Ferris State University offers new pathway for Detroit students to enter careers in golf

Ferris State University has partnered with Detroit nonprofit Golf Links Detroit to help introduce more students to careers in golf through its PGA Professional Golf Management program. The golf industry in Michigan is bustling, with almost 900 golf courses throughout the state; however, the industry is not a diverse one, and this partnership is seeking to help change that.

According to an article on Ferris State University’s website, Paul Avsharian, who is the founder and president of Golf Links Detroit, said of the partnership with Ferris, “Detroit students don’t often have access to opportunities and experiences that can provide a pipeline to new, non-traditional careers. Introducing Detroit students to golf has been one of our missions. This partnership will allow us to take that to the next level, creating a new pathway to higher education that can transform lives.”

The PGA Professional Golf Management program first began almost half a century ago, and was groundbreaking at the time as the first of its kind. The program prepares and trains students to go on to have careers in professional golf with workshops, marketing courses, and internships that will give students credit toward PGA membership, as the program is endorsed by the PGA itself. The types of golf careers students will be able to pursue following the program include golf course maintenance, club repair, and golf shop operation. The marketing classes within the program correlate toward being able to organize and run golf events.

Ferris State University’s president Bill Pink expressed his excitement about the partnership, saying, “We are excited about this partnership with Golf Links Detroit, especially given the focus of increasing the pool of diverse professionals in this beloved sport. This partnership with Golf Links Detroit will not only introduce Detroit students to a sport, but also to a wide variety of rewarding careers within the golf industry.”

Golf Links Detroit was established in 2006 to help Detroit students become involved in golf, including recreationally and educationally. Team members of the organization have experience in K-12 education in Detroit public schools, especially in helping minority students prepare for college.

Also involved is the Ben Davis Scholars program, named for Erellon Ben Davis, who was the first Black member of the Michigan Golf Hall of Fame and the first African American golf instructor at Detroit’s Rackham Golf Course. The Ben Davis Scholars program will work to connect Detroit public schools students to Ferris’ PGA Professional Golf Management program. 

The PGA Professional Golf Management program is housed within the College of Business. Dean Logan Jones said, “The College of Business prepares students to be leaders and innovators in a variety of industries. We’re proud to have the first PGM program, but even prouder of the people who have graduated from the program and continue to make a difference in the industry and their communities.”

For more information about Ferris State University, visit the school’s website.