Background
The Professional Golfers’ Association (PGA), headquartered at The Belfry in Sutton Coldfield, has been at the heart of professional golf for over a century. For more than two decades, Simon Hubbard has been a driving force behind the PGA’s education programmes, helping to shape the future of golf professionals across the UK and beyond.
The PGA’s mission is to provide world-class education to aspiring golf professionals. Working in partnership with the University of Birmingham and the University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI) in Scotland, the organisation delivers a range of higher education programmes that blend academic study with hands-on golf industry experience.
The Decision
With students spread across the UK and globally, the PGA needed a reliable, accessible, and flexible online learning environment to:
- Support remote and blended learning.
- Ensure course consistency across multiple partner universities.
- Enable effective communication between tutors, mentors, and learners.
- Provide a professional, modern digital experience to match the prestige of the PGA brand.
To meet these needs, the PGA adopted Canvas LMS as its central learning platform.
Our students aren’t just based in one location - they’re working and training all over the world. Canvas gives us a consistent, accessible hub where they can engage with course materials, interact with their tutors, and manage their progress wherever they are.
Simon Hubbard (SFHEA),
Head of Training Programme, PGA Fellow Professional
Canvas’ intuitive interface and mobile accessibility proved essential for PGA trainees, many of whom balance their studies alongside professional golf commitments.
For us, the flexibility of Canvas is key. Whether a student is in Scotland, at a club in Europe, or even travelling for tournaments, they can log in and keep up to date with everything they need.
Simon Hubbard (SFHEA),
Head of Training Programme, PGA Fellow Professional
Implementation
Through its partnership with the University of Birmingham, the PGA was able to integrate its own Canvas platform, facilitating seamless access for students enrolled through either Birmingham or the University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI). These integrated platforms host all course content, assessment tools, and communication channels, offering a unified point of access for learners, regardless of their enrolled university.
The Result
Simon emphasises the practical benefits they’ve seen:
- Consistency: All students, regardless of university, have the same high-quality learning experience.
- Flexibility: Trainees can study and submit work around their professional schedules.
- Engagement: Tutors can monitor participation and provide timely feedback through Canvas’ built-in tools.
The PGA continues to explore new ways to enhance its education delivery, with Canvas at the centre of its blended learning approach.
Canvas evolves with us. We can adapt our courses, introduce new formats, and respond to the needs of our students - all within a platform they already know and trust.
Simon Hubbard (SFHEA),
Head of Training Programme, PGA Fellow Professional