Article Of The Day  An Academy of Golf Offers Course Instruction, Management Skills   Academy of golf seems like a straight-forward term that should mean any school that focuses on teaching the game of golf.  But it’s important to understand that if you’re looking for a particular type of golf education, you need to thoroughly examine what any golf academy is actually teaching. There are some schools that are entirely focused on improving the individual player’s game, while other versions of an academy of golf are the equivalent of a college campus, providing students with a well-rounded education that can be used to pursue an actual golf management career. The simplest form of academy of golf is a school that offers daytime instruction to individuals on how to improve their golf game.  Some of these own their own courses, while others may use public or private courses.  You may find an academy of golf that also offers package deals for corporate groups in order to provide a way to promote team building in a healthy, active environment. There is also the academy of golf that caters to younger players, including pre-teens and teenagers.  These often operate as summer camps during school vacation breaks.  A stay may be for anywhere from five days to a month, although the typical golf summer camp is two to three weeks long.  These forms of academy of golf focus on a combination of individual instruction and group play in order to improve campers’ games and provide other forms of recreational fun such as campfires and cookouts. A less expensive route for some players who may not be able to afford to attend an academy of golf for intensive individualized instruction can be to look into the golf clinics these organizations offer from time to time.  Some of the most prestigious golf academies now offer regular clinics for small- to medium-sized groups of golfers.  These are an excellent way to learn from a pro in a controlled environment without breaking the bank.  At an academy of golf clinic, you’ll usually be golfing alongside several other students, with the golf pro working with each student for a short period of time.  If you want to take your golf education to a completely different level and turn it into a career path, you can look for an academy of golf that is similar to a college or university.  These kinds of schools teach individuals not only how to improve their golf game, but how to become instructors in their own right.  Classes will also cover subjects such as how to manage a golf course and organize and run a golf tournament.  An academy of golf like this will offer either a two-year associate’s degree or a four year bachelor’s degree in areas such as Golf Complex Operations and Golf Management.  A two-year or four-year program at an Academy of Golf offering an actual degree is the most expensive form of golf school, but is an excellent investment for those who want to turn their passion for the game into a career opportunity.  The cost is generally less than what you would pay for a college degree and gives you the skills needed to establish a career in a variety of golf-oriented occupations from sales to management and event coordinator.  If you’re interested in improving your golf game, think about what you’re really looking for in terms of golf instruction.  Do you want to spend just a bit to take classes in a small group at a clinic, or are you interested in intensive, personalized instruction?  Perhaps you want to combine a college education with golf instruction so you can move into a fun, exciting career.  No matter what kind of golf school you’re interested in, you’ll be able to find an academy of golf to suit your needs. Author Admin  Added On 2009-05-19 Rating (1)  Category Associate Degree    Article Categories Associate Degree(5) Bachelor Degree(3) Business Mgmt(7) Cosmetology(0) Criminal Justice(0) Culinary Arts(0) Health and Medical(8) IT(0) K-12(2) Masters Degree(0) Media Arts & Design(0) Office Management(0) Online Learning(10) Paralegal(0) PostSecondary(3) Sports(12) Trades(2) Trucking(0) Vet Science(0)    Latest Articles  Golf Education is Found Through Coaching and Training  A good golf education starts with the right mindset. You cannot learn the sport overnight. It requires a keen interest, discipline and lots of practice. However, this learning process can be lots of fun. In fact, you can learn while you are having a good time and making deals with other people. Learning through practice and enjoying it will ensure you keep working hard towards your goal of being a better golfer. People learn about golf for various reasons. Some learned golf as a child and grew up with the sport. Others find it is a necessary sport to play in the business context. Then there are those who believe golf is the game of the rich and if you wish to be rich you must play the sport. Each of these reasons is valid. Some play because they enjoy the challenge of the sport and others play because they enjoy the challenge of being social or doing business in a more informal environment. Those who play golf simply because they think it is good for their image may turn out to be miserable.  The popular image of golf and the reality of it are two very different things. Most people who play golf do so with used equipment on municipal courses. It is hardly the glamorous sport people see on television. Most people carry their own clubs and walk the course. It can be pretty good exercise especially if you want to play a full 18 hole game. The first thing to know about golf education is that you do not need to take some fancy class to learn it. Most of the golf fundamentals can be taught to you at the course. With the advent of the internet, you can teach much of the sport to yourself through online videos. There are several how to videos on website and you can print .pdf files of the rules to follow. There are even apps you can download onto your smartphone to take the guesswork out of the sport. Of course, there are rules you need to know about the game. How to keep score, how to make basic shots, equipment preferences and swing methods. These can be acquired at any basic golf course or driving range.  You need to find a good coach to give you the golf training and experience you need. These coaches can be expensive especially if you want one that knows what he or she is talking about. Many of the coaches that teach how to golf have at one point participated at the professional level in the Professional Golfers Association. The PGA has several tours both for men, women, and seniors. Golf is a great game to learn to play because it is not too hard on the body. Sure, Tiger Woods is an extremely athletic and talented golfer, but his talent just helps him play the game better. You do not need Tiger Woods' body to play golf. You can be 80 years old and do just fine. Golf can be learned pretty easily by most people. At its very essence, it is hitting a ball with a stick until it falls into a hole. Of course, it can be more complex than that. There is some physics to consider. The angle of the club, the weight of the ball, the wind, the spin, the grass resistance. Mastering the drive is only part of the process. Mastery of the putt is acknowledged as more important. As with other sports, it does not matter how you start, but rather how you finish. Author JDK  Added On 2010-02-16 Rating (0)  Category Trades  How to Get a BPI Certification   A BPI certification is one of the two certifications you will need to consider if you want to become an energy auditor.  As an energy auditor, you will be reviewing homes' energy usage and looking for ways they can make their homes more efficient, so it is important that all auditors nationwide have similar training and pass the same certification tests.   In order to fill this need, the Building Performance Institute has put together a standardized exam that tests energy auditors' knowledge.  At 100 questions and with a two-hour time limit, this is a challenging test that requires you to have really studied or worked in the field.  This certification does not require you to have taken a course to prepare for the exam, but since the material is so challenging, it is recommended that you do.   There are numerous courses to prepare you to take the exam, and they will all vary in length and intensity.  You may also be able to find online study courses if you look.  Courses can be found by searching online for BPI Certification course or some variation of that phrase.  Before settling on a course, though, research the school or organization offering it, and be sure that it is a respected member of the educational industry or energy community.   Once you have completed the study course, the institution should either give you the opportunity to take the exam through them, or give you the information you need to locate a nearby testing location.  In order to get the certification, you will need to get a grade of 70 percent or higher on the exam.  Once you have passed the test, you can list the certification as one of your qualifications!   Although a nationally recognized certification may not seem important, there are many reasons why you should pursue a BPI certification.  As an energy auditor, you will be dealing with very sensitive equipment, which makes it important to have the training necessary to operate and understand these machines.  For example, to find energy leaks such as air leaks, energy auditors use blower doors, which are basically strong fans that fit perfectly into a doorframe.  They are used to suck all the air out of a house, so that the auditor can see where the air is coming back in through.  Those places will also be where the house is losing hot and cold air, and thereby, energy.   Another piece of equipment that energy auditors need to be familiar with is an infrared camera.  Basically, infrared cameras see and record heat, so you can easily tell where you are losing heat.  For instance, an infrared camera can be used to located places in the walls where there isn't enough insulation, indicating where the building is losing energy.   Finally, energy auditors need to have a broad knowledge of anything related to their job.  For example, an auditor needs to know which furnaces, air conditioners, and water heaters are the most efficient, and which are draining energy unnecessarily.  They also need to be able to look at utility bills and see where there is a problem that needs to be remedied for a truly energy efficient building.  Finally, an energy auditor needs to know enough about the industry in order to make suggestions for how to remedy the situation and improve the building's energy efficiency.   As you can see, there is a lot you need to know in order to audit a home's energy usage and make recommendations.  To demonstrate your knowledge, it is important to have the right professional qualifications, of which the BPI certification is one.  With just a short study course and a passing grade on a two-hour test, you can achieve this certification and pursue a career as an energy auditor. Author Admin  Added On 2010-01-21 Rating (1)  Category Trades  Teaching Related Golf Professional Jobs  One of the most enjoyable things you can do with your career is to spend it teaching others to do what you love. If you love to golf, imagine how enjoyable your career would be if you spent it teaching others how to play. Luckily, there are many golf professional jobs that are teaching-related, including teaching at a golf school, working at a club or a community center, running your own business, or even working at a resort or on a cruise ship. Here are a few golf professional jobs to consider if you think you would enjoy teaching others to golf. Teaching golf courses: There are a couple of different ways to get into teaching golf courses. For instance, there are a number of golf schools that focus solely on teaching students everything they need to know to work in the industry, whether they intend to play professionally, or go on to teach. As an instructor at a golf school, you would be teaching only students who feel just as passionately about golf as you do. You could also teach golf courses for universities or community colleges. Many students at regular colleges enjoy golf and want to learn to play better, or even want to minor in the sport. Another possibility is that you could work as a golf coach at a high school. Many young students enjoy extracurricular activities, whether they are a cherished hobby or something that the student wants to pursue professionally when they grow up. Working at a golf club: Since golf is such a popular sport, you will find that most cities have a number of golf clubs, and most of these have a need for instructors who can teach basic courses or give members private instruction. These are also great jobs for anyone who wants to share their passion with others, because again, you will be only teaching people who are truly interested in golf. Plus, as an instructor at a golf club -- especially if it is a club in a white collar or wealthy neighborhood -- you should be able to expect respectable pay rates and a good clientele. Working at a community center: Many community centers or recreation centers like to offer a full spectrum of classes that community members can take: swimming lessons to ballet classes, and everything in between, including golf classes. These sorts of classes typically last a month or two, and are designed to be affordable for residents. Most likely if you are teaching at a community center or a rec center, you will be teaching primarily beginning students, with perhaps a class or two of intermediate who choose to continue on with you after the first class ends. As a result, these golf professional jobs are best for golf experts who are patient enough to teach beginners, who might or might not have true skill, and may not catch on to the techniques very easily. Running your own business: As any entrepreneur knows, running your own business is always a very rewarding career. Any time you can teach something to others, you have a great opportunity for your own business, whether it is yoga, golf, or some other type of instruction. Most likely, if you start a golf instruction business, you will be giving private lessons to fairly well off patrons. Your business may start out slow, and is likely to grow via word of mouth from happy clients. You should have a relative degree of control over your hours, and quite a bit of control over lesson rates and the clients you choose to accept. Working on a cruise ship or a golf resort: To get your fill of teaching and also your share of adventure, consider working on a cruise ship or a golf resort in a desirable location. Golf is a popular tourist sport, so as a golf expert and an instructor, you have valuable skills that qualify you to work in the tourist industry. Just think of the exciting career you would have. Not only would you be doing what you love, but also you could be doing it in some pretty exciting places! As you can see, if teaching golf is your calling, you can find quite a few golf professional jobs that will allow you to share your passion with others. All of these careers are quite different, with some offering greater independence, and others offering more stability or greater pay. Author Admin  Added On 2010-01-20 Rating (0)  Category Sports All Articles