James Hoff, PGA

James Hoff entered into the golf business in 1980 with an apprenticeship in the private club sector of the golf industry under the watchful eye of Bernard Wentis Head PGA Golf Professional at Marietta Country Club in Marietta, Ohio. After carefully honing his skills he the very next year he began playing on the J.C. Goose and North Florida Mini Tours.Hoff’s formal education includes the Golfworks Club Repair and Design school in Newark, Ohio.

After completing the program at Golfworks Hoff left Ohio heading south to work in the private club sector and the daily fee semi private sector working directly with the owner of The Golf Club of West Virginia. Jim then joined the HMS Golf Management team in Savannah, Georgia overseeing the completion and opening of the Southbridge Golf Club in 1989.Immediately following that accomplishment Hoff was elected to PGA Membership garnering Class A Status.

Hoff was elected to rescue a withering golf club in Jacksonville, Florida and while he was there he also helped the HMS Team in St. Mary’s, Georgia with the beginning stages and opening of the Osprey Cove Golf Club. After opening the Arthur Hills design Cedar Creek Golf Club in South Carolina Hoff left HMS Golf Management to pursue another of his goals; managing up-scale courses from inception to opening; among those courses he opened are the impressive Foxfire Golf Club in Vidalia, Georgia and Black Creek Golf Club in Savannah.

For a decade Hoff was responsible for overseeing daily operations for McKinley Golf Corporation in Hilton Head Island. Overseeing facilities in Hilton Head Island, SC., Atlanta, Georgia, and Northwest Michigan and eventually became Corporate Controller for McKinley Golf Corporation. In 2008 while continuing part time with McKinley Golf Corporation PGCC was fortunate enough to receive him as an instructor of Golf Operations and Golf Marketing.

Tony Austin, PGA

Tony Austin has taught at the Professional Golfers Career College Orlando campus since 2005. He is a 23 year veteran of Marriott International where he was Director of Golf or General Manager at several facilities. Most recently he was General Manager at the Metro West Golf Club in Orlando.

A graduate of Columbia University in New York City, Tony has long been active in the PGA of America. After serving as an officer of the North Florida Section, PGA, Tony was elected to the Board of Directors of the PGA of America, serving from 2004 – 2008 in that capacity. Aside from a brief period of time in Arizona Tony and his family have resided in the Orlando area since 1986.

David Wilding, PGA

David Wilding was named Director of Golf at Tradition National Golf Course in Tradition South Carolina where he served as First Assistant Professional at the Harbor Town Golf Links for five years and returned to the South Carolina Lowcountry after serving as the first Head Golf Professional at The Manor Golf and Country Club in Alpharetta, Georgia in over a year.

Wilding has been a Class A member of the PGA of America since 2004 and served as a Board Member of the Hilton Head Island PGA Chapter of the Carolinas Section Board of Directors. He was also the Pro Pal Director of the Hilton Head Junior Golf Association for five years. In addition to this, Wilding served as Chairman of the Hargray Hooked on Golf Program, which introduced the game of golf to participants at the Boys and Girls Club in Hilton Head.

“Tradition National Golf Course has something for every level of golfer and we are particularly pleased to have David Wilding leading our operations,” said David Page, President of Core Communities of South Carolina. “This talented young man has already proven his skills in the golf industry and will provide our owners/members with the highest level of service and professional expertise they expect,” he added. Wilding was born and raised in Louisville, Kentucky and graduated from the University of Louisville.

Mike Murphy, USGA

Mike Murphy earned his BS in Business Administration with a major in Accounting from Oklahoma City University and has completed work at the graduate level at Xavier University. Mike grew up in Houston, TX and is a fine product of the Houston Golf Association’s Junior Golf Program.

He played golf in high school and was one of the best junior golfers in Texas at that time. He played golf in college and at the highest amateur levels for many years. He served on the Board of the Greater Cincinnati Golf Association for 12 years where he was heavily involved in rules officiating. Upon his retirement as a Congressional Investigator for the US Congress in 1999, he began his second career as a Golf Rules Official.

Mike officiates at junior events, College events, elite amateur events, USGA events, and Professional Tournaments. He is a member of the USGA’s Regional Affairs Committee, who is consistently ranked as one of the most knowledgeable on the Rules of Golf and Tournament Administration. He currently serves as Rules Chairman for the Verizon JuniorHeritage, Rice Planters Amateur Championship, and the Players Amateur. He also officiates at the Azalea Invitational, the Porter Cup, and the Sunnehanna Amateur. He serves on the Board of the South Carolina Golf Association and is chairman of its Tournament Committee.

Mike Berning, PGA

Mike Berning has been working as a Golf Professional for over a decade. His career began in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Mike has lent his skills to various types of facilities over the years from high-end resorts to public daily fee facilities. At one point in time, playing for a living and teaching were both interesting career options for him. Eventually, with age came wisdom and Mike felt that he would serve best as a teacher. In 1997 after graduating from the Professional Golfers Career College, Mike landed a job as an assistant Golf Professional at Countryside Country Club. His duties ranged from operating the pro shop to providing instructional lessons to the club’s large membership. In early 1999, Mike was named Head Golf Professional.

In May of 2000, Mike traveled north to Atlanta. His new position led him to the Atlanta Athletic Club. After a single year in the golf shop, Mike’s passion for instruction led him to take up an offer from AAC’s Director of Instruction, Chan Reeves, to become a full time teacher. His time spent at the Athletic Club allowed Mike to fine tune his skills as an instructor aiding him in becoming one of the nations top Club Fitters. His relationship with top club manufactures still continues to grow today. Mike was a welcomed addition to the PGCC Orlando Campus in May of 2008. Some of Mike’s students have previously played or are currently playing golf at both the collegiate and professional levels. Mike’s visible passion for the game and the golf swing come from his mentors and the people that have carefully guided his career. Additionally, Mike is a graduate of PGCC.

Ron Robinson, PGA

Ron Robinson has been a member of the PGA since 1975. Ron operates the Jurupa Hills Golf Course; a family owned course in Riverside California, which has been operating for just shy of 50 years. For the last twenty years Ron has been an exemplary representative of the PGA as the Co-Chairman of the Southern California PGA Rules Committee.

He is one of PGCC’s most beloved instructors, generously using his vast knowledge base to shape the minds of every student that take his Rules of Golf class. Ron cites young golfers that share his love of the game as one of his primary inspirations. As good as Ron has been to the game of golf it has certainly returned the favor, in 1995 he was honored by the SCPGA receiving the prestigious Professional Golfer of the Year Award.

Brent Carlson, PGA

Brent Carlson’s interest in the sport of golf is deep seeded and his background heavily steeped in the sport. He earned a Bachelors degree with a focus on Professional Golf Management and Marketing when he completed his undergraduate work in Michigan in 1996. Carlson rose through the ranks from first to second assistant golf professional by being a quick learner and shortly thereafter he proved himself to be more than qualified to take the helm as Head Golf Professional at the Crescent Pointe Golf Club in Bluffton South Carolina, a role he met with great enthusiasm.

One of Carlson’s most invaluable resources is the exceedingly vast knowledge base he built during his time at the Harbour Town Golf Links in South Carolina, a breathtaking course that is home to the MCI classic PGA tour event and is ranked consistently as one of the top 50 courses in the United States and one of the top100 golf courses in the world.

It isn’t just Brent’s credentials that are impressive, so is his golf game, in January of 1999 he earned Class A membership ranking from the PGA. An avid golfer, he undoubtedly honed his skills while dedicating himself to his internships and volunteer opportunities working with up and coming golf professionals throughout the South.

He brings the same fervor to PGCC that he did to he has brought to all of his previous positions and he has a clear desire to help shape the golf professionals of tomorrow.

Jim Christie, MPGA

Jim Christie comes from a highly accomplished lineage in the golf industry beginning with his father and uncle. He credits his two golf mentors as being his primary motivators guiding him to become involved in golf. Both his father and uncle were members of the PGA and golf professionals as well; they set exceptional examples, instilled in him a great appreciation of the game and fortified his work ethic, a key component in what would be his future success in the golf world.

He was the first Master Professional in Southern California and he is still the only member of the PGA that can boast that he is both a Master Professional and a class “A” GCSAA Superintendent. In addition to this he was the first president of the Inland Empire chapter of the PGA. Christie was personally selected to design and build Saudi Arabia’s first grass golf course, The Dirab Golf & Recreation Center, which hosts a European Senior Tour Event. Following his fine example four other courses have been built subsequently. While in Saudi Arabia he began the Saudi National Amateur Championship, an annual event and he was handpicked to coach the Saudi National Golf Team taking them to the Arab Championships and World Amateur Team Championships in Singapore.

He has traveled extensively and has thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to play golf in over 27 countries with his wife, a graduate of the Professional Golfers Career College who also works in the golf industry at the SCGA Members Club in Murrieta, California. Together they strive towards excellence and advancing the Christie name in the world of golf.

Bobby Gage

As Director of Golf Instruction, Bobby not only teaches classes on instruction he also gives golf instruction and playing lessons. He has an extensive knowledge of playing tournaments and he runs the organization and play of school-wide tournaments. An avid and talented golfer Bobby has played at a professional level on both the PGA and Nationwide Tours for over 15 years. His tremendous talent and expertise at playing at the highest level of golf is a great benefit and example for all of PGCC’s students.

Jack Miller

Jack Miller is a graduate of the University of New Mexico, where he was a member of four conference championship teams, in addition to being Conference Champion himself. After a career in the Air Force, he decided to become a golf professional, and served as Head Golf Professional at the Olympic Resort in Carlsbad, California for five years. Jack gives individual golf lessons to PGCC students.