PJ Pywell – co-founder and managing director

iCaddies

What led you to becoming a PGA Professional?	My passion for people and genuine love of the game. I grew up spending majority of my time on the course and knew at a very young age that I wanted to be involved in the industry.
How long have you been in your current position?	I held the Director of Golf position at Steenberg for three years before moving over to iCaddies, a position I have only been in for three months.
What does your job entail?	As iCaddies is a start-up, I am involved in every aspect of the business although I am supported by three professionals in their own industries. My job entails setting up and providing the information on the iCaddies app where the golfer can book, pay and rate the caddie. Further the agreements and relationships with the golf clubs and most importantly the uplifting and training of our caddies. I am hands on with the programme which initially includes people skills, golf knowledge and etiquette but naturally there are many avenues where the training can go down, right now I am only touching the surface.
Do you have any environmental or sustainability goals that you have met and would like to share?	N/A
Please give us a brief outline of the path you took to lead you to your current position	Caddies have always been close to my heart throughout my time in the industry however I have been involved in management at a ‘high-level’ for just over 8 years and during this time, my golf operation always included caddies. For me personally, a caddie is the premium way to have a world class experience on a golf course not only from the perspective that they look after you entirely but a caddie allows you to take in the surroundings and be more social with your playing partners. That being said, a poor caddie can ruin your experience and for that reason, I decided to do what I am doing with the intention to uplift, upskill and offer golf clubs and the golfer a professional and consistent caddie experience.
Why do you feel that you would be a good candidate to win this award?	Managing staff will always provide certain challenges and I pride myself on creating healthy and positive cultures around my staff compliments. The reason why I am a good candidate to win is managing a club and staff is one thing, but managing caddies? Need I say more?