Gary McNeill has been the Head Professional at Royal Portrush Golf Club since 1999.

 

As an amateur Gary won numerous Provincial and National events including the Irish Boys Championship in 1987 and the Irish Amateur Championship at Ballybunion in 1991. He also represented Ulster and Ireland at every level as well as Great Britain and Ireland at Boys and Youths level.

 

Gary turned Professional in 1993 and became an Assistant at Royal County Down. Prior to his appointment at Royal Portrush he was the Head Professional at The MacGregor Academy in Dublin and Head Coach to the Ulster teams. He has been a multiple winner on the Irish PGA circuit however, these days, his main focus is on coaching club teams, teaching and managing the busy Professional’s shop at Royal Portrush.

 

Gary enjoys meeting and welcoming all who visit Royal Portrush and considers the return of The Open to Royal Portrush in 2019 and playing in the final two rounds as the official marker as the highlight of his career.

 

 

 

 

Charlene is the Senior Assistant Professional at Royal Portrush Golf Club and has been part of the Professional Team since 2012.

She grew up playing junior golf Royal Portrush and at Gracehill Golf Club.

Charlene attended Pfeiffer University in North Carolina, USA on a golf scholarship where she represented the Lady Falcons at every tournament for 8 seasons (4 years).  In her Junior year she won her conference tournament and was named Conference Carolinas MVP.  Then in her Senior Year she was runner up at the NCAA Nationals 2009 and named as an All American for her golfing achievements.

Charlene graduated in 2009 with a degree in Sports Management and a Minor in Business.  She then returned home from the USA and played Amateur golf at International Level for three consecutive years, representing Ireland at the European Team Championships and Home Internationals from 2009-2011.

She became a Professional in September 2012.  Charlene primarily concentrates on the Junior Coaching at the club and coordinates many camps throughout the year.

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Alan Dunbar (PGA Assistant Professional)

Alan Dunbar is native to the area and grew up playing golf at Rathmore Golf Club which is an associate of Royal Portrush Golf Club.

Alan had a very successful amateur career winning many prestigious events such as the St Andrews Links Trophy in 2009, the Irish Open Amateur in 2010, and the Amateur Championship in June 2012.  His victory in the Amateur Championship gave him an exemption to the Majors.  He played in the 141st Open Championship and 2013 Masters.

Alan played a vital role in the 2011 GB&I Walker Cup team where they beat USA 14-12.

He turned professional in 2013 and made his professional debut at the Challenge de Madrid. He played Challenge Tour and Euro Pro for 5 years before deciding to change his career path.  Alan joined Elm Park Golf Club in 2017 as Assistant Professional where he would embark on his PGA Qualifications.

Alan joined the Professional team at Royal Portrush in March 2020.  He enjoys coaching players of all abilities.

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