Professional Staff

Gary McNeill (Head Professional)

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 has 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 as the highlight of his career.

Charlene Reid (Senior Assistant Professional)

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.

Thomas Minshull (Qualified PGA Assistant Professional)

Tom was born August 1989 in Preston, England. Tom started playing at his local municipal golf course in Sandbach when he was 16 years old. Before joining the PGA he studied at South Cheshire College and graduated with a National Diploma in IT Practitioner. He joined the PGA training programme whilst at Delamere Forest GC in 2010, graduating in 2013. After a brief spell at Conway Golf Club he moved to Scotland one of the PGA Assistant Professionals at Carnoustie Golf Links in April 2014. After 3 years in Scotland, Tom decided to join the team at Royal Portrush GC in April 2017.

Tom has recently enrolled in the PGA’s Advanced Certificate in Golf Studies & PGA Director of Golf Certification to further his knowledge and develop his career.

Other interests: Tom as well as playing golf socially and competitively, he enjoys a variety of other sports such as football, tennis, running and likes to stay physically fit in the gym.

Samantha Munro (Trainee PGA Assistant Professional)

Sam joined the Professional Team at Royal Portrush Golf Club in May 2017 where she will continue her PGA studies and help develop our junior coaching programmes.

She was introduced to golf by her Grandfather at the age of 11 and began golfing at Aberdour Golf Club in Fife, Scotland. During her time as a junior she was part of the Fife County Team, East of Scotland Team and The Scottish Junior Academy Squad.

Before deciding to join the PGA, Sam attended the University of the Highlands and Islands where she graduated with a BA (Hons) Golf Managment and represented the university golf team.

In 2012, Sam began her golf career in the Professional Shop at Royal Dornoch Golf Club and continued for a second season working within the Golf Operations Department.

She then joined the team at Trump International Golf Links, Scotland in 2014 where she worked within the Professional Shop and Golf Operations Department.

In 2015, Sam embarked upon her training as a PGA Assistant Professional at Cruden Bay Golf Club where she was a vital member of the Professional team, overseeing the Caddy Master Programme before deciding to venture to Royal Portrush.