PGA professionals are taking advantage of the business opportunities that present themselves as a result of taking the CPI Course, and building their knowledge base and expertise in putting.
The Certified Putting Instructor (CPI) Course, is an online certification based on scientific principles offered by U.S. based Frankly Golf and the PGA with the goal of helping golfers putt better, adding an extra dimension to the business and services that the golf professional can deliver.
Steven Brian, Society Professional at The Royal Burgess Golfing Society in Edinburgh has been able to see these benefits over a 4 year period since he completed his CPI qualification, starting from delivering individual lessons, to county coaching, and eventually being approach by a major manufacturer to become a putter fitting centre.
“What I learned in the CPI Course has helped me develop a niche for my business.
“I started giving putting lessons to my club members and to local golfers. As word spread, I was approached by the county team to deliver putting and short game coaching. Then I was contacted by Scotty Cameron putters to be a Fitting Centre here in Edinburgh,” said Brian.
More recent graduates of the CPI Course are applying what they have learned immediately to add to the golf experience at their facilities. Jamie Cundy of Calderfields Golf Club in Walsall is one such PGA professional.
“As the Golf Manager I am tasked with pushing the business forward with new ideas and ways we can enhance the golf experience for our members and visitors.
“It was a good time for me to do the CPI qualification because at Calderfields we have just opened a new performance centre, one element of which is our indoor putting area where we are going to do more putting specific lessons and putter fittings.
“There is nothing else available in PGA education that is like the CPI Course,” said Cundy.
Robbie Stewart of Buckpool Golf Club near Aberdeen is embarking on a new business venture in putting, also with an indoor area where he can conduct lessons, even during inclement weather.
“The golf club built an indoor studio where I can conduct my lessons regardless of the weather conditions and with a 12 x 18 putting green installed I can share my putting expertise and knowledge.
“I wish the CPI Course had been available to me very much earlier in my career and believe it should be part of the PGA training. It reinforced much of what I had learned over the last 30 years,” said Stewart.
Others, such as Braintree Golf Club’s Steve Hambling is busy organising putting demo days and will be offering some putting evenings to share his new knowledge with his club members.
“I see putting as a niche market that I can specialise in and I want to make sure I have the best information to pass along to my students and the CPI Course has enabled me to do that,” said Hambling.
In reflecting on the business successes of qualified CPIs, Frank Thomas, founder of Frankly Golf, longtime USGA Technical Director and inventor of the graphite shaft said,
“It is so rewarding when our efforts to work with the PGA to develop an online learning course, specialising in putting results in practical business success for those innovative, forward looking PGA professionals who embark on the course and become CPIs.”
Certified Putting Instructor 