Featured Article on the PGA Program - Methodist University

COVER STORYSince the first classes started in 1986, there have been morethan 1,000 alumni from the program, and Hogge probably doesremember all of them, as he promises each group of freshmenthat he will if they make it through the program. He says thateffort to remember and stay in touch with alumni is one of themain reasons the program has found such continued success.Along with those alumni, the program is beginning to come intoa new phase as those first graduates, now in their early 40s, findthemselves in positions where they can significantly give back tothe program in various ways.“They are making inroads in the profession,” Hogge said. “Wesee alumni recommending students to us that they see at theirfacilities. We’re starting to achieve this type of recognition.”“These individuals have done the work,” he modestly adds,“but it reflects back on the University. I would hope that we gavethem a good foundation. So many of them have been successfulin different areas. We have owner/operators, lawyers, CPAs,people in insurance, and at companies like Titleist and Footjoy.”Looking at the network of alumni and internships that theprogram has built, Hogge can only describe it as “amazing.”Internships have been a component of the program since dayone, and every summer since 1988 the staff has visited as manyof the internship sites as possible, visiting with professionalsall over America and “spreading the gospel” of the MU PGMProgram. In large part because of the internship component, theprogram boasts a 100 percent job placement rate for graduateswho want to go into the golf industry.“When you look at the footprint of MU’s PGA GolfManagement Program in America, it really covers from theright coast to the left coast and all points in between,” Hoggesaid. “Our footprint as a signature program of the University hasbrought national recognition to a very small school in NorthCarolina. Because of that, it’s becoming easier, even in thiseconomy, to network with where we’ve been and where we’retrying to go.”JourneyThe Methodist hUniversity49