Italy opens registration for its first Master Professional course
On 29 October 2026, the Federazione Italiana Golf (FIG) announced through its education company Edusport that registration was open for two distinct pathways: the inaugural Master Professional course and continuing professional development for qualified golf instructors.
The Master Professional pathway comprises five modules, running between 9 December 2026 and 31 December 2027. Its opening module is scheduled for 9–11 December 2026, with applications for that module due by 30 November. These are training and application dates, not competition dates; no graduates or outcomes have yet been reported.
A higher-level route for performance coaches
FIG intends Master Professional to sit at the top of its national technical-education structure, with a focus on coaches working with elite golfers. The announced curriculum goes beyond swing mechanics: it includes management and psychology, learning from international coaches, exchanges with other sports federations, biomechanics and performance-data analysis.
One distinction matters. FIG describes the qualification as a future requirement for its own Tecnici Federali. This is not an announcement that every practising Italian golf instructor must already hold a Master Professional credential. The federation first set out plans for the pathway in its April overview; the October update supplies the immediate application deadline and opening dates.
A separate, existing duty for Maestri
At the same time, FIG reiterated the continuing-education rule for instructors who hold the Maestro qualification or higher: 12 hours of professional updating every two years are required to retain active registration on the professional roll and the ability to teach.
The first two-year cycle ends on 31 December 2027. An on-demand online option, “I fondamenti dell’insegnamento sportivo” (“Foundations of Sports Teaching”), is available within the published window of 1 July 2026 to 31 December 2027. Instructors may complete it at any point before the end-of-cycle deadline. This continuing-education option and the five-module Master Professional qualification are not the same course.
What the change means
The announcement marks a clearer separation between maintaining everyday teaching credentials and advanced preparation for high-performance coaching. That distinction matters to clubs employing instructors, professionals planning their development and young players who depend on consistent coaching.
No participant total, qualification pass rate or outcome has yet been disclosed for the new course. The confirmed developments as of 2 November are the opening of registration, the first-module dates, the five-module structure and the biennial 12-hour requirement.
Sources: FIG's announcement of 29 October 2026 and Scuola Nazionale di Golf's education overview of 9 April 2026.
