GILLIAN GALINSKY
BIZ/TECH REPORTER

On top of promoting Humber at this weekend’s Toronto Golf and Travel Show, students from the professional golf management program will also promote themselves as ideal job candidates, said program co-ordinator Ray Chateau.
“We participate in the Golf and Travel show partially to make the public aware of the program, partially to convince current applicants to come to Humber, and partially to be present in the rest of the golf industry,” Chateau said.

The golf show features indoor areas to practice your swing. (Gillian Galinsky)

The exhibit at the show is totally run by third-year students of the professional golf management diploma, said Chateau.
Chris Yeldon, one of the golf management students in charge of running the booth, said it is a great opportunity to make contacts in the professional golf world.
“This is a big event in terms of networking opportunities,” Yeldon said.
“It’s a chance for us to be a part of the golf scene.”
Contact opportunities like the Golf and Travel show are crucial to emphasize the importance of golf professionals, said Jeff Dykeman, director of business development and brand for the Canadian Professional Golfers’ Association.
“We have 3,600 pros in Canada, working at 1,300 facilities,” said Dykeman.
“And we’re aiming for 300 to 500 more jobs in the next five years.”
The show helps students get jobs by emphasizing their business skills, said Bob Clarke, another student running the booth.
“In the golf industry, interpersonal skills are the most important to develop,” Clarke said.
“The show allows us to work on our interpersonal skills in an environment similar to a career in the golf industry.”
“We are responsible for budgeting, renting the displays, and most of the paperwork,” said Yeldon.
“We also have to market ourselves as the best golf program in Ontario, and make sure that every visitor goes home and remembers Humber College.”