In the August 2019 issue of PGA Magazine, I broke the amazing news that PGA Jr. League would officially begin offering a fall recreational season!
Five years later, I am happy to report that extending the PGA Jr. League season beyond August has been an all-around success. PGA Jr. League Coaches have created over 2,300 fall programs with more than 41,000 players participating in those programs during that span.
One of the coaches I wrote about in the 2019 article was Rich Hofer, PGA, from Timber Point Golf Course in Great River, New York. He used the influx of players in his fall program to win the PGA Jr. League #GameChanger Award in 2019, 2020 and 2021 for having one of the Top 25 largest programs in the country, and in 2022 for having the largest program in the Metropolitan Section.
Hofer says the fall season is not only a way to increase the number of players in his PGA Jr. League programs, but it also serves to “keep kids engaged with golf and our golf community to build a strong relationship and lesson base.” With connection to his players over multiple seasons, Hofer believes the “longer playing season allows kids to keep their skills sharp while having fun playing in matches.” Hofer also sees benefits in more golf shop traffic and equipment sales. As a result, Hofer calls fall PGA Jr. League “a very profitable model created by the PGA of America for its Members.”
Another PGA Jr. League Coach who uses the Fall PGA Jr. League season to bolster his revenue by keeping his lesson book full year-round is Rob Krajewski, PGA, from Glen Oak Golf Course in East Amherst, New York. Krajewski says, “As a full-time instructor, offering a PGA Jr. League fall season allows me to stay busy and stay in front of students, and earn a bit of extra income moving into the winter months.”
Struggling to wrap your head around how to make a fall PGA Jr. League program work at your facility? Keep in mind that fall programs are very flexible. Not as many players available? Make smaller teams. Daylight isn’t as prevalent? Utilize three- or six-hole formats. Not as many teams in your immediate area? Create an in-house league.
Rod Blair, PGA, of Park Country Club in Williamsville, New York, participates in a multi-facility league in the summer but utilizes an in-house league in the fall. Blair started running a fall PGA Jr. League program recently as “a recruiting tool to supply his summer program with new players.” The buzz created around the fall program gets new players involved and gets all of the families interacting with each other, creating a community within the club around Blair’s program. The community he has created has benefits to the staff and the facility as a whole. “Bottom line, it’s a no-brainer income booster,” he says.
Five years ago I wrote: “Fall rec season is the PGA of America’s next step in cementing golf as a team sport for youth athletes to participate year-round like they do with soccer, baseball, basketball, etc.” I still stand by these words today. A lot has happened in the world over the past five years, most of which has helped golf become more popular. I believe PGA Jr. League is now a prime contender for young athletes’ time and attention throughout all seasons.
There are always going to be coaches who aren’t sure if a fall program will work at their facility. Though, I imagine if you ask the hundreds of coaches who ran fall programs over the past five years, they will tell you that they didn’t know what to expect at first, either, but look at what they’ve accomplished in that time frame! The numbers don’t lie.
I asked Rod Blair what he would say to a PGA of America Golf Professional who is hesitant to try a fall PGA Jr. League program and he said, “it’s added exposure for the professional staff to enhance their coaching abilities, it is easy to run, and you will find it fun and gratifying to see your junior golfers become better players while having fun with their teammates.” Hard to argue with that.
Thanks to PGA Jr. League’s annual #GameChanger Membership and the ability for PGA Jr. League Coaches to publish programs at their convenience, it is now easier than ever to create a fall PGA Jr. League program. Create yours today!
If you have any questions about how to get started, please contact your Player Engagement Consultant.