Professional Golfers’ Association

What Professional Golfers’ Association does

The Gulf States PGA is a regional section of the Professional Golfers' Association of America, one of 41 nationwide sections serving golf professionals across Louisiana and Mississippi. Headquartered in Metairie, Louisiana, the organization administers professional certification (Class A, Associate/Apprentice pathways, the Player Ability Test, and a 54-credit PDR cycle per cycle), competitive tournament operations (Section Championship, Professional Championship, Senior Championship, Junior PGA Championship, Stroke Play Series, Pro-Am events, the inter-chapter Mackel Cup, and the new BankPlus Gulf States Open), and community-facing programs including PGA Junior League, Drive Chip and Putt, the Louisiana Junior Golf Tour, and PGA HOPE for military veterans. The charitable arm, PGA REACH Gulf States, channels funds toward youth, military, and diversity initiatives through golf.

The section's operations are supported by the BlueGolf tournament management platform for scheduling, registration, leaderboards, and results distribution, complemented by an active Instagram presence and the gspga.com website. Membership density is significant: Mississippi alone has 130 PGA Professionals employed across 65 golf facilities, and the section's 2025 Assistant PGA Professional Championship drew a record 44-player field. Tournament operations are run by a lean staff led by Tournament Director Cody Clark, PGA.

Revenue is generated through three primary streams: recurring annual membership dues (Class A and Associate/Apprentice tiers), one-time tournament entry fees across Section, Chapter, and Pro-Am events, and sponsorship/underwriting revenue from a diversified portfolio of national and regional brands (Yamaha, Club Car, E-Z-GO, Oakley, Rolex, Titleist, TaylorMade, PING, Corebridge Financial, BankPlus, Jani-King, Sterling Cut Glass, Casa De Campo). As a nonprofit association, revenue is not publicly disclosed; the section operates under the governance of PGA of America with an elected President (currently Jake Narro, PGA) and section leadership.

Name

Professional Golfers’ Association

Legal name

Gulf States PGA

Website

https://gspga.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1916

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Gulf States PGA is a regional section of the PGA of America serving golf professionals across Louisiana and Mississippi. It administers professional certification, regional tournaments, junior golf development, and PGA HOPE military veteran programs, funded by membership dues, tournament entry fees, and sponsorships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Golf Association Services

NAICS

Spectator Sports (71121), Golf Courses and Country Clubs (713910)

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Golf Tours & Professional Circuits (MPAKAAAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Golf Courses & Golf Facilities (MPAKAEAD)

Keywords

• Professional golf association
• Golf tournament management
• Professional development
• Junior golf programs
• Golf membership services

Headquarters

HQ city

Metairie

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership fees for PGA Professionals, including Class A members, apprentices, and associates. PDR (Professional Development Requirements) tracking and compliance.
2. Tournament Operations: Entry fees for section tournaments, championships, and Pro-Am events. Revenue generated from participant registrations across all competitive events.
3. Sponsorship Revenue: Partnership arrangements with golf equipment manufacturers, apparel brands, golf car companies, and financial services firms. Title sponsorships for major events and ongoing supplier partnerships.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The Gulf States PGA is a nonprofit regional section of the PGA of America that serves golf professionals in Louisiana and Mississippi. It delivers organized tournament competition (Section, Professional, Senior, Junior, and Chapter Championships plus Pro-Am events), professional development and continuing education tied to PGA of America PDR requirements, junior golf pathway programs, and charitable initiatives through PGA REACH Gulf States and PGA HOPE for military veterans. Its primary revenue is generated through member dues, tournament entry fees, and corporate sponsorship arrangements.

Product overview

The Gulf States PGA Section operates as a regional chapter of the Professional Golfers' Association of America, providing a comprehensive suite of golf-related programs and services. The organization delivers tournament management across multiple championships (Section Championship, Professional Championship, Senior/Junior events, Chapter Championships), youth development through PGA Junior League, Louisiana Junior Golf Tour, and Drive Chip and Putt programs, military support via PGA HOPE, and professional development for its PGA Members. Operations are supported through the BlueGolf tournament management platform for event scheduling and results.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• PGA REACH Gulf States: Charitable foundation of the Gulf States PGA focused on youth, military, and diverse populations through golf programs
• PGA HOPE
• Louisiana Junior Golf Tour

Products and services

• Gulf States PGA Tournament Events Organized competitive golf tournament program managed by the Gulf States PGA Section, including the Section Championship, Professional Championship, Senior Championship, Junior PGA Championships, Chapter Championships, Stroke Play Series, Pro-Am events, the Mackel Cup inter-chapter rivalry, and the Caribbean Pro-Am. Delivered for PGA Professionals and associate members at golf facilities across Louisiana and Mississippi.
• PGA Junior League Team-based junior golf experience for boys and girls ages 17 and under, featuring expert coaching from PGA and LPGA Professionals at multiple skill levels. Provided to young golfers and their families through the Gulf States PGA Section.
• Louisiana Junior Golf Tour (LJGT) Junior golf tournament series open to juniors of all skill levels ages 11-18, providing affordable competitive playing opportunities across Louisiana.
• Drive Chip and Putt Junior golf skills competition conducted locally with winners advancing to national finals at Augusta National Golf Club. Delivered to young golfers ages 7-15 through the Gulf States PGA Section.
• PGA HOPE (Helping Our Patriots Everywhere) Military veteran golf program providing introductory golf instruction, therapeutic recreation, and community reintegration pathways at no cost to veterans. Delivered by PGA Professionals with PGA HOPE training in Louisiana and Mississippi.
• PGA REACH Gulf States Charitable foundation of the Gulf States PGA Section focused on youth development, military veteran support, and diversity initiatives through golf. Includes scholarship programs exceeding $6.5M historically and the Yellow Birdie Bash fundraising event.
• Professional Development and Continuing Education Programs Continuing education, PDR (Professional Development Requirements) credit programs, webinar series, ExpertVoice product training, and Master Professional designation pathway for PGA Members and Associates. 54 PDR credits per cycle with 36 hours required across Meeting/Education/Player Development/Professional Standards.
• Caribbean Pro-Am Championship Annual flagship Pro-Am tournament hosted at Casa De Campo Resort in the Dominican Republic, featuring the Teeth of the Dog and Dye Fore courses. Open to PGA Professionals and amateur partners from the Gulf States region.

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core, major and supporting.

• Yamaha Golf CarflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerTitle sponsor for Yamaha 3-Pro Championship, Pro-Pro Championship events, and provides golf car fleets for tournament venues. Jeff Jungers and Shannon Caverly, PGA represent Yamaha at section events.
• Club Car / Golf Cars of LouisianacoreGTM or Marketing PartnerTitle sponsor for Chapter Championships and supporter of Professional Championship qualifiers. Multiple Club Car-sponsored events across Louisiana and Mississippi chapters.
• E-Z-GOcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerTitle sponsor for E-Z-GO Oliver Counce Six-Pro Championship, the signature season-ending event. Ben Nelson and Benji Nelson of Ben Nelson Golf & Outdoor represent E-Z-GO.
• OakleycoreGTM or Marketing PartnerLong-standing sponsor providing prizes for amateur and PGA Professional competitions at section events. Kelly Welsh represents Oakley at tournaments.
• RolexcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerNational sponsor supporting Professional Championship and recognition of Player of the Year achievements. Rolex Player of the Year awards at section level.
• PGA TOURcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational partnership providing TOUR visibility, player pathways, and support for section events. TOUR representation at chapter championships and section events.
• Golf ChannelcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational media partner providing coverage and promotion of golf professionals and section activities. Golf Channel branding at section championships.
• Titleist / FootJoymajorGTM or Marketing PartnerEquipment and apparel sponsor providing prizes, sample products, and tournament support at section events. Eddie Welch and James Fuselier represent Titleist/FootJoy.
• TaylorMademajorGTM or Marketing PartnerEquipment sponsor for Professional Championship qualifiers and section events. Chris Perez, PGA represents TaylorMade at section tournaments.
• PINGmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerEquipment sponsor for Pro-Scratch Championships and tournament prizes. Dean Tennille, PGA represents PING at section events.
• AntiguamajorGTM or Marketing PartnerApparel sponsor for Pro-Pro Championships and chapter events. Jason Ford and Joe Graves represent Antigua at section tournaments.
• Srixon / Cleveland Golf / XXIO / ASICSmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerEquipment sponsor for Assistant Championships and section events. Craig Gibson represents Srixon/Cleveland at section tournaments.
• Ben Nelson Golf & Outdoor / Flyway HatsmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal sponsor providing golf car sales and sponsorship for Caribbean Pro-Am events and section championships. David Goldman represents Flyway Hats.
• Jani-KingsupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor for Pro-Am events including Silver Slipper Pro-Am and Jani-King Pro-Am Series at Bayou DeSiard Country Club.
• Sterling Cut GlasssupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor for Pro-Scratch Championships providing glass trophies for winning teams at Squire Creek and other venues.
• BankPlussupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerTitle sponsor for Inaugural Bank Plus Gulf States Open held at Metairie Country Club with 144 players.
• Casa De Campo ResortflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerAnnual host for Caribbean Pro-Am Championship at Teeth of the Dog and Dye Fore courses. Robert Birtel, PGA serves as Director of Golf.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Strengths2 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/gulfstatespga
• Xx.com/GulfStatesPGA
• Facebookfacebook.com/GulfStatesPGA
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/gulf-states-section-pga

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Professional Golfers’ Association