Swinging Clubs and Serving Subs

University of Idaho senior Sean Riley has been playing golf since he was old enough to swing a club, and he has known nearly as long he would turn his passion for the game into a career. Idaho’s PGA-accredited Professional Golf Management (PGA PGM™) program, one of 20 such programs in the nation, was a perfect fit. But Riley quickly realized it would take more than his 1.0 handicap to make it in the fiercely competitive industry.

“Our students come into the program because they love the sport, but they find out there’s much more to our industry than simply playing the game,” says Dawes Marlatt, director 
of Idaho’s PGA PGM™ program.

Marlatt says the high-level golf director and management positions his students aspire to have historically been held by those with backgrounds in the food and beverage arena. Hospitality management is a significant piece of the golf industry, and PGA PGM™ graduates must have a thorough understanding of this side of the business to compete.

A creative partnership between the College of Business and Economics and Sodexho Dining Services is preparing PGA PGM™ students for the realities of the business with firsthand hospitality experience. A PGM student is hired to manage on-campus Stover’s Deli and classmates help with business planning, promotion, customer relations, menu development, and finances. A portion of deli profits goes back to student scholarship programs and other philanthropic activities.

“We all have a passion for golf, play the game, and love the sport,” says Riley, current student manager of the deli. “This experience teaches us an important part of the industry and gives us the skill set we need to be successful.”