Editors: For photos of PGA Master Professional Craig Bocking, click here.
FRISCO, Texas – The PGA of America has announced that Craig Bocking, PGA, Director of Instruction at The Ledges Country Club in Huntsville, Alabama, has earned PGA Master Professional status, the highest educational designation a PGA Member can obtain.
Bocking, a Member of the Alabama – NW Florida PGA Section, joins a special group as the 438th PGA Member who has ever earned PGA Master Professional status. He achieved his designation in Teaching and Coaching.
The PGA Master Professional Program is available to any PGA Professional with at least 10 years of PGA Membership and has achieved advanced certification through the PGA Certified Professional Program. The curriculum includes an extensive project based on the specific certification previously acquired by the PGA Professional. PGA Master Professional status is earned upon successful completion of the presentation.
The PGA Master Professional program was established in 1969 to recognize PGA Members who make a significant effort to improve as golf professionals and maintain the highest degree of excellence for themselves and their operations. The program is designed to ensure PGA Professionals are prepared to meet the growing demands of the marketplace within the Executive Management, Golf Operations, and Teaching and Coaching Designations.
“Becoming a PGA Master Professional has been a lifelong dream and goal of mine, and this achievement is the culmination of over 20 years of work, research and study,” said Bocking. “Ever since I got into the business I knew what I wanted to do, and that is to help my students play their best golf and grow the game. It’s truly an honor to be part of the inspiring group of PGA Master Professionals, and to earn this status at the Home of the PGA makes it that much more special.”
Bocking’s career journey features both a competitive background and academic success. He earned his A.S. at Wallace State College while playing golf competitively. He then transferred to the University of North Alabama, where he graduated with a B.S. in Marketing in 2002. His dedication to golf led him to achieve PGA Membership in 2006.
Bocking has been the PGA Director of Instruction at The Ledges since 2018 and enjoys working with students of all ability levels who are dedicated to the game and have a passion for playing their best golf. He has been the recipient of the Alabama – NW Florida PGA Section Teacher & Coach of the Year Award three times (2016, ‘20, ‘21) and has been named to the Golf Digest “Best Teachers In Your State” list from 2017-2023.
An award-winning coach, Bocking has developed over 70 juniors to play at the collegiate level with dozens playing Division I golf. He has coached an SEC women’s golfer to multiple collegiate wins and multiple SEC Player of the Week honors. He coaches some of the top-ranked junior & amateur golfers in the country, including the 2021-2022 Pinehurst Elite Invitational Boys Champion, 2022 Alabama Junior Girls & Women’s State Amateur Champion, 2022 Alabama Boys State Junior Amateur Champion, 2023 Southern Junior Boys Champion, 2023 Alabama Men’s State Amateur Champion, and the 2023 Alabama Women’s State Stroke Play Champion. He also coaches multiple high school teams and individuals that have won state championships.
Bocking resides in Huntsville with his wife Rachel and daughter Anna Kate.
About the PGA of America
PGA of America is one of the world’s largest sports organizations, composed of more than 28,000 PGA Professionals who work daily to grow interest and inclusion in the game of golf. For more information about the PGA of America, visit PGA.com and follow us on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
Media Contacts:
Jesse Dodson, PGA of America, jdodson@pgahq.com, 801-995-0684
Jared Minski, Mastro Communications, jared@mastrocomm.com, 732-546-4325
