2 October 2026 · 8 min read
Becoming a golf teacher in Switzerland: the Swiss PGA programme, requirements, duration and cost
Handicap 6.0 at most, three years, CHF 12,000: what the Swiss PGA asks for in training golf teachers, what it costs and how it differs from Germany.
You become a golf teacher in Switzerland through the three-year programme of the Swiss PGA, which ends with the diploma «Golf Professional Swiss PGA». You need a handicap of 6.0 at most, an age of at least 18, a Swiss or Liechtenstein passport or a B or C permit, and a completed vocational training or the Matura. The programme costs CHF 12,000 for three years. I read the Swiss PGA's pages and the 2026 brochure on 2 October 2026 and only repeat what they say.
What does the Swiss PGA require?
| Requirement | What the Swiss PGA asks for |
|---|---|
| Minimum age | 18 years |
| Playing level | handicap 6.0 at most, for women and men |
| Evaluation Day | taking part in the Swiss PGA Evaluation Day, the first official contact with the Swiss PGA |
| English | 1st Certificate level (CEFR B2) |
| Nationality | Swiss or Liechtenstein passport, or a B or C permit |
| Prior education | completed vocational training or Matura |
| Training contract | three-year variant: contract with a recognised golf club; part-time: none |
To put the handicap in context: the average Handicap Index in Switzerland is around 28 (Swiss Golf). Anyone playing to 6.0 or better is far below it. How a handicap comes about and how you lower it is in The golf handicap explained.
The Swiss PGA website also names the J+S leader course, a basic course of 5 days, as a requirement before the start. The brochure does not list it among the seven admission requirements. The calendar shows a J+S leader course from 19 to 23 October 2026 for new apprentices starting in 2027. Ask the Swiss PGA when you attend it. You register through the club's J+S coach, otherwise through the cantonal sports office (Swiss PGA, Youth + Sport). Golf has been part of Youth + Sport since 2010.
What does the programme look like?
The programme has three levels, each ends with an assessment, and Level 3 leads to the diploma. You work full-time in a recognised golf club and attend education days of the Swiss PGA. Five core areas shape it: Teaching, The Game, Youth + Sport, Professional and Business.
| Level | Year | Focus |
|---|---|---|
| Level 1, understanding your role | 1st year | Assessment Day, laws and principles of the golf swing, group lessons, lessons on the course, club operations with secretariat, greenkeeping, pro shop and tournaments |
| Level 2, creating added value | 2nd year | advanced group lessons, on-course coaching, video and launch monitor analysis, interpersonal skills, club events and projects |
| Level 3, professionalism | 3rd year | advanced coaching, single-HCP coaching, business and management, final project |
In the second year you independently teach groups and individuals up to HCP 24, in the third year up to single-HCP. Video and launch monitor analysis are on the plan in the second year; what a launch monitor measures is explained in Understanding launch monitor numbers. The Swiss PGA puts the focus not on traditional written exams but on practical skills.
What does the programme cost?
The Swiss PGA names CHF 4,000 a year, CHF 12,000 together, plus the fee of the final exam and the membership fee. The table adds the items the way the pages name them (as of 2 October 2026).
| Item | CHF |
|---|---|
| Training, 3 years at 4,000 each | 12,000 |
| Final exam | 350 |
| Swiss PGA membership: 330 in the first year, 440 each in the second and third | 1,210 |
| Total | 13,560 |
| Additional year (repeat year) | 1,500 |
| Federal professional examination, optional | 1,950 regular, 1,000 shortened |
The total is my own sum and not a Swiss PGA price. Not named are the costs of the J+S leader course and of living. The golf club signs a training contract and, according to the brochure, pays «appropriate remuneration». The Swiss PGA names no amount.
How long does it take, and can you do it part-time?
The regular programme is dual and takes three years. The Swiss PGA also offers it part-time: the same admission requirements apply, you attend all modules and sit the interim exams, but you need no training contract with a golf club. The modules are billed individually, and the exam fee of CHF 350 comes on top. The part-time programme is open to everyone who meets the admission requirements. How long it takes is not stated in the brochure.
You are admitted to the final exam when you have attended all modules and passed the Level 1 and 2 exams. On top come 600 documented lessons (300 individual, 150 group and 150 junior lessons), a valid first-aid certificate and the passed Playing Ability Test. The exam consists of coaching juniors, a teaching lesson, a demonstration and a video analysis.
What does the federal professional examination add?
On top of the Swiss PGA diploma you can sit the federal professional examination through sportartenlehrer.ch, which organises exams for 17 sports federations. It leads to a federal certificate for teaching recreational sport. The regular exam costs CHF 1,950, the shortened one CHF 1,000; the shortened one is taken by people who meet the requirements of the examination regulations. The Swiss PGA asks for a thesis only for this additional exam.
How is it in Germany?
PGA Deutschland structures the training differently (PGA Deutschland, training structure). The table puts the figures side by side.
| Point | Swiss PGA | PGA Deutschland |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum age | 18 years | 16 years (PreCourse and Module I) |
| Handicap | 6.0 at most | PreCourse 18.4, Module I 12.4 (the page's wording: «at least») |
| Structure | three levels in three years | PreCourse, Module I (nine months), Module II (almost two years) |
| Intermediate step | interim exam after each level | PGA Assistant after Module I, teaches up to Handicap Index 37 |
Can you earn money with golf lessons?
The Swiss PGA writes that the majority of its members are golf instructors and around 10 per cent live from prize money and sponsorship as playing pros. Its members work as golf teachers, coaches, pro shop operators, club managers and tour players. Anyone admitted as a player with handicap 0 is not yet a qualified golf instructor and should not give lessons without that training. None of the sources I read names salaries. What customers pay for an hour is shown by our entries: Golf Club Thunersee names a private lesson from CHF 110 for 50 minutes, Winterberg CHF 130 per lesson. More prices are in What a golf lesson costs in Switzerland. What of that stays with the pro depends on employment and club, and I have no source for it.
What this means for you
- Check your handicap. If it is above 6.0, that is your first task.
- Sign up for the Evaluation Day: according to the brochure the next Evaluation Day is the first step, and the Swiss PGA names the dates.
- Clarify the J+S question and the training contract with a club, or choose the part-time variant.
- If you first want to see what teaching looks like, take a lesson yourself: Golf taster course in Switzerland, Platzreife course price comparison and Learning golf with YouTube or with a pro show what pros deliver.
Coaching and pros in the directory
In the directory 81 of the 110 indoor venues offer coaching, 95 of the 126 venues in total (as of 2 October 2026, our own entries). The Swiss Golf Park Wädenswil names three PGA professionals, Winterberg four. Under indoor golf training you find the venues with coaching, the map shows all venues by canton, and golf simulator for beginners explains the first hour.
Frequently asked questions
How do I become a golf teacher in Switzerland?
Through the Swiss PGA's three-year programme with three levels, an assessment after each level and the diploma «Golf Professional Swiss PGA». Requirements include an age of at least 18, a handicap of 6.0 at most and taking part in the Evaluation Day.
What handicap do I need to become a golf teacher?
The Swiss PGA requires a handicap of 6.0 at most, for women and men. For context, the average Handicap Index in Switzerland is around 28. In Germany PGA Deutschland names 12.4 for Module I, in its wording «at least».
What does the golf teacher training cost in Switzerland?
The Swiss PGA names CHF 12,000 for three years, plus CHF 350 for the final exam and a membership fee of CHF 330 in the first and CHF 440 in the second and third year. Added up that is CHF 13,560, and an additional year costs CHF 1,500.
Can I train as a golf teacher part-time?
Yes, the Swiss PGA offers it part-time. The same admission requirements apply, you attend all modules and sit the interim exams, but you need no training contract with a golf club. The modules are billed individually, and the final exam costs CHF 350.
Can you study golf?
A university degree does not appear on the Swiss PGA's pages. The route is a dual programme with the diploma «Golf Professional Swiss PGA», optionally with the federal professional examination through sportartenlehrer.ch, which costs CHF 1,950 regular and CHF 1,000 shortened.
Sources
- Swiss PGA: Requirements (Mindestalter, Handicap, Evaluation Day, Englisch, J+S, Gebühren)
- Swiss PGA: Ausbildung 2026, Broschüre (Zulassung, Level, Kosten, Abschlussprüfung, berufsbegleitend)
- Swiss PGA: Education Structure (Drei Level, fünf Kernbereiche, Diplom)
- Swiss PGA: Membership (Mitglieder, Playing Pros, Player-Status)
- Swiss PGA: Youth + Sport (J+S-Leiterkurs, Anmeldung)
- sportartenlehrer.ch: Ausschreibung Berufsprüfung (Eidgenössische Berufsprüfung, Gebühren)
- PGA Deutschland: Ausbildungsstruktur (PreCourse, Modul I und II, Handicap, PGA Assistant)
- Swiss Golf: Facts & Figures (durchschnittlicher Handicap Index rund 28)
- Swiss Golf Simulators: eigene Einträge (Coaching, Lektionspreise, PGA Professionals, Stand Oktober 2026)