In any quiz at the 19th hole, among enthusiasts of all age groups, the question: "Which European nation has advanced most in the 21st century?" the answers would be wide and varied.
HOW MANY, THOUGH, ONE WONDERS, WOULD GIVE THE ANSWER: POLAND?

Realistically there are many contenders, certainly in Eastern Europe, but the case for Poland being chosen as the ultimate example of just how much progress can be made by sheer desire, determination and team work, is a strong, and emotionally, rather a moving one.
Before 1939 and the start of World War II, there were three golf courses in Poland but then, under the communist regime, all sports had to be 'working class'. Since golf was considered 'bourgeois' it was not permitted. The facilities that existed were either ploughed up or left to decay.

OFFICIALS
President: Marek Podstolski
Secretary: Filip Naglak
Head of Education: Mike O'Brien

PGA is a trademark used under licence and economically, life has seldom been a joyride for the Poles. There is a powerful reminder of this in our Golf Europe 2000 yearbook which states: "Changes in the country's political system have enabled the PGA of Poland to be legally recognised for the first time as a union of professional golfing instructors...
"Previously this was not possible since fundamentally there was no such thing as professional sportsmen. Now, duly recognised, there is a small but enthusiastic family of six professionals, all keen to see progress and development forthcoming in the years ahead...."
By then Poland still had only six courses at which those pros could be employed and a mere NINE HUNDRED amateur players from a population of some thirty-eight million.
Contrast that situation with this recent summing up of Poland's growth factor by their busy-busy, hands-on PGA President, Marek Podstolski. "Even five years ago we had only fifteen instructors," he recalled. "Now we have twenty-five fully-qualified professionals. This year alone we had twenty young golfers join us (on their training programme) so we've nearly doubled our intake in one year.

"This shows how much we're progressing. It's got to the point where some of the golf clubs are reluctant to release their professionals to play in tournaments at the weekend, because they are so busy."
On any given weekend there might be fifty or sixty beginners trying to learn the game as the number of golfers in a country that has been bitten incurably by the golfing bug, rises by the week.
He added "We've got a lot of good young amateur players coming through. One of them
has gone to America to develop his game. They all dream of becoming professionals and want to join the PGA of Poland. But we encourage them to go to university and finish their education first, so at least they have more than one option."

Marek has been a most enthusiastic figurehead for his association, regularly attending the Annual Congress and International Team Championship, along with other relevant events, and liasing closely with The PGAs of Europe's Education Committee, in order to establish, and advance, their education programme.

Driving this programme, and Poland's hunger for self-sufficiency as a golfing nation, has been their head of training, Mike O'Brien, winner of a ProSport Media 5-Star professional award last November for his outstanding service in this regard.
Mike was one of that 'small but enthusiastic family' of professionals who, eight years ago, sought to kick-start a golf rush in a country with
barely any previous pedigree, the PGA having been founded as recently as 1995. Now they have sound relationships with the Government and with the Federation and have a growing Order of Merit tournament schedule, run as Pro-Ams.
Full marks to all concerned for making it happen.