The Royal County Down Golf Club Pro Shop
Staff
The recently-extended clubhouse at Royal County Down now houses a professional’s shop which is the equal of any in the country and the Club is fortunate to have associated with it a Head Professional and assistant professionals of such experience and expertise as Kevan Whitson and his staff. They pride themselves in being able to satisfy almost all the requirements of members and visitors for golfing equipment and tuition. They are the first point of contact for visitors – please call at the Professional’s shop on arrival, where they will be glad to welcome and help you.
Kevan Whitson
Kevan Whitson, the Head Professional, is an Advanced Fellow of the PGA. He came to Royal County Down in 1992, having grown up on the east coast of Scotland playing some of the oldest traditional links in the world. When he qualified as an assistant at the Royal Burgess Golfing Society in Edinburgh he was one of the youngest professionals in the history of the PGA. With a growing reputation as a teacher, he had to curtail his playing career, and over the years has coached many top amateurs and touring professionals. He is ranked by “Golf Monthly” as one of the top 25 teachers in the UK. He has published papers as a county and provincial coach, has acted as a consultant to the Golfing Union of Ireland and the Irish Ladies’ Golf Union and is much sought after as a speaker and golf consultant. During his time at Royal County Down he has provided valuable input to many leading championships held at the Club, including the Amateur Championship, the British Ladies’ Amateur Open Championship, three Seniors’ Open Championships and, in 2007, the Walker Cup. In 2009 he was honoured by the PGA as a recipient of one of only four 5-Star Professional Awards, for which nominations are made by fellow professionals; past recipients include Bernard Gallagher, John Jacobs, Mickey Walker, Severiano Ballesteros, Bernhard Langer and Bob Torrance.
Jerry Scullion, Bryan Smyth, Rory Doran and Gareth Quigley
Jerry Scullion, Professional Class A, joined the Professional’s staff in 2004, having graduated in accountancy from the University of Ulster. After qualifying as a PGA Professional, he spent a year as Senior Assistant before embarking on a playing season on both the Irish and Europro circuits.
Bryan Smyth, Professional Class A, joined the Professional’s staff in 2007 prior to the Walker Cup from a strong retail background. He is the current Senior Assistant PGA Professional overseeing retail operations.
Rory Doran, Training Professional, graduated from Stirling University with a degree in marketing before joining the Professional’s team, and intends to pursue a career in golf tuition.
Gareth Quigley, Training Assistant, has worked as a part-time member of the team in the summers of 2008 and 2009 and hopes to join the PGA programme in 2010.
To email Kevan or his team kevan@royalcountydown.org
Please click the following links to view information on our pro-shop brands, equipment hire, tuition and also visit our online shop.
