a distinguished group of PGA Members who have dedicated their careers to golf.
“Only 52 Members in the history of the Association have gained PGA Master Professional status and I am quite overwhelmed to be included.
“Career achievements come in many different ways, however, to be recognised by the Association that you joined in 1977 as a PGA Master Professional is an accumulation of all my achievements into one. This is the highlight of my professional career.
“I feel the PGA have rewarded my commitment and contribution to the PGA Training programme and PGA regional and county committees for over 20 years along with my desire to continually strive to be successful in the various roles throughout my Golf Club Professional career. More recently, for my dedication in supporting over 250 Golf Clubs in Scotland through my Golf Consultancy role in helping to provide them with a more sustainable future.”
Other recent APAL Council recommendations to the Board of Directors are:
Advanced Fellow: Malcolm Scott (Alresford Golf Club) and Chris White (Ayla Oasis Development).
Fellow Professional: Robert Brown (Rhodium Events & Hospitality Ltd), David Green (Golf & Glory), Neil Lubbock (Pfalz Golf Club, Germany) and Dylan Bawden (Golf Club Spillern, Austria).Advanced Professional: Christian Askins (Radyr Golf Club), Joanne Taylor (Tyrells Wood Golf Club), James O’Brien (18 Under Golf Academy, China), Andrew McGregor (Elea Estate, Cyprus) and Geraint Dixon (unattached).
