Singapore: Paul Burley has been awarded PGA Master Professional status in recognition of his wide-ranging achievements in the golf industry.
The Singapore-based 54-year-old is IMG’s Global Head of Golf Course Management and Course Design, which includes overseeing a large international portfolio of world-class golf courses.
Burley, who hails from Hull in England, described the accolade in the latest APAL (Accreditation for Professional Achievement and Learning) awards as one of the highlights of his career.
“It’s an honour to receive PGA Master Professional status and have my name added to a small, elite group of PGA Professionals,” said Burley, also a Board Member of the Asian Golf Industry Federation.
“I’m very proud to be a PGA Member and have actively promoted hiring PGA Members throughout my career. In my time at IMG and as Director of Golf at Turnberry, I’ve always surrounded myself with high-performing PGA pros.”
Like many PGA Members, it was a passion for playing that lured Burley into golf and as a talented amateur he turned pro in 1985 and gained a card on the Sunshine Tour in South Africa.
However, his career was to take a twist courtesy of an invitation he couldn’t refuse from one of golf’s greatest ever players.
“I quickly realised I was going to be more successful focusing on the business side of golf than playing the game for a living,” he said.
“Luck has certainly played an important part in the success of my career in golf. While playing in South Africa, through a good friend I got to know Gary Player and was offered the opportunity by his company to become head pro at the Gary Player Country Club at Sun City in 1987.
“That was my first job in the golf business – it was a slightly unusual way to start out and it was a steep learning curve, but I was there for nine years and went on to manage both golf courses at the resort.
“During that time I joined the British PGA and went through the training programme while based in South Africa.
“Sun City is a high profile, very busy resort so I had to learn quickly in order to meet the demands of managing a world-class golf operation.”
Burley, a father-of-two, is an advocate of continuous learning and is an avid reader and follower of the golf industry across the world. He also believes having a good mentor can be a vital asset for anyone starting out in golf.
“It’s always good to have someone who you can turn to for advice. My boss at Sun City was Mike Leemhuis who went on to become CEO of Congressional Country Club and President of the Club Managers Association of America. He’s well respected and is a great person to be able to talk to whenever I need advice.
“From a personal development point of view, I never stop learning and I read a lot of international golf industry publications, attend various golf conferences, trade events and spend time with people who are successful in the golf industry.
“It is important in my role, which is a global position, to keep on top of what is going on in the golf business. That is a never-ending process and I am continually looking for new opportunities for IMG’s golf course management and course design businesses. I talk to a lot of people and ask a lot of questions – I am notorious for that.”
Paul Burley
Burley spends a considerable amount of time travelling around the world and has just returned from a trip to Europe visiting IMG-managed courses, in addition to seeking new business opportunities.
He also travels extensively throughout Asia Pacific and is currently spending a lot of time in Vietnam.
He said: “In terms of golf courses being constructed, there is a lot activity in Vietnam. I spend a lot of time there with IMG’s golf course design business, both on developing new business and making sure our existing clients our happy.”
The article "PGA Master Pro Award for Burley" was originally published on http://www.agif.asia/2016/08/pga-master-pro-award-for-burley/
