Linda Mulherin is passionate about golf instruction.
Mulherin, who became a PGA of America Member in 1994, has dedicated much of her career to growing the game through teaching. She also helped break gender barriers by becoming the first female PGA Master Professional in teaching in 1998.
Mulherin feels it’s important to build relationships with her students.
“I enjoy working with the junior high and high school young adults and try to be a role model for them,” Mulherin said. “All the while teaching them a lifelong sport. These relationships bear fruit throughout my life for both them and myself.”
Mulherin’s many contributions to golf led to her induction into the Central New York PGA Hall of Fame in 2019. Here’s what she had to say about teaching and her career.
Her start in golf: I began at Seneca Golf Club working for Bill Grygiel Jr. as an assistant. At the time, Bill had the state contract for the cart concession and golf shops for Green Lakes (Richard Winstead), Battle Island (Rick Bronson), Chenango Valley and Pinnacle (Bill Aronson) State Parks. Bill hired PGA of America Golf Professionals for all of these locations. Kevin Reid was the Head Professional at Seneca and oversaw these operations. He was my mentor. When Kevin left for the job at Cedar Lake, Bill gave me my opportunity to be the Head Professional while I worked feverishly to get my Class A. This opportunity would pave the way for my career in golf!
What she likes most about golf instruction: Being outdoors. My office is the golf course. A benefit to working at Drumlins is I am able to do some on course instruction. The students love it and it has so much value for improvement in actually playing and scoring. It puts the student in real situations and allows me to coach them. The range is more swing oriented. We begin there but take it out to the environment.
Proudest accomplishment: Master Professional Teaching in 1998 (first-ever female), Central New York PGA Hall of Fame Inductee (2019) and Central New York PGA Teacher of the Year (six-time winner).
What is your biggest challenge as a PGA Professional? Work-life balance. Keeping my game up. I started playing golf late in life and needed to focus on my career first. There were time restrictions as a single parent to my son, Adam, working towards PGA membership and honing my craft as a teacher (my true passion). Only recently I have the opportunity to take time in the winter to dedicate to my game.
PGA Professional she most admires: Charlie Sorrell, PGA Master Professional, Top 100 Golf Magazine Instructor. We met while attending the pilot program for Master Professional status and both became Master Professionals in the very first graduating class. Over the years, we developed a wonderful friendship. His passion for golf, sense of humor and willingness to share his ideas set him apart from many people in our industry. He had a love of family and was so grounded for how successful he was. That made an impression on me and he is truly missed.
Best advice ever received: Rosemary, a former tennis instructor from Drumlins, pulled me aside the first month I was teaching at Drumlins as I walked through the tennis building as I often did and still do. She had seen a flyer I had put out with the Town of Dewitt program offering group instruction for women. In such a professional way, she told me that I didn’t want to establish myself as someone who only taught women but to leave it open to all. Being a woman in our business, that perception is real. I heeded her advice and more importantly, it changed my business model for the future.