Some of the nation’s top up-and-coming young golfers experienced a sample of what life as a Methodist University PGA Golf Management (PGM) student is like. With a 100 percent job placement rate in the golf industry (and from a school that has won nearly 40 golf national championships), you could bet it was something special.
Some of the nation’s top up-and-coming young golfers experienced a sample of what life as a Methodist University PGA Golf Management (PGM) student is like. With a 100 percent job placement rate in the golf industry (and from a school that has won nearly 40 golf national championships), you could bet it was something special.
As a part of MU’s PGM College Summer Experience, nearly a dozen rising high school juniors and seniors from around the country visited the University’s sprawling 617-acre campus from July 9-12. Not only did they get a chance to spend multiple hours each day playing on MU’s private, on-campus, 18-hole course called Downback, but they had a chance to learn more about the prestigious PGM program.
“The PGM College Summer Experience is a great opportunity for prospective students as we get to share all the different routes that are possible through a PGA membership,” said Kelsie Carralero, MU’s head women’s golf coach, assistant professor of the PGM program, and lead organizer of the PGM Summer Experience. “Many people think of the PGA as golf professionals at their club, but they don’t realize that membership gives you opportunities in teaching, marketing, communications, and much more. This camp is a chance to highlight all the opportunities that come from membership.”
While the students were able to play on the front nine and back nine of Downback, they were also able to learn from some of Methodist University’s national championship-winning faculty and staff, who provided one-on-one teaching throughout the camp. The campers also received a deep dive into some of the more impressive features of the PGM program, including video swing analysis at the Krick Teaching and Technology Center and in-depth knowledge from PGM alumni and current students.
Campers were also able to immerse themselves into a normal day as an MU student – living in the residence halls, eating meals at Green & Gold Dining Hall, and walking around campus. The four-day stint also included other fun activities for the campers such as bowling, miniature golf, and watching movies.
Although the camp helped students create lifelong memories, the most valuable part of the camp was providing the prospective students a glance at how the PGM program could set them up for success down the road.
In fact, two of the out-of-state campers said their camp experience had a major impact on their view of Methodist University.
“I wanted to look into the PGM program here and I think it’s great that they have a golf course on campus while being able to earn a business degree with PGM,” said Andrew Messalle, a high school senior from Savannah, Ga. “The program does a great job of introducing to us how it all works.”
“I’m really interested in teaching and coaching golf,” said Cloe Rich. “I’ve learned a lot about the history of golf, while understanding more about lies and how different club lofts affect a swing.”
Methodist University’s PGM program can graduate students with a bachelor’s degree in several majors including Marketing, Business Administration, Financial Economics, and Accounting. Each graduate is required to complete approved internships totaling 16 months in the golf industry. Better yet, in addition to the program having a 100-percent job placement, it showcases the largest PGM staff out of the only 18 accredited programs in the nation.