PGA Excel - recognising your impact, rewarding your achievement, demonstrating your value

09/11/2022

The evolution of the previous APAL system, PGA Excel is a new, best-in-class assessment framework that enables you to demonstrate your impact and achievement to employers, golfers and the wider industry.

Issues with APAL

Just six per cent of PGA Membership engaged with APAL since its launch in 2004. Its traditional offline, admin-heavy process put Members off, and there was also confusion around what should be included in a submission.

There has been a need to modernise and create a new system that reflects the significant changes made as part of the Association’s 2020 Vision initiative.

Another problem with APAL was that it was never effectively marketed or understood by key people and organisations within the golf industry. Potential employers and golfers need to have a clear understanding of the awards and the process by which they are achieved, helping them to effectively recruit the expertise and experience needed. The introduction of PGA Excel aims to do just that.

CLICK HERE to find out more about PGA Excel.

A new framework

After reviewing the APAL system, The PGA has created a best-in-class assessment framework that enables you to demonstrate your impact and achievements to employers, golfers and the wider industry.

Different membership designations are awarded through PGA Excel, enabling PGA Members to use these bands and the accompanying logos to market, promote and differentiate themselves from other Members.

For employers and the wider golf industry, the PGA Membership bands achieved through the PGA Excel process are a vital way to identify and recruit individuals to specific roles, as well as being a stamp of approval and expertise.

Reinstatement of previous designations

The naming of the designations is a critical element of the pathway to career progression and The PGA has taken the difficult decision to restore the previous levels that Members and the industry are familiar with. This means a return to Advanced, Fellow, Advanced Fellow and Master, which will apply to all three designations of Professional, Coach and Manager.

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PGA Excel is a huge step in the right direction from the foundation that was built through APAL. It really will add value and also drive standards, which is absolutely paramount to our reputation.

- Tristan Crew (PGA Executive Director – Membership Services)

Key differences

The whole process is now fully digital, with online forms that can be saved and returned to as often as required before the entry is submitted. All evidence and information is simply uploaded, removing the need for printing and posting as was previously the case.

A brand new, at-a-glance table of eligibility criteria has been developed to enable Members to see if they meet the criteria to move forward and ascertain the appropriate level for an application. Closely linked to this is the introduction of a simple online self-assessment tool that enables Members to review the scoring criteria and assess themselves against this before starting an application.

Under the old system each application was assessed by the APAL Council, but with PGA Excel the process has been overhauled, with professional markers recruited for each of the three membership categories (Professional, Coach, Manager) so that applicants are assessed by specialists in that particular area and given feedback. The Master Council will be retained to assess those that are marked as meeting the Master criteria.

Review and overhaul

Speaking about the launch of PGA Excel, Tristan Crew – PGA Executive Director – Membership Services, said: “We’ve spent the last two years reviewing and overhauling the APAL process so that it can support our vision of providing our Members with a best-in-class assessment framework that enables them to demonstrate their expertise, impact and achievements to employers, golfers and the wider industry.

“It’s about creating a fully digital service that gives them the opportunity and tools to promote and prove their expertise, providing recognition of their investment in their personal and professional development.

“The ultimate aim is to get more PGA Members involved, which will allow us to drive standards and increase the performance of our Membership.

“We’ve gone through significant consultation to get to this point, including the use of internal and external working groups. I genuinely believe this to be an exciting time for The PGA. PGA Excel is a huge step in the right direction from the foundation that was built through APAL. It really will add value and also drive standards, which is absolutely paramount to our reputation.”

CLICK HERE to find out more about PGA Excel.

PGA Excel for the golf industry

The success of PGA Excel relies not just on the uptake among PGA Members, but also on employers and the wider golf industry understanding and embracing it. The PGA will create and promote bespoke communications to all the stakeholders to ensure that PGA Excel is properly understood and its value realised. This campaign will educate golfers and the industry, and celebrate the success of those who receive awards.

CLICK HERE to find out more about PGA Excel.