PGA Excel 2024 – latest awardees announced

19/06/2024

Woburn’s Daniel Grieve is amongst the latest PGA Excel awardees to have achieved a new membership designation through The PGA’s assessment framework – having now joined the exclusive group of PGA Members with Master status.

PGA Excel awards are presented every quarter and following this period of assessment, The PGA is delighted to announce five PGA Members have been awarded a new designation within their membership category of either PGA Professional, PGA Coach and PGA Manager.

Master Coach

Daniel Grieve – Head Coach at Woburn Golf Club

Advanced Fellow Manager

Paul Deeprose - Club Manager at Wells Golf Club

Fellow Professional

Matthew Dearden – PGA Club Professional at Golf Lab Coaching

Ben Derbyshire – Head Golf Professional / Director Golf at Vale Royal Abbey Golf Club

Advanced Coach

Matthew Rees – Director of Instruction/Coaching at Trefloyne Manor/MTR Golf Performance

PGA Excel offers PGA Members the opportunity to demonstrate their impact, achievement and value to employers and the wider industry. Members can then use their designations to differentiate from others and effectively market and promote themselves through their accomplishments.

Daniel Grieve from Woburn GC is now a PGA Master Coach – and becomes the 64^th PGA Member to achieve Master status. He said: "I am delighted to receive this prestigious award. My name being added to the list of other renowned Master Professionals really is a huge honour.

"Since joining The PGA in 2000 I have constantly looked to learn, research and develop myself both as a person and as a coach. The PGA have provided me with the platform to do this. I would encourage all PGA Professionals to develop their skills and use PGA resources to learn as much as they can.

“The PGA qualification is respected worldwide and if you can improve your PGA designation, it will help you move forward with your career and gain a lot more respect from clients and peers in the golf industry.”

Tristan Crew, PGA Executive Director – Membership, said: “Congratulations to all five PGA Members who have earnt their new designations through PGA Excel.

“I am ever impressed by the range and depth of contributions that our Members make across the golf industry and it is a pleasure to recognise their impact through the award of higher PGA designations. Common in all five of these Members is their desire to continuously improve and drive their careers forward.

“The ability for The PGA to recognise their significant achievements is the very essence of PGA Excel. We are seeing increased numbers of PGA Members starting their PGA Excel applications and the feedback that we regularly receive from those having completed the process is that, although it can be a challenge, it is extremely valuable to reflect on their careers to date and provide a focus or catalyst for future career planning and development.”

Ben Derbyshire, Head Professional at Vale Royal Abbey Golf Club, is another of our latest awardees and feels his PGA Fellow Professional status will further help to build an impressive CV.

“My career to date has encompassed an awful lot of the industry from predominantly coaching and golf operational roles to more recently running my own business as the Head Professional at Vale Royal Abbey Golf Club. It has been a very worthwhile process to take time out to look back at everything that I have accomplished and achieved during those 20+ years and produce an Excel application that reflects all I’ve done.

“The new PGA Fellow Professional designation is a great boost for my CV and profile and will join many of the other certifications and awards I have achieved over the years - I am convinced it will help my career, whichever path I choose to take.”

Club Manager at Wells Golf Club, Paul Deeprose, expressed the importance of PGA Excel for him, with an Advanced Fellow Manager designation now offering the differentiation he needed within the job market. He believes there’s always opportunities to improve, and PGA Excel offered him exactly that.

“I am honoured to have achieved the Advanced Fellow Manager accreditation from The PGA. The recognition of my hard work and dedication over the years is truly gratifying. It is the reward for extensive learning, practical experience and commitment and will help to differentiate me from others in the marketplace and strengthen my position in the industry.

“No matter how good we are at our jobs, there is always room for improvement. Professional development helps develop a strong standard of knowledge within your chosen specialisation, which in turn improves your skills and abilities within your role in the industry.”

Matthew Dearden, PGA Club Professional at Golf Lab Coaching, also feels that his Fellow Professional designation now signifies his value within the golf industry and is an advocate for constant development within a profession.

“Receiving the designation of PGA Fellow Professional is a profound milestone in my career, this honour not only enhances my credentials but also underscores my capability and expertise, making me a valuable asset to my current and future employers.

“Completing the process was a challenge, especially given as I find it difficult to write about myself. The system is straightforward, but obviously requires a lot of hard work and commitment - I worked towards my submission for a number of months, adding to the process on a regular basis along with developing my knowledge through completing CPD courses, self-learning and on the job experience.”

Matthew Rees, Director of Instruction/Coaching at Trefloyne Manor/MTR Golf Performance, has received Advanced status.

“I am deeply honoured to receive the PGA Advanced Coach Award. This recognition is a significant milestone in my career, emphasising the dedication and hard work I have invested in my professional development. It not only enhances my credentials but also boosts my employability by showcasing my commitment to coaching and development.

“For my facility, this award reflects positively on our collective efforts and reinforces our reputation for nurturing talent. Continuous career development is crucial in coaching, and this award reaffirms my commitment to excellence. I am now determined to develop my skills to become a Fellow Coach in the future.”

Click here to find out more about PGA Excel and to start your application. Self-assessment is the first step and takes just five minutes.

To read more from Tristan Crew about the importance of PGA Excel to the golf industry, click here.