A PGA Professional year at Royal Pines, in addition to golf-specific studies, have helped one Australian land a dream job at Royal Portrush Golf Club.

Daniel Paton completed his PGA Professional Year at the RACV Royal Pines Resort at the end of last year and recently moved to Northern Ireland to take up an impressive role as a PGA Professional at Royal Portrush Golf Club, a world-renowned venue that hosted The Open Championship in 1951.

A PGA Professional year at Royal Pines, in addition to golf-specific studies, have helped one Australian land a dream job at Royal Portrush Golf Club.

Daniel Paton completed his PGA Professional Year at the RACV Royal Pines Resort at the end of last year and recently moved to Northern Ireland to take up an impressive role as a PGA Professional at Royal Portrush Golf Club, a world-renowned venue that hosted The Open Championship in 1951.

Yet about five years ago, even a man as passionate about the game as Paton found himself contemplating his future involvement in the sport.

"My uncle (Tod Power) is a PGA Member and my goal was always to join him as a full-time Touring Professional," says Paton.

"Like everyone I started out wanting to make the PGA TOUR, play on TV and win the Masters like Adam Scott. I took a few years off after finishing high school in 2005 to try my luck as an amateur, but it wasn’t working out the way I’d envisaged. I realised my golf probably wasn’t up to that next level of elite competition."

With his anticipated progression from conscientious amateur to successful Pro stalling, Paton found a viable alternative by completing a PGA Professional Year at Royal Pines following completion of the PGA International Golf Institute (PGA IGI) program in 2012.

The Professional Year (PY) at Royal Pines, involving 25-plus training and assessment items, 11 days of face-to-face training and the completion of PGA playing requirements, in combination with his studies, have helped him forge a new type of golf career.

"I enjoyed teaching and the business side of the game. I wanted to experience those other areas of golf that I loved as much as playing," he says.

Contacts at IGI pitched Paton on the benefits of such an education.

"They explained the pathway to being a Professional via the PGA IGI [after completion of a Professional Year]. The Diploma of Golf Management and Bachelor of Business at Griffith University really appealed to me.

"I considered it closely at the time, and now I can honestly say that embarking on the program was one of the best decisions of my life," Paton says.

"The PGA IGI was an amazing experience and exactly what I needed."

Geoff Stewart, Executive Officer – Education and Training for the PGA, says Paton’s dedication has been rewarded.

"The PGA Professional Year Program is a rigorous one-year training and education program designed to transition graduates from the three-year PGA IGI/Griffith University Program to PGA Vocational Membership," Stewart says.

"Following acceptance into the PY Program via an intake process, the PY Trainees must complete one-year of full-time indentured employment under a suitably qualified PGA Member in addition to Trainee Program training and assessment items, the robust PGA playing requirement and training."

"The position at Royal Portrush is a great opportunity for Daniel. Securing the position is a testament to the strength of PGA of Australia Membership worldwide, showing the value in the PGA PY Program and the four-year pathway via PGA IGI, Griffith University and the PGA Academy."

Paton says he has always admired what the PGA brand stands for.

"When I tell people I’m a PGA Professional and I offer to help improve their games, it puts a smile on their faces and it’s rewarding for me personally. It makes all the hard work worthwhile. There were times in my career that I was second-guessing myself, but family and friends were supportive and now I’m extremely happy with where I’m at."

Having completed his Professional Year after graduating from the PGA IGI his career goal is to run a Pro Shop or golf academy of his own, and to continue developing his golf coaching and business credentials throughout.

"At Royal Pines I learnt a lot about the behind-the-scenes activities of a golf business. I have an excellent relationship with the guys there and I kept them in the loop during the whole process of applying for Royal Portrush out of respect for them and what they’ve done for me."

That experience, along with the comprehensive initiation gained through the PGA Professional Year and PGA IGI, played a significant role in Paton’s fairytale move to one of Europe’s leading setups.

"During the interview with Gary McNeill (Club Professional at Royal Portrush), he told me he was impressed by my managerial background and knowledge of the industry," he says.

"He was also impressed with my willingness to move overseas and embrace a different opportunity. We spoke for an hour after I emailed my application and he called back the next week to offer me the job. It all happened quickly."

Paton beat a plethora of applicants from the United Kingdom to the position. If he can attract a squad of students half as dedicated to golf as their new coach is, a mutually fruitful collaboration would seem a formality.

An Australian Professional at Royal Portrush

Royal Portrush Golf Club, a member-based 36-hole golf course comprising the Dunluce Links and the Valley Links, is considered among the most glamorous in the world.

The Dunluce Links placed fourth in Golf World’s 100 Greatest Courses in the British Isles, list in 1996, while Golf Magazine ranked the course 12th among its Top 100 Courses in the World.

"The clubhouse and all the facilities are top of the line. To be ranked so highly, everything must be absolutely world-class," says new PGA Professional Daniel Paton.

The Australian is excited to settle in and absorb as much knowledge as possible.

"I’m looking forward to seeing how the experts do things overseas, working with someone as experienced as Gary McNeill and continuing to discover more about the industry. Putting Royal Portrush on my resume is definitely not going to hinder my future prospects," he says.

"I really want to get stuck into teaching and assisting at the Pro Shop. It’s all about learning at the end of the day, you never stop learning about the business no matter where you are or who you’re with, so Royal Portrush can certainly provide that for me."

What kind of coaching style can the Northern Ireland locals expect from the new Australian on the scene?

"I work with what the player has. I work on their body and the way they swing the club. I like to build a long-term relationship with my clients and help them reach their goals," Paton says.

"People want to see the ball go near the pin, so I look at the ball flight back to setup, which is crucial. It’s all about getting the basics right.

"If I need to get more in-depth down the track with a player then I definitely do, but in the first few lessons I’m a back-to-basics style of teacher.

"If they’re enjoying the game and they want to keep getting better, that helps us as Professionals in the long run."

Pathways to the PGA
The PGA IGI seemed the perfect fit for Paton as he considered a career as a PGA Professional but this is just one option.

For others the PGA Trainee Program is the ideal option. The PGA Trainee Program is open both male and female golfers who have a passion for a career in golf. PGA Trainees work alongside fully qualified PGA members under a Traineeship model and receive practical work experience and on-the-job training at approved golf facilities around the country. In addition to developing real skills for the workplace, PGA Trainees also receive nationally accredited qualifications in a variety of vocational disciplines. Applications are currently open for the 2015 PGA Trainee Program.

While those who dream of competing on Tour full time then the PGA Tour of Australasia’s Cobra Puma Golf Qualifying School could be the start of their career. Each year the PGA Tour of Australasia stages Qualifying School providing an opportunity for the country’s brightest golf talents to earn status on the Tour. Applications for the 2014 staging are now open.