A Chronicle of the
Philadelphia PGA and its Members
by Peter C. Trenham
The Leaders and The Legends
2020 to 2025
Leaders Jeffery D. “Jeff” Kiddie
Jeff Kiddie was honored as the “ PGA Golf Professional of the Year” at the PGA of America’s 2023 annual meeting. Born in Albany, NY and raised in Rochester, NY Kiddie’s father was a golf professional who became a professional golf salesman . Kiddie graduated from Gannon University in Erie, Pennsylvania, where he played on the golf team. He then turned professional, beginning his career in golf as an assistant at the Locust Hill Country Club near Rochester. From there he moved to the Monroe Golf Club, working under Jim Mrva, who would later be a “ PGA Golf Professional of the Year”. As an assistant at Monroe, Kiddie was the “Assistant Professional of the Year” in the Western New York PGA for the year 1999. In 2000 he arrived in the Philadelphia Section as an assistant at Pine Valley Golf Club. One year later he was the professional at the Applebrook Golf Club and soon after that became the general manager of the club as well. In 2008 he moved to Aronimink Golf Club as its head professional. Kiddie became involved in the Philadelphia Section politics as a district director in 2013. He was elected to the office of section affairs for 2014-15 and began a progression through the Section offices of secretary 2015-17, vice president 2018-19 and president 2020-21. After being the “Merchandiser of the Year for Private Clubs” in the Philadelphia Section two times, in 2011 he received the award at the national level. In his first four years at Aronimink he had increased the golf shop sales by 39 percent. By 2018 the sales increased 96 percent and in 2023 the sales had exceeded $1,600,000. In 2011 he was also the Philadelphia Section’s “PGA Professional of the Year”. Along with merchandising, Kiddie and his assistants played golf with the members, which was becoming a lost part of golf at private clubs. At Aronimink, Kiddie started a “Golf Get Ready” program for juniors and women so they were ready to play golf on the golf course when their opportunities arrived. He created a Wednesday evening league which created more rounds of golf for the club. Kiddie hosted education programs along with being a presenter or panel member for education seminars. He received the Section’s Bill Strausbaugh Award In 2011 and in 2016 he received the Professional Development Award. Kiddie hosted Drive, Chip and Putt qualifiers and the 2021 Philadelphia PGA Championship, the 100th edition of this event. As Aronimink’s professional, Kiddie hosted four national professional tournaments. While Aronimink was conducting a search for a new general manager in 2021, Kiddie held down that position as well for six months while still serving as the club’s head professional. This came at a time when the club was taking on a $35,000,000 capital project campaign. As a head professional thirteen of his assistants have gone on to be head professionals. After becoming involved with the Philadelphia Rules Committee, in 2013 he became a member of the PGA of America Rules of Golf Committee. Along with being a faculty member for PGA/USGA Rules Workshops instructor five times, Kiddie served as a rules official at national championships which included five PGA Championships and the 2021 Ryder Cup. In 2024 Kiddie and Aronimink began making preparations to host the 2026 PGA Championship. In 2024 Kiddie was inducted into the Philadelphia PGA’s Hall of Fame.
Clark Luis
Clark Luis was born in New Jersey in 1946. He was introduced to golf when he found a set of Robert T. Jones left handed Spalding golf clubs in his uncle’s attic. It may have been destiny as Luis was left handed. At the age of 14 he began playing golf at a public golf course which led to him playing on his high school golf team. Luis graduated from the University of Virginia in 1966. From there he studied theatre and voice at New York University’s School of the Arts, graduating with an associates degree in the fine arts. After four years of steady work in theatre Luis was between assignments for the first time. So, in 1971, he took a job as a starter at Ocean Acres Country Club for the summer. Through that he met Paul Midiri who was in his first year as the professional at the Medford Village Country Club. Midiri offered Luis a job as his assistant, which he accepted thinking he would return to the theatre profession after that golf season. More than 50 years later he was still in the golf business. Now his son Charles is also a PGA member and the regional manager for Golftec’s four facilities in the Philadelphia region. After four years at Medford Village (1972-75), Luis moved to Hi-Point Golf Club as an assistant under Tom Smith for four years. From there he returned to Ocean Acres in 1980 as the professional and general manager. That year George Skomsky invited him to play in his pro-member tournament at Valley Country Club. Luis’ team won the tournament and then at the request of Skomsky he entertained the golfers for 20 minutes after dinner. One year later Skomsky had resigned and Luis was hired as the head professional at Valley CC. He went on to hold the head professional position at Valley CC for more than 40 years. As a player Luis tied for third in the 1996 Philadelphia PGA Senior Championship and won the 1981Variety Club Championship, becoming the first left handed professional to win a tournament in the Philadelphia PGA. While working as a golf professional Luis became interested in the rules of golf. He attended a PGA/USGA rules seminar in 1997 passing the final exam with a high score. A year later he attended a USGA advanced rules seminar and passed that exam becoming a certified USGA rules official. In 2004 Luis became a member of the PGA of America’s Rules Committee. In that capacity he worked four PGA Championships and three Senior PGA Championships along with many other PGA of America tournaments. His first PGA Championship was memorable. That was 2010. On the 72nd hole, Dustin Johnson soled his club in one of Whistling Straights Golf Club’s more than 1,200 bunkers, which cost him a chance to win the tournament. Luis was a member of the PGA of America rules committee for 20 years. The Philadelphia PGA formed a rules committee in 2009. As members of the PGA of America rules committee, Luis and Tom Carpus were the cochairmen. When Carpus became a member of the PGA Tour’s senior tour rules staff in 2019, Luis became the chairman of the Philadelphia PGA rules committee. Luis held that position until 2023 and then stayed on as a member after that. With his knowledge on the rules of golf, Luis gave many hours of his time tutoring his fellow golf professionals on the rules of golf. When Dick Smith, Sr. became president of the Philadelphia PGA in 1978, his brother Tom Smith suggested that Clark Luis’s training in voice might be a good addition to the Section’s spring meeting. Luis opened the meeting with his stirring rendition of the national anthem. More than 40 years later Luis was still opening the Section’s spring and fall meetings by singing the national anthem without any accompanying music.
Patrick William Shine
Patrick Shine was born in Michigan in 1974 and grew up outside Detroit. Introduced to golf by his father, he learned to play golf on a nine-hole golf course. He caddied at the course and began working for the golf professional. After high school Shine attended Ferris State University where he enrolled in its PGA Golf Management program. He graduated in 1996 and turned professional. Shine arrived in the Philadelphia Section in 2001 as the professional at Hartefeld National Golf Club. In May of 2005 he hosted a new PGA of America endeavor called “Play Golf America Day”. The day, which was open to the public, consisted of introducing new golfers to the game. There was golf instruction and the opportunity to test out the newest equipment from the leading golf companies. Thirty of the Section’s golf professionals provided free golf lessons. Five hundred golfers attended the event. Shine moved to Commonwealth National as the head professional in May of 2006, where he stayed for seventeen years. He became involved in Section politics as a district director in 2011, an office he held for five years. He was elected to the office of Director of Section Affairs in late 2015 serving a two-year term (2016-17). From there he served two-year terms as Secretary (2018-19), Vice President (2020-21) and President (2022-23). Shine was the Section’s Merchandiser of the Year for private clubs in 2017. Under his direction a 600 square foot teaching studio had been constructed at Commonwealth National, which had doubled the sale of golf clubs and golf lessons in the off season. In 2018 he was the Section’s “Golf Professional of the Year”. His passion was teaching and junior golf. He had been the Section’s junior golf chair from 2011 to 2018. Through the PGA Certified Professional Program Shine had earned advanced degrees in Instruction, Merchandising and Golf Operations. At that time, he was only one of 155 PGA members to achieve that level of PGA continuing education. Shine was a delegate to the PGA of America’s annual meeting four times and an alternate delegate several more times. In 2022 Shine left Commonwealth National for the head professional position at Doylestown Country Club.
Peter G. “Chip” Richter
Chip Richter was born in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania in 1971. He was introduced to golf by his father who was an amateur golfer and USGA rules official. Richter grew up playing golf at Hershey Country Club where his father was a member. As a teenager he worked in the golf shop at Hershey CC for head professional Jay Weitzel for five years. In 1988 he qualified for the USGA Junior Championship. After high school Richter attended Old Dominion University on a golf scholarship, graduating in 1994. At Old Dominion he was the captain of the golf team for two years and was the 1992 Virginia Intercollegiate co-champion. While at Old Dominion, Richter qualified for the US Amateur Championship in 1991 and 1993. He turned pro after college and began his career in golf in Florida as an assistant professional at Lake Nona Golf Club in 1994. In 1998 Richter moved north to Maryland, as an assistant at Caves Valley Golf Club where he became a member of the PGA. After three years at Caves Valley, Richter returned to Pennsylvania in 2001 as the head professional at the Carlisle Country Club. As the professional at Carlisle CC he won many tournaments in the Central Counties Chapter. In 2014 he became involved in Section affairs as the secretary of the Central Counties Chapter. Two years later he was elected district director for District 3 in the Philadelphia PGA, serving in that capacity for three years, 2015-17. From Central Counties Chapter secretary, Richter moved through the chapter’s chairs with two year terms as secretary, treasurer, vice president and president. At the 2017 fall meeting of the Philadelphia PGA he was elected director of section affairs. He served as the Section’s director of section affairs in 2018-19, secretary in 2020-2021, vice president in 2022-23 and president in 2024-25. For several years Richter was an officer in the Central Counties Chapter and the Philadelphia PGA at the same time. He was the Central Counties Chapter Golf Professional of the Year in 2014 and received the Philadelphia PGA’s Horton Smith Award in 2016. In 2019 Richter earned PGA Certification in Teaching and Coaching. After 20 years as the professional at Carlisle CC, Richter left in 2021 to become the director of instruction at the Country Club of Harrisburg.
Legends
Stuart Paul Ingraham
Stu Ingraham was born in Pennsylvania in 1960. At the age of eight he was introduced to golf by his father on the 9-hole Lebanon VA Hospital Golf Course. As a teenager he began working for Mike Swisher, at the Lebanon Country Club. In 1977 Ingraham won the Pennsylvania High School Boys Golf Championship by seven strokes. He attended East Tennessee State University and played on the golf team, graduating in 1982 as a third team All American. Later that year he turned pro and went to work for Swisher at the Lebanon Country Club for three years, 1983-85. In the fall of 1985 Ingraham successfully made it through the PGA Tour’s Q-School, finishing 11th. There were 700 entries. Playing the 1986 PGA Tour, Ingraham won $11,645, which wasn’t enough to retain his playing privileges. His best finish was a tie for 14th at the Tallahassee Open. The following year, 1987, he joined Ted McKenzie at the Waynesborough Country Club as his teaching professional. After four years at Waynesborough, Ingraham was hired as the head professional at the Overbrook Golf Club in 1991, where he stayed for 17 years. For thirty years he was one of the leading players in the Philadelphia PGA, winning the Section Championship two times, along with winning a Philadelphia Open and a Pennsylvania Open. He qualified for the PGA Professional Championship 26 times and the PGA Championship six times. At the 1993 PGA Championship he was the low club professional, tying for 31st. He was a member of the PGA of America’s Cup team in 1990 and 1996. As a senior Ingraham won the Section Senior Championship five times and qualified for the Senior PGA Professional Championship ten times. He qualified for four Senior PGA Championships and two US Senior Opens. In 2017 Ingraham won the PGA Quarter Century Championship. He was the Philadelphia Section’s Player of the Year seven times, Senior Player of the Year eight times, and won the DeBaufre Trophy for the lowest scoring average in Section seven times. In 2011 and 2012 Ingraham was both the Section’s Player of the Year and Senior Player of the Year. As of that time he was the only one to have achieved that. In the Section, he served as a District Director, along with being on the tournament committee and special awards committee. After leaving Overbrook in 2017 Ingraham became the teaching professional at the MGolf Driving Range & Learning Facility.
Brian Patrick Kelly
Brian Kelly was born Massachusetts in 1960. At the age of seven he began playing golf by sneaking on one of the later holes of the nine-hole Pembroke Country Club, which was near his family’s home. After a few years of his sneaking on the golf course, the golf pro told him he could play all day for $1. His father was a member there as well. One day Brian even played 63 holes. After high school Kelly attended Quinnipiac University in Connecticut. After two years of college he turned pro, beginning his career in professional golf as an assistant at the Cohasset Golf Club in Massachusetts, in 1981. From there Kelly worked in South Florida at several golf courses as an assistant, one of them being, JDM Country Club, the former PGA National Golf Club. He arrived in the Philadelphia Section in the late summer of 1984, as an assistant to John Poole at the Kennett Square Golf & Country Club. Three years later Kelly became the head professional at Mahoning Valley Country Club in 1987. After that he was the teaching professional at Ingleside Manor Golf Club, Plymouth Country Club, White Deer Golf Club, Frosty Valley Country Club and Clinton Country Club. Some years he played the professional golf minitours. In 2000 Kelly became the head professional at Bucknell Golf Club, where he stayed until his retirement in 2021. For five years Kelly served on the Philadelphia PGA Board as a District Director. As a player Kelly compiled an outstanding record in the Philadelphia PGA. He won the Philadelphia PGA Championship in 1995, 2000 and 2005 along with winning the Philadelphia Open in 2000 and 2003. Kelly also won the 1987 Pennsylvania Open, the 1985 and 1995 Philadelphia PGA Assistant Championships and the Philadelphia PGA Match Play Championship in 1997 and 2008. In 2008 he won the DeBaufre Trophy for the low scoring average in the Section. Kelly qualified for the 1990 US Open, the Senior PGA Championship four times, the PGA Professional Championship 12 times and the Senior PGA Professional Championship 13 times. As a member of the Central Counties Chapter of the Philadelphia PGA Kelly won its championship 7 times and was the Chapter Player of the Year 11 times. In 2009 he was the Chapter’s Golf Professional of the Year. Kelly’s brother Glenn was also a PGA professional, serving as the professional at the Woods Hole Golf Club in Massachusetts.
Alice Miller
Miller was born in California in 1956. Having played basketball, tennis and softball as a young girl, her father enrolled her in a junior golf clinic at Plumas Lake Country Club in Marysville at age 13. The golf professional decided she should try out for the boy’s high school golf team where she ended up playing number one on the team. At the 1973 US Junior Girl’s Championship Miller lost to Amy Alcott on 19th hole of the quarter finals. That earned her a scholarship to Arizona State University. Her team won the 1975 AIWA national championship her freshman year. That was before the NCAA recognized women’s golf. She graduated in 1978, turning pro and becoming a member of the LPGA. In 1983 she won her first LPGA tournament and went on to win seven more times on the LPGA Tour. Two of those victories were majors, the 1985 Nabisco Dinah Shore and the 1985 McDonald’s LPGA Championship. In winning the 1985 LPGA Championship Miller put together a 16 under par 272 at White Manor Country Club. That was eight strokes better than runner-up Nancy Lopez. That year she finished third on the LPGA Tour money list. In two other majors she finished second. In 1997 she played the fastest round in the history of the LPGA Tour, one hour, 26 minutes and 44 seconds during the final round of the Welsh’s/Circle K Championship. Miller served as president of the LPGA in 1993. She arrived in the Philadelphia area as the executive director of the McDonald’s LPGA Championship in 2001, holding that position through 2009. In 2013 she became the teaching professional at the DuPont Country Club. In the Philadelphia Section she served on the rules of golf committee.
John E. Pillar
John Pillar was born in Arizona in 1967 and grew up in Hawley, Pennsylvania. A high school athlete, he was introduced to golf by an uncle at age 15, as his caddy. After three days of caddying for his uncle at the local Cricket Hill Golf Club, Pillar played golf for the first time at the age of 15, shooting a 52 with his uncle’s golf clubs. With that, his uncle bought Pillar a membership at the club. After one year of college at East Stroudsburg University. Pillar left to help with the family business. One year later, in early 1988, he began a career in golf, as an assistant golf professional at Fernwood Resort. After four years at Fernwood, he moved to, The Country Club at Woodloch Springs, which had just opened. For four of those years he worked in south Florida as an assistant professional. After two years as an assistant at Woodloch Springs, Pillar moved into the head professional position in 1994. As the professional at Woodloch Springs, Pillar was the Section’s Merchandiser of the Year for resort facilities five times. With somewhat of a late start in golf, Pillar soon developed into a successful tournament player as a golf professional, qualifying for the 1997 US Open. In 2009 he won the Philadelphia PGA Championship. He qualified for the PGA Professional Championship 15 times and the Senior PGA Professional Championship seven times. At the age of 47, he won the 2014 Pennsylvania Open. As a senior, Pillar won the Philadelphia Section Senior Championship four times, 2019, 2020, 2024 and 2025. Along with that he won the 2021 Pennsylvania Senior Open. He qualified for the 2017 US Senior Open along with the 2022 and 2026 Senior PGA Championships. He attained the status of Playing Legend in the Section in 2021 and was the Section’s Senior Player of the Year in 2024 and 2025. In 2024 Pillar won the Haverford Classic and its $100,000 first prize. In 2002 Pillar became involved in Section politics, serving as a district director for four years. He was then elected to the office of tournament director for years 2006 to 2009. From there he served as secretary (2010-11), vice president (2012-13) and president (2014-15). He went on to serve a three year term (2021-23) on the PGA of America board as the director for District 2. Pillar was honored in 2007 as the Philadelphia PGA’s Professional Golfer of the Year and in 2019 he received the Section’s Patriot Award. In 2024 Pillar was inducted into the Philadelphia PGA Hall of Fame.
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Trenham Golf History 