Ryan brings 20+ years of PGA Professional instruction and education to the Country Club of St. Albans as Director of Instruction. He currently teaches some of the top ranked golfers in the state including the #1 and #3 ranked boys in the class of 2026, the #3 ranked boy in the class of 2027, and #2 ranked boy in the class of 2028. In addition to teaching and mentoring top competitive golfers, Ryan enjoys working with students of all ages and skill levels.
After graduating from Ferris State University’s Professional Golf Management program, Ryan earned his PGA membership and played several years of competitive golf. As a player, Ryan won two professional events and had a handful of other top finishes. When injuries started to weigh heavily on his game, he turned to golf instruction to help others achieve their goals.
Ryan is a true "student of the game", seeking inspiration and modern methods from a variety of golf instuctors, including the legendary Butch Harmon. Other notable instructors that have influenced Ryan's philosophy include: Mike Bender and Brian Fogt.
In dealing with a complex game like golf, Ryan's goal is to keep instruction as basic as possible. He keeps golf terms simple and finds a way for the student to see, feel, and understand the correct change to their swing.
As with learning the golf swing, becoming a great instructor takes time, and Ryan is continually enhancing his coaching ability. He seeks information from well-established teachers by regularly attending seminars and was honored to serve as a presenter at the 2019 Gateway PGA Teaching and Coaching Summit.
Ryan works extensively with video and computer programs to study the intricacies and nuances of the golf swing and putting stroke, enabling him to identify the techniques that golfers of different size, strength, and ability use for success. Ryan's history as a strong player helps him understand the time and difficulty needed to make a swing change, and the value of having a good short game. This background also gives Ryan an important perspective on different situations a player may encounter in a tournament, or trying to shoot their career low score.
Ryan has been fortunate to learn from some of the greatest instructors in the country, which has helped him develop a style of coaching built around their influence. He will keep the game simple by using swing positions and fundamentals that most great players possess, and he will build an individualized lesson plan around your own goals and body. Unfortunately, we can’t all have a beautiful swing like Adam Scott; however, Ryan is confident he will get you to strike the ball better and shoot lower scores.
Best Teacher in Missouri
2022-2023
Best Teacher in Missouri
2019-2020
Teacher
of the Year
2017
Youth Development Award
2015
President's Council on
Growing the Game
2010
Winner - Assistant Championship
2009
Runner-Up - Match Play Championship
2007
Elected to
Membership
2000
Winner - Assistant Championship
1999
Will Hocker
HS Class of 2015
Ryan became Will's coach in 2018. Will was a first-team All-American at Webster University, won the 2021 NCAA Division III National Championship, and was runner-up in the 2022 NCAA Division III National Championship.
Max Kreikemeier
HS Class of 2019
Ryan became Max's coach in 2022. He was All-State at Lafeyette HS, is a 3-time All-MVC award winner at Missouri State, qualified for match play at the 2021 US Amateur, and won the 2022 Tunica National Intercollegiate tournament.
Tyler Linenbroker
HS Class of 2021
Ryan became Tyler's coach in 2020. Tyler has a +4.1 handicap, was a 2-time All-State golfer in Missouri, participated in two Junior PGA Championships, and was ranked #1 in Missouri by Junior Golf Scoreboard in 2022.
Trip Sanfelippo
HS Class of 2022
Ryan became Trip's coach in 2020. Trip has a +2.4 handicap and was ranked as high as #221 in the nation by Junior Golf Scoreboard for his class.
Nicholas Vilela
HS Class of 2026
Harrison Zipfel
HS Class of 2026
Lyo Bellon
HS Class of 2028
Ryan became Lyo's coach in 2020. Lyo has a 5.3 handicap and is currently ranked #2 in Missouri and #74 in the nation by Junior Golf Scoreboard for his class.
Two 18-Hole Championship Courses
The Country Club of St. Albans offers two 18-hole courses to appease all levels of players... Lewis & Clark and Tavern Creek. Both courses are appropriately ranked in the Top 10 Courses in Missouri by Golf Digest.
Lewis and Clark Course:
Created first in honor of the legendary explorers, the 18-hole, par 72 Lewis and Clark Course was crafted by the highly acclaimed design team of Tom Weiskopf and Jay Morrish. A traditional links course, the Lewis and Clark Course has played host to an impressive array of tournaments since its opening in 1992, including the Metro Amateur Golf Championships, the Missouri Women's Amateur Golf Championship, the Missouri State Amateur Golf Championships, the prestigious Missouri Cup Matches, the St. Louis Men’s District Championship, the USGA Men's State Team Championship, the USGA US Open Sectional Qualifier, and the 2017 Girls and Boys Junior PGA Championships.
Tavern Creek Course
Opened in 1997, the par 71 Tavern Creek Course spans 160 exquisite acres and was designed by famed course architects Dr. Michael Hurdzan and Dana Fry. Picturesque, rock-lined creeks present dramatic holes around every bend, and twelve of the eighteen holes involve uniquely challenging play around creeks, streams or ponds.
© 2019