SRUC Elmwood College Professional Golf Programme

We take a look at the SRUC Elmwood College programme, where a HNC and HND in Professional Golf can be great stepping stone for aspiring young professionals

In rural east Scotland just north of Edinburgh and south of Dundee lies SRUC Elmwood College, which is heading into the ninth year of its golf programme that has seen some 50 plus students go on to be employed in the golf industry.

Its graduates' careers include roles as PGA Assistants at world famous clubs such as Gullane, North Berwick, Ladybank, Royal Troon and numerous clubs across Europe and Dubai.

To prepare the students for employment in the world of golf, SRUC Elmwood College has a learning and teaching environment that mirrors that of many world class facilities.

The college, which is only nine miles from St. Andrews, has an 18 hole golf course, a floodlit golf academy and an analysis suite with Trackman. This is the base for students to put into practice their learning from the classroom. It is also the base for SRUC's High Performance Golf Programme.

Peter Arnott, a past SRUC Elmwood College graduate who part led the High Performance Golf Programme and is now a professional coach, said: "I learned invaluable and transferrable skills at SRUC Elmwood College while studying professional golf, which I'm now using in the workplace.

"I feel that the knowledge I have gained has given my peers and I a competitive advantage in the golf industry. For example, I was recently invited to speak at the English Institute of Sport to over 100 delegates on skill acquisition and one of my star pupils has won a professional event as an amateur."

Students at SRUC Elmwood College also benefit from the chance to compete in college golf leagues around the UK, progress onto US Golf Scholarships, articulate into year 3 degree level study, lead a schools and Clubgolf coaching programme.

They also get opportunities for a two week fully funded Erasmus project to Spain offering internships and finally coaching Spanish students along with training and competition.

A certificate in professional golf is also available for candidates as a progression route onto the HNC.