Michael Yorke, the general manager and head professional at Horsham Golf in West Sussex, has been a proud PGA Member for more than 30 years. During that time, he has successfully launched his own coaching academy (Mike Yorke Golf Academy) which operates from five clubs across Surrey and Sussex.
Yorke explains his reasons for beginning his PGA Excel application and shares his pride at being awarded the status of PGA Advanced Fellow Manager.
On being made a PGA Advanced Fellow Manager…
“I turned professional in 1990 so I knew I had collected plenty of career experience, so to be able to wrap that up into a PGA Excel membership award was something I was really keen to do.
“I’m really proud to have achieved PGA Advanced Fellow Manager status. I’ve been a PGA Member for 30 years and it’s great to have something that enables me to reflect on my experiences on what has been a fantastic journey with The PGA.
“Like many golf pros, I think I’ve got the best job on the planet and to have that recognition of what I’ve achieved over that period of time, it’s great to know that’s accumulated to be something that is recognised by our governing body, which is the ultimate reward.”
On how he plans to use his new PGA status…
“With the Manager, Coach and Professional roles, the golf industry can see how diverse PGA Members are now. Within a general manager’s role here, you’re building commercial relations with members, organisations and groups, which is really important. I think when you’re networking with other professionals from other industries, to be able to say you’ve got an accreditation from your governing body is very important. If you look at marketing, accountancy or other industries, they’ll have accreditations and you can find out what level people are at, so for me coming at it from a golf perspective, if I’m meeting other local business leaders or business owners, it’s great to approach them with that extra accreditation – it stands you in good stead.”
I’ve been a PGA Member for 30 years and it’s great to have something that reflects experiences on what has been a fantastic journey with The PGA.
- Michael Yorke (Horsham Golf) - PGA Advanced Fellow Manager
On his reasons for starting his PGA Excel application…
“I’ve been with The PGA since I turned professional in 1990 so I knew I had collected plenty of career experience, so to be able to wrap that up into a PGA Excel membership award was something I was really keen to do.
“My career has involved a lot of coaching – I’ve run my own academy and I still oversee that now. But my role generally these days is general manager and there is more relevance with the career path and journey that I’m on that made me want to engage with PGA Excel. I’m very, very happy in my role, but if you were to look ahead or have any inclination to move, this new PGA Manager category and PGA Excel can give you the advantage or edge when/if that comes about, whether that be an interview or forging alliances. It adds further credibility to what is already a fantastic PGA qualification that we all hold.”
On the PGA Excel application process…
“It was easy to work my way through the application. I’m quite a structured person by nature. If I can see structure – a one, two, three and four kind of approach – then suddenly I feel like I can put my information in the right section. I certainly found that to be the case for PGA Play. You’ve still got to dedicate your time and find the resources to support your application, but in terms of structure it looked very user-friendly ands that gives you the confidence, not just to make the first step, but to complete the application.”
On being put off the old APAL system…
“I’d looked at the previous APAL system and it always looked like such a huge amount of work and in such a busy life, I just couldn’t see where I could squeeze it in. I had a meeting with one of the PGA’s Business Relationship Officers, spoke to them about PGA Excel and saw some of the media articles about it and it looked a lot more straightforward, a lot more structured and for me, more relevant. It looked like an attainable goal for me to complete, so I decided to go for it over the winter months which was great.”
On advising other PGA Members to start their PGA Excel application…
“If I can do it, anyone can do it! We all lead busy lives and being a golf professional, you’ve got to be self-motivated and be able to drive yourself. For anyone who has worked in the industry, don’t be so modest about what you’ve achieved. I know lots of colleagues in the industry who have achieved lots of great things and made great strides and they ought to be recognised for it.
“If you’re sat there thinking ‘I’ve got some great career experience’ then throw those modesty blinkers aside and start your PGA Excel application because you deserve to be acknowledged for what you’ve done. For a lot of my colleagues that will be a lot of stuff they’ve done off their own backs through their own motivation and drive.”
CLICK HERE to find out more about PGA Excel and what it means for the golf industry.
PGA Members can find out more about PGA Excel and start their application by CLICKING HERE.
CLICK HERE to view a helpful article on how to successful complete a PGA Excel application.
