Steve grew up in southwestern Pennsylvania near Arnold Palmer’s home of Latrobe, in a little town called Norvelt. Growing up across the street from Norvelt Golf Course, Steve was taught the basic fundamentals of the game from PGA Head Professional, Larry Liprando. Steve played four years of high school golf at Mount Pleasant High School and four years of college golf at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, where he played in six national championships.
After graduating in 1983 with a degree in Business, Steve began to teach under PGA Head Professional Michael Vucinich at Greensburg Country Club in Greensburg, Pennsylvania. In 1985, Steve went to the PGA Tour Qualifying School with PGA Tour winner, Rocco Mediate. That winter, he moved to the Washington DC area to begin work at the TPC at Avenel, in Potomac, Maryland.
During his 12 years working at the TPC at Avenel, Steve had the opportunity to film, listen in on, observe and interact with the world’s best PGA Tour players and their coaches. He taught numerous GOLF Digest schools with the likes of Paul Runyan, Dick Aultman and Hank Johnson. Steve was instrumental in starting the PGA Tour’s national TPC Golf School program with Jay Lumpkin, which was a traveling golf school at the various TPC Golf Clubs for the PGA Tour sponsors.
Steve has learned and observed from many of the world’s finest teachers including Jim Flick, Paul Runyan, Dave Pelz, Hank Haney, Martin Hall, Mac O’Grady, Jimmy Ballard, Ben Doyle, Dr. Bob Rotella, and Bill Strasbaugh, to name a few. His thirst for knowledge has led him on a quest for the perfect swing, which he is able to break down into simple, easy-to-understand concepts for his students.
Steve knows junior golf first-hand, with four of his own children that played and competed. He has walked countless practice and tournament rounds, both as a parent with his children, as well as a teacher with his many junior students. He has guided hundreds of juniors from the entire Mid-Atlantic region to college scholarships, again, starting with his own family. So, when Steve says he knows the “ins and outs” of junior golf planning and college recruiting, he speaks first from personal experience. Two of his sons played at the University of Maryland and his youngest daughter is finishing up playing for the Towson Tigers. His youngest son, Sean, won the Maryland Amateur, two Maryland Opens, and was the first alternate on-site at the 2016 US Open at Oakmont. Most recently, Sean earned his PGA/Latin America Tour card for 2017.
As a player, Steve understands what it’s like to stand on the first tee and be so nervous that it’s hard to breathe. He has played in three PGA Tour events, one Kemper Open and two Anheuser-Busch Classics. He owns one course record of 10 under par 62 which has stood for over 35 years. His personal experience in those extremely stressful conditions have immeasurably helped others succeed in the same stressful situations in club championships, member-guest, or at local junior events.
As a teacher and coach, Steve has been a GOLF Magazine TOP 100 Teacher in the US for over 17 years. He’s the only TOP 100 Teacher in the DC Metro area. He’s a two-time MAPGA Section Teacher of the Year, has earned a specialty certification from the PGA in Teaching, is an adjunct professor for the National PGA Education classes, and has been teaching golf for over 32 years. During that time, he has given well over 40,000 golf lessons. Steve has written over 100 instructional articles for the likes of GOLF Magazine, Sports Illustrated, and GOLF.com and has contributed to 3 golf instruction books that have been published. He has been seen on CBS, the Golf Channel, ESPN, TNT, Dish, and Direct TV with the Tour Angle 144 Training aid and 3L Laser Putt. He had a 30-minute infomercial with the Lovet Sand Wedge. Steve has been involved with helping the Georgetown Hoyas men’s golf team for over 25 years.
Steve’s students have come from all walks of life – from CEOs, Presidents of Fortune 500 companies, members of the entertainment industry to professionals from the PGA, Champion’s, LPGA Tour’s to the US Kids, AJGA, state events to college championships. He has seen and taught them all. Many of which to this day have become his family and friends through this great game of golf.