As we roll into the Carolinas PGA Super Show, I wanted to share some information that may be relevant to some of the discussions I imagine you will have / hear in Greensboro. As always, I look forward to seeing not only all of you, but all the Carolinas PGA Members and exhibitors who we missed last February.

As we all know, hiring has been a challenge for some time, which I have covered in many past reports and recapped in June of 2021. Today, I want to add some more data to highlight how the challenge has gotten even bigger, and then share a reason why I have hope for the future.

Let me start by providing a historical perspective regarding job openings at this time of year. Those of you who have been on the Board for a while may remember that I used to list every open job in my monthly report, so I was able to count open positions from past years to prepare this report. I always removed roles like outside services, etc, and the totals were as follows (and makes me glad I don't list them all anymore).

Obviously, this is not a good trend and something we are hoping to reverse. And in all honesty, I hadn't seen any positive signs until very recently, and my positivity stems from recent PGA Associate Pre-Qualifier (PQ) registration numbers. Back in June of 2020, I mentioned in my report that I was starting to see a slowdown in the number of new Associates in the section. Since that time, I have watched (but unfortunately not tracked until more recently) the number of people entering PQ status. While it has taken some time, I am happy to report that the number of new PQ's has increased substantially over the past few months. (Brock White can back me up on this, as I copy him on the welcome email I send to every new PQ).

In fact, from January 1 - February 11, we had 19 new PQ's in the Carolinas, and 55 since August of 2021. You can see for yourself by scrolling down to the "Important Lists" section of this website to see a live list of new PQ's in the section. I also encourage you to reach out and introduce yourself if they are in your Chapter.

Will 55 more bodies solve the industry labor problem??? Of course not, but it really is the first positive sign I have seen in a few years, and I hope our PGM University friends will also tell us that they are seeing enrollments grow again. The real question is, "What's causing it?"

As I mentioned last month, The Association has provided resources to PGA Career Services in the form of full time recruiters, and I believe that they are already having an impact. Additionally, we have seen entry level compensation rise dramatically the past few years, which I'm sure looks a lot more attractive to people considering a job in the golf industry. Finally, I believe PGA Professionals have begun to roll up their sleeves and actively recruit talent, providing an opportunity for many people to enter the industry who were not already PGA Members or Associates.

Whatever the reason, I am glad to see the trend and hope we can keep our momentum. I believe that the section and our committee's can play an active role in retaining those 55 young people AND assist in continuing that positive growth.

As always, please let me know if you have any questions, and I'll see all of you on Sunday in Greensboro.

Mike Mueller

All Active Positions

PGA Compensation Profile - Carolinas Section Participation

Job Preferences - Carolinas Section Participation

Tab 1 - Names and emails of people who have applied to the Pre-Qualifier program. PQ applicants purchase and review the five qualifying level courses: Introduction to the PGM and the Golf Profession, PGA History, PGA Constitution, Rules of Golf and Career Enhancement to be eligible to register for the qualifying test through our third party test company virtually.

Please note that PGA HQ does not collect employment information at the time of PQ registration.

Tab 2 - Newly elected PGA Members