Alan White: Lanark Golf Club professional lands top PGA role

PGA chairman Alan White is celebrating another landmark achievement in his career after attaining the Association’s highest honour, the status of Master Professional.
Alan White has been head professional at Lanark Golf Club for over 30 yearsAlan White has been head professional at Lanark Golf Club for over 30 years
Alan White has been head professional at Lanark Golf Club for over 30 years

Lanark Golf Club stalwart White has been a PGA member for more than 30 years and succeeded David Murchie as the Association’s chairman in 2017.

The 58-year-old has helped thousands of people improve their game, from players with disabilities to Ryder Cup stars, in his role as head professional at Lanark GC.

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White, who turned professional in 1982, has enjoyed spells at Gleneagles Hotel, Perthshire, and Murcar Golf Club but it is at Lanark where White has firmly made his mark in the game.

Among his achievements as the club’s head professional for more than 30 years, White has built and maintained a large membership, developed the junior academy and improved the venue’s facilities.

In addition, he has developed the careers of fellow PGA members by hiring a minimum of two assistants a year since 1998, ensuring they are involved with a development programme to progress their career.

PGA Scotland’s longest serving chairman (2007-2014) also played a key role in the creation of a PGA training course in Scotland at the new University of the Highlands and Islands.

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White commented: “PGA professionals tend not to seek recognition for what they do, they just get on with it.

“However, to be recognised as to be worthy of the title of PGA Master Professional does feel very special.”

Alan, who has been based at Lanark GC since 1997, was in 2015 named in the same bracket as the man teaching superstar Northern Irish golfer Rory McIlroy.

For Alan and McIlroy’s swing advisor Michael Bannon were both included in the UK’s top 50 golf coaches by leading magazine Today’s Golfer.

This was a significant achievement for the Lanark stalwart as there are no fewer than 7500 golf pros in the British PGA.

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