By Barry Ray

It is one of the most marketable -- and rigorous -- courses of undergraduate study at Florida State University, and now it has a new leader.

Donald G. Farr, a certified PGA Golf Professional and manager of one of the most prestigious golf resorts in the United States, has been named the director of FSU's Professional Golf Management (PGM) program. He succeeds Jim Riscigno, formerly executive vice president of ClubCorp, who has directed the program since its inception in 2000. Riscigno has accepted a teaching position within the College of Business' Dedman School of Hospitality at FSU and is president of ASE Consulting LLC.

"Don Farr has incredible experience in the upscale golf resort industry as a general manager and head golf professional," said Robert A. Brymer, a COB hospitality professor and chairman of the Dedman School, which administers the PGM program. "His versatility in club and resort operations leadership, combined with his PGA credentials, make him a highly sought after candidate for any PGM program in the country. Don will add a new dimension to our already existing and excellent PGM staff. In addition, he has a history with and loves FSU."

A former FSU student, Farr served most recently as Resort Manager and Director of Golf for the Pine Needles and Mid Pines golf resorts. The resorts, located in Southern Pines, N.C., were the site of the USGA United States Women's Open Golf Championship, held in June 2007.

The PGM major at the COB (www.cob.fsu.edu/dsh/pgm_major.cfm ) is widely viewed as one of the most versatile majors around. Students in the program are exposed to career opportunities in everything from country club management to sales and merchandising, coaching, broadcasting and journalism, golf course planning and development, just to name a few.

The PGM major also is seen as particularly challenging, both academically and athletically. In addition to maintaining their golfing skills through daily practice, students must complete a four-and-a-half-year curriculum that encompasses everything from financial accounting to food and beverage management and agronomy -- all while maintaining a 3.0 grade point average. They also must complete 16 months of internships in at least three settings.

And there's more. In order to graduate in the PGM major and receive the coveted designation of PGA Professional, students must participate in a Player Developmental Program until their golfing skills are sufficient to pass a difficult Playing Ability Test administered by the Professional Golfers' Association of America. And they must complete three levels of intensive study in the PGA's own Golf Professional Training Program.

"It takes a uniquely focused and disciplined student to succeed in our Professional Golf Management program," Brymer said. "However, for those students who are up for the challenge, the reward is that they are virtually guaranteed a high-paying and rewarding job."

In fact, recent program graduates now are working at some of the most prestigious golfing facilities in the nation, Brymer said. Those facilities include the majestic Pinehurst Resort in North Carolina; the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail in Alabama; the Westin Mission Hills Resort in Rancho Mirage, Calif.; the Ponte Vedra Golf Club and Inn in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.; the Atlanta National Golf Club; the Atlanta Athletic Club; the Kelly Plantation Golf Club in Destin, Fla.; the Camp Creek Golf Club near Panama City Beach, Fla.; The Villages Executive Golf Trail, located near Orlando, Fla.; and Cane Garden Country Club in The Villages.

COB's Professional Golf Management major is one of 18 college programs accredited by the PGA, located throughout the United States. However, the COB program is one of only two in Florida -- a state that, with more than 1,200 golf courses, offers numerous career opportunities for PGA Professionals.

For more information about the College of Business, please go to www.cob.fsu.edu.