Golf Instructors
Pat McGowan, Director of Instruction
Pine Needles’ Director of Instruction, Pat joined the PGA tour in 1978 and was Rookie of the Year. He won the 1984 TPS Sacramento Open. Other top finishes include: second in the Canadian Open, second in the Quad Cities Open, fourth in the PGA Championship. Pat attended Brigham Young University and is an active supporter of junior golf. Pat qualified to play on the Champion’s Tour beginning in the 2005 season.
Donna Andrews, Lead Instructor
A Virginia native, Donna is a five-time winner of the Virginia State Amateur Championship. She won the prestigious North and South Amateur title in 1984 and 1988, and was runner-up in 1989. She received All-American honors as a member of the University of North Carolina team in 1989.
As a professional, Donna has captured six events, including one major title: The Nabisco Dinah Shore in 1994. She placed third in the 1992 U.S. Women’s Open and tied for second a year later. She had four top ten finishes in 2002, and her best finish in 2003 was a tie for seventh in the Canadian Open. Donna has served on the LPGA Executive Committee since 2001 and was president of the association for two years.
Graham Gilmore
A graduate of Methodist University in Fayetteville, NC, with a degree in Business Administration and a concentration in Professional Golf Management. In 2001, Graham joined the staff at Mid Pines and worked as an Assistant Golf Professional for three years. Graham, now General Manager and Director of Golf at Pine Needles and Mid Pines, has been teaching with the Golfaris since 2002.
Brett Harless, Pine Needles & Mid Pines Head Professional
Originally from Winston Salem, Brett attended Methodist University where he earned a degree in Business Administration with a focus on Professional Golf Management. He joined the Pine Needles family in June 2013 as an Assistant Golf Professional. Brett then worked as the Head Professional of Mid Pines in 2015 and 2016 before joining the golf professional team at TPC Scottsdale in Arizona. After returning from his ventures out west, he worked in the golf apparel and embroidery industry as a supervisor working alongside brands like Donald Ross and Peter Millar before he rejoined our team in Fall of 2019 as Mid Pines Head Professional. He is currently certified as a PGA Class A Professional and is passionate about providing a great golf experience to our membership and guests.
Ryan Duckworth, Senior Assistant Golf Professional at Pine Needles
With 18 years of experience as a golf professional, Ryan has guided golfers of all abilities through a wide range of instructional programs. A Michigan native, Ryan played collegiate golf at Saginaw Valley State University and earned a Master of Arts in Sport Administration from Central Michigan University. Ryan has coached collegiate golf, led instructional programs at several golf clubs, and contributed to a golf resort instructional academy. As a Class A PGA Professional, Ryan is passionate about helping golfers elevate their game through personalized instruction and our renowned Golfari programs at Pine Needles and Mid Pines.
David Orr, PGA Tour & LPGA Tour Putting Instructor
David Orr is a PGA Professional, who has been teaching golf for the past 32 years, specializing in putting for the past 17 years. David has worked with more than 85 touring pros worldwide, amongst his most notable clients: Justin Rose, Hunter Mahan, Paul Casey, Suzann Pettersen, and Esther Henseleit. Plus numerous touring professionals from the PGA, PGA Champions, Korn Ferry, LPGA, Canadian, and other professional tours world-wide.
David is highly regarded amongst his colleagues and peers, as a “world-renowned” putting coach, a public speaker, and 3D putting researcher. As a result, Orr is often invited to present his Tour-Tested Putting Instruction/3D research at Coaching Summits, Conferences, Open Forums, PGA Sections, and
Golf Venues throughout the Domestic US and abroad. Furthermore, he loves to share his experiences, information, and insight, with the other golf instructors through his “Flatstick Academy Certified Instructor Program.” His website, www. flatstickacademy.com was launched in July of 2015 and is considered a “Super Value” amongst avid golfers and instructors alike.