ERIC KULINNA, PGA
Director of Golf & Player Development
Bob O’Connor Golf Course
What is your go-to Music?
Like most people, I love the my youth, so my "go to" is r from the 60s, 70s, and 80s. Beatles, The Who, Led Zepp Clapton, U2, etc.) However, appreciate any artist who ca "three chords and the truth" a song. I have music from Te Trucks Band, Chris Stapleto LaMontagne, Brandi Carlile, Poe in heavy rotation on my
What is your go-to type of Movie?
Action or comedy mostly, but I was ten when Episode IV was released, so I've always been a huge Star Wars fan as well.
What is your go-to Food?
Meatloaf, mashed potatoes, broccoli, and Cookies and Cream ice cream. It's my "birthday meal" every year.
MEMBER SPOTLIGHT MEMBER SPOTLIGHT
ERIC KULINNA, PGA
What is your go-to Snack?
Kirkland Protein bars or something similar while I'm playing golf. Don't snack much other than that.
What is the go-to Club in your bag?
I spend most of my time practicing with my driver, wedges, and putter, and I love them all.
What is the best part of your game?
Embracing the ever-changing challenges golf presents to everyone who plays the game.
What is your best round of Golf?
On March 4, 2025, I was playing in a skins game at Ken McDonald Golf Course in Tempe, Arizona, where I was working at the time. It was a picture-perfect day, and the group included some Arizona State players, local amateurs, PGA Professionals, and a few former PGA Tour players. I made nine birdies and nine pars to shoot 63, but didn't win a single skin.
Where did you grow up?
Born and raised in Whitehall Borough, about 100 yards from Hole #5 at South Hills Country Club. I began caddying there at the age of 12, but I played most of my golf growing up on the 9-hole and 18-hole courses in South Park.
ERIC KULINNA, PGA
Tell us about your family.
- Are you married, and do you have any children?
I was married for 25 years and have been divorced since 2017. My 24-year-old son Parker lives in Chandler, Arizona, with his mother.
Tell us something that people might be surprised to learn about you.
I love learning about history, which was sparked by a visit to Fort Necessity in Fayette County, near Nemacolin Resort, during my elementary school years.
It's the only place that George Washington surrendered in his entire military career, and it was an important turning point in the "French & Indian War" between Great Britain and France over who would control North America. His experience there informed his strategy in the American Revolutionary War and ultimately led to the formation of the United States. It opened my eyes to how pivotal Western Pennsylvania and Pittsburgh were to the birth of the nation.
I recently finished the book Pittsburgh Rising: From Frontier Town to Steel City (1750-1920) by Edward Muller and Rob Buck. I would highly recommend it!
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ERIC KULINNA, PGA
If you could play one round of golf with any three people (alive or deceased), who would you choose to play with? I'd love to learn more about the origins of golf in Schenley Park, so I'd like to play with H.C. Fownes, George Ormiston, and Carl Kauffmann. Before he designed and built Oakmont, Fownes was the club champion at Pittsburgh Golf Club in 1899. That same year, George Ormison won the first-ever West Penn Amateur on the original 9-hole course here in the park that was designed and built in 1897 by his father, Scottish immigrant Mark Ormiston, for the members at PGC.
George Ormiston would be invited by H.C. Fownes to be one of the founding members of Oakmont, and would serve as the Secretary of the West Penn Golf Association for nearly a quarter century. Carl Kauffmann learned to play golf as a caddie at the Country Club of Pittsburgh, which was built on the estate of Henry Clay Frick. He was known as the "Schenley Sphinx," and won three consecutive US Amateur Public Links championships (1927-29) in addition to the 1925 West Penn Amateur.
I think those three men would be able to shed light on why the golf played in Schenley Park during those early years would be the "wellspring" for the growth of the game at private clubs and the county municipal courses during the first three decades of the twentieth century.
TRI-STATE
ERIC KULINNA, PGA
What initially drew you to the game of Golf, and how did you get started?
I began caddying as a 12-year-old to supplement the income from my paper route, so I could buy a new baseball glove and spikes before the summer Little League season started.
Chuck Cullison, one of the Assistant Professionals at South Hills CC at the time, did some clinics on Monday mornings before the course opened at noon so that employees and caddies could learn to play. He was a talented player who owned the course record at the club and a gifted instructor. So, at an early age, I had access to the game, people to play with, and a coach who could answer any questions I had about technique.
A few years later, Chuck went on to work for Allegheny County as the PGA Professional at both the North and South Park courses. He was very generous with his time, would always take the time to help me figure things out whenever I was struggling, and never charged me for any of the "lessons" he gave me over the years.
ERIC KULINNA, PGA
Please provide some insight into your previous roles. I've worked at both private clubs and public facilities in four states (Illinois, Michigan, Arizona, and Pennsylvania) during my career.
Originally, I spent the first decade of my career training under two great PGA Professionals to be the Head Professional at a private club. However, after my son was born, I moved to Arizona, where my time was spent in a variety of roles, including working full-time as a teacher and coach, as well as serving as the Director of Golf at a busy 36-hole public facility.
During my last five years in Chandler, I worked for PGA Professional Greg Avant, the owner of Lone Tree Golf Club. Greg supported creating a "Director of Player Development" position in 2012, and that's when I became a First Tee coach.
When I moved back to Pittsburgh and was working for Eric Teasdale at Shannopin Country Club, I was asked to help First Tee-Pittsburgh develop a PGA Junior League program. The chapter was in the early stages of planning the design and construction of the Arnold Palmer Learning Center, and I began working in my current role when the construction process started in March 2019.
ERIC KULINNA, PGA
How long have you been a PGA member, and what made you decide to pursue a career in the PGA of America?
During graduate school at the University of Illinois at UrbanaChampaign, I was assigned to teach golf classes in the Kinesiology department because I had played on the Men's Golf team at Penn State.
When I finished my Master's degree, my advisor, who was an avid golfer, told me that he didn't think I would be very happy putting my clubs away while I was pursuing a doctoral degree or going to medical school. He suggested I look into other career options before making a final decision.
A few of my former Nittany Lion teammates, including TSPGA Section President Dan Braun, were already working in the golf business and pursuing membership in the PGA of America.
They gave me some great advice about how to start my career, and I started working at Champaign Country Club in 1993. Four years later, I completed my membership requirements and moved to Michigan to work at Detroit Golf Club.
ERIC KULINNA, PGA
What does being a PGA of America Member mean to you?
For me, being a PGA Professional means that we embrace the best parts of golf's culture and traditions, while simultaneously enhancing the game's evolution and growth for everyone who wants to play.
What wisdom can you offer about golf careers and the importance of becoming a PGA member/achieving membership status?
Very few professions are governed by a written Code of Ethics, like membership in the PGA of America. It means that we strive to be the best versions of ourselves in our interactions with each other and the people we serve at our facilities. It's a very high standard, and it's something we should be proud of as PGA Professionals.
Can you name two of your favorite golf courses that you've played, and what makes them unique to you?
I was blessed with the opportunity to visit Scotland for two weeks after graduating from high school, and I played the Old Course twice during that trip. I fell deeply in love with golf during that short time in St. Andrews. Since then, I've been lucky enough to play many famous courses, but the 18-hole course at South Park is still my all-time favorite, simply because I played hundreds of rounds there during my first decade as a golfer. My memories of learning how to play are what make it so special to me.
ERIC KULINNA, PGA
Could you provide some insight or share any notable achievements, accolades, or recognitions?
While working at Lone Tree Golf Club, I won the 2015 Southwest PGA Section Player Development award. We had 350+ participants in our First Tee programming classes, seven PGA Junior League teams, and hosted a high school golf team that has now won ten state titles.
During my time at Bob O'Connor Golf Course, our PGA Junior League program has earned the Tri-State PGA #GameChanger award for six consecutive years, and we've evolved to have fourteen teams, in three age divisions, playing at three different facilities.
In addition, both Aaron Lindauer and I have earned recognition as Operation 36 Top 50 Coaches. We offer six 90-minute classes for new and returning adult golfers every week, and our programming runs year-round in four sessions. Last year, we added two weekly Op36 leagues and had nearly 250 unique participants.