The current Professional Development Requirement, commonly known as PDR (formerly MSR) cycle is effective June 16, 2022 – June 15, 2025. All PGA Members excluding those with A-3 or A-5 classifications, Retired Members, and Life Members Retired are required to earn a total of 54 credits, with at least 30 coming from Required Education credits and at least 6 coming from Required Meeting/Survey credits. 

CATCHING UP WHEN YOU GET BEHIND ON PDRs:

You know you need to have Professional Development Requirement (PDR) Credits to remain in good standing, but what happens when you get behind? Staying on top of your professional development often involves more than simply earning enough credits, and when the cycle lapses, you may find yourself designated as a Class “F” Member.

It is important to remember that in order to get caught back up, Class “F” Members not only need to earn the required amount of credits for the new cycle; they also need to earn the deficit requirements of the previous period PLUS the same amount of the deficit in the new period. Should a member fail to satisfy this requirement by the end of the cycle in which they were transferred to Class F status, his/her membership will be terminated.
Requirements as listed in the current cycle (Cycle 17 – 06/16/2022-06/15/2025) are as follows (from PGA.org)

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT REQUIREMENT POLICY, (PDR), as defined by the PGA Board of Directors:

• A Section may require that all Section and Chapter activities be approved in advance.
• Based on previously approved activities, established guidelines and Section recommendations, the National Office will approve the credits to be awarded for a certain activity. The Board of Control will determine the number of credits in all disputes and the Board of Directors reserves the right to make modifications to the requirements.
• A participant may receive compensation for an activity.
• Fifty‐four (54) Total credits are required for a three‐year cycle; of which at least 30 must come from Education and/or Specified Player Engagement Programs and six (6) must come from Meetings and/or National Survey Submission.
• Members who have attained a combination of years of membership and age which adds up to 9 0 or more before the start of the Professional Development Requirement Program Cycle (June 16, 2022), shall be required to earn 12 PDR credits only from any PDR category.
• Members in the Unaffiliated Section will be required to earn two thirds (2/3) of the requirement.
• Members in the Reserve Classification will be required to earn one half (1/2) of the requirement.

30 REQUIRED CREDITS - PGA Approved Education, Professional Standards Education/Training and Specified PGA Player Engagement Programs:

• Attending career specific education, including serving as a speaker/instructor. Attending education on topics such as youth safety, diversity, equity and inclusion, mental health wellbeing. 1 credit per each hour of attendance.
• It is recommended that education be completed within one’s current, or desired career path (Executive Management, Golf Operations, or Teaching and Coaching)
• Any online education must have an assessment which is successfully completed.
• Specified Player Engagement Programs – Credited Per Below
• PGA HOPE Clinics (1 credit for hour or each hour of participation, up to six credits per PDR cycle year
• PGA Junior League (6 credits per team/season, maximum of two PGA Members earning credit per team/season, up to twelve credits per PDR cycle year
• PGA Family Cup ‐ (6 credits per team/season, maximum of two PGA Members earning credit per team/season, up to twelve credits per PDR cycle year
• PGA Junior Camps – (2 credits per camp week, up to six credits per PDR cycle year)
• Drive Chip & Putt ‐ Host PGA Professional ‐ 4 PGA Required PDR credits. Other PGA Professionals participating/volunteering ‐ 2 PGA Required PDR credits for five to eight hours participation, 1 PGA Required credit for four hours participation, up to eight credits per PDR cycle year.

6 REQUIRED CREDITS - PGA Meeting Attendance and National Survey Completion:

• Attending National, Section or Chapter Meetings, including Board and Committee Meetings – 1 credit per each hour of attendance. (If a meeting is offered both in‐person and virtual, in‐person attendees will receive full credit, while virtual attendees will receive half (1/2) credit.)
• Completing National Surveys (such as: Compensation Survey, Annual Operations Survey, Member Offering Survey, Career Planning Survey, Revenue Scorecard) – max 2 credits per National survey, per cycle year

54 TOTAL CREDITS - Credits Towards the Total Requirement:

• Serving the Section, Chapter, National PGA or Allied Association. Participating in advancement of the game activities such as radio shows, TV shows, speeches, golf promotional non‐playing events, golf clinics and other volunteer activities, such as non‐playing tournament official. Section Surveys. (1 credit per hour of participation with a maximum of 8 credits per day)
• Serving as a golf coach or assistant golf coach of a high school/college golf team in a capacity not considered the Member’s primary employment. (Maximum of 6 credits per PDR cycle year)
• Participation in Section sanctioned golf tournaments or tournaments conducted by the PGA of America National Office. (2 credits per Section event. 4 credits per National event)
• Attending a National, Section or Allied Association Merchandise Show. (Maximum of 8 credits per PDR cycle year. 2 credits per show)
• PGA approved news, media, and magazine articles or published book. (Maximum of 4 credits per PDR cycle year. 1 credit per article)
• PGA National Club Championship ‐ 1 credit per year for submitting the Club Champion.
• High School Seminars ‐ 2 credits for participating
• NCCGA Event Host ‐ 2 credits for hosting
• NCCGA Coach ‐ 6 credits for coaching per season
• City Tour ‐ 2 credits for hosting

The PDR Cycle is from June 16, 2022 through June 15, 2025. Where credits are restricted per cycle year, the PDR Cycle Year is defined as June 16th of one year to June 15th of the next year.

CLICK HERE TO REPORT PDR CREDITS

You may also report your PDR Credits on the PGA Member App.  The PGA Member app is live in the Apple and Google Play stores.  

• Logging into the PGA Member App 
• Home tab

To check how many PDR credits you've earned and how many more you need to obtain, login to your account on PGA.org. If you experienced difficulty logging in, please contact the National PGA office at 1-800-474-2776 for assistance.

• Total Credits (54) ‐ A total of 54 credits must be earned, with at least 30 credits from Required Education Credits/Specified Player Engagement Programs and at least 6 credits from the Required Meeting/National Surveys Credits, while the other means of obtaining credits toward the total requirement remain per the prior program.
• 30 Required Credits ‐ PGA Approved Education, Professional Standards Education/Training and/or Specified PGA Player Engagement Programs
• 6 Required Credits ‐ PGA Meeting Attendance and/or National Survey Completion (All credits earned in the Required Category are also credited toward the Total Category)

CLICK HERE TO VIEW FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS PERTAINING TO PDR CREDITS