About RJ
RJ is a Class A PGA Teaching Professional with over 22 years of experience, now instructing at Trump Golf Academy Miami. Formerly based in Colorado’s Front Range, he built a reputation for his patience, clear communication, and ability to connect with players of all ages and skill levels. His calm, encouraging style creates an open, trusting learning environment where players can thrive.
Education & Credentials
A PGA Professional Golf Management graduate, RJ holds:
- An Occupational Associate’s Degree in Golf Complex Operations & Management (with Honors) from the Golf Academy of the South
- An MBA from the University of Pittsburgh Katz School of Business
- A B.A. from Lafayette College
- He is a Class A PGA Member in good standing and continually expands his expertise through mentorship and professional development.
Education & Credentials
History & Background
Background
Introduced to golf at age eight by his father, RJ learned under Bob Donaldson, PGA, at Hilton Head Island’s Sea Pines Resort. Though he excelled in multiple sports, particularly tennis and baseball, golf became his lifelong passion. By high school, he was a self-taught single-digit handicap player.
Athleticism runs in his family — his father was a national champion squash player at Harvard, with several uncles also earning collegiate titles. That foundation of competition and discipline continues to shape RJ’s teaching philosophy today.
Before Teaching
Before dedicating his career fully to golf, RJ spent several years in corporate America, working in high-net-worth financial sales, hospitality management, and tech startups. That experience taught him how to communicate with diverse personalities — from executives to everyday players — a skill that continues to shape his success as a teacher.
As RJ says, “Teaching is a people business, and those years prepared me perfectly for it.”
Teaching Career
Experience & Approach
Over the years, RJ has taught individual and group lessons, short game classes, and golf academies for players of every level — from beginners and juniors to women and competitive amateurs. His patient, approachable teaching style helps students build confidence and consistency through clear, relatable instruction.
Mentors & Professional Influence
RJ has had the privilege of learning from and working alongside some of the most respected names in the PGA, including:
- Jim Cichra, RMU Director of Golf and multi-time Tri-State PGA Teacher of the Year
- Matt Kluck, Master PGA Professional and three-time Tri-State PGA Teacher of the Year
Their mentorship shaped RJ’s philosophy of blending technical precision with practical, results-driven coaching, ensuring every student can reach their potential.
Giving Back
RJ believes golf teaches more than just swing mechanics — it builds character, discipline, and perseverance. Through his work with the Pittsburgh Youth Golf Foundation and The Woodlands Foundation, he’s used golf to inspire at-risk youth and young athletes with disabilities.
Before joining Trump Golf Academy Miami, RJ taught for GolfTEC, one of the nation’s leading instruction franchises, and began his career as an Assistant Golf Professional at Treesdale Golf & Country Club in Gibsonia, PA.