Session 1: June 7 - 11

Session 2: June 14-18

2025

KELLEY HESTER

Head Coach, Women's Golf

2023-2024 NCAA Ranking, 5th in the Nation

Kelley Hester has led Clemson to unprecedented success in her first eight seasons s Clemson head coach. The list of accomplishments reached its zenith in 2023-24 when the Tigers reached match play of the NCAA National Tournament and finished fifth in the nation. Coach Hester guided the Tigers to the first ACC Championship in school history, 2023 and earned the personal recognition of ACC Coach of the Year. Her program has reached the NCAA Tournament each year. She is the only coach in NCAA Division I history to take four different programs to the NCAA National tournament and record at least one top 20 finish at four different schools.

Coach Penley love for the game and passion for working with young people, volunteers his time and expertise to the Academy enriching the lives of each student through his bigger than life personality and knowledge of the game.

Daniel Castles

Assistant Coach - Men's Golf

Castles spent the previous two seasons on Georgia Southern’s coaching staff, helping lead the Eagles to 10 Top 5 team finishes, five tournament championships, won the 2023 Sun Belt Stroke Play Championship and finished 7-3 in match play.

Castles was a professional caddie on the Korn Ferry Tour for the three seasons prior to his time in Statesboro. He caddied in over 45 Korn Ferry Tour events and a PGA Championship. He also has three seasons of collegiate coaching experience, having served as an assistant coach at Palm Beach Atlantic (2018-20) and Anderson University (2012-13).

Michael Carlisle

Head Coach - USC Aiken Golf

2010 GCAA Hall of Fame
2005 NCAA Coach of the Year
2004-2006 NCAA Div. II National Champs
Pacers have won 75 titles
Produced 40 All Americans
1995 & 1996 NCAA II regular season National Champions
District III Coach of the Year 7 years in a row
Winner Carolina Amateur & SCGA Mid-AM

JORDAN BYRD

Head Coach, Golf

Coach Jordan Byrd provides leadership in Clemson’s player skill development and team success resulting in Clemson regularly recognized as one of the nation’s top NCAA golf programs. Coach Byrd’s philosophy is to provide an environment that is committed to excellence. “It is one's dedication and commitment to excellence in personal, academic and sports life that foundations a player to achieve at the highest levels”.

Coach Byrd provides a life example of both excellence and commitment to servicing the hearts and minds of his players, while providing golfing expertise and a foundation for success both on and off the greens.

Coach Byrd's time and expertise are solicited by current PGA players, who value his coaching advice, experience and instruction.

Coach Byrd at the 2019 Open with

PGA players, Kyle Stanley

and Doc Redman

Royal Portrush Golf Club in County Antrim, Northern Ireland

Head Coach, Clemson (2021-Present)
Assistant Coach, Clemson (2005-2021)
2-Time All-Conference at Furman University
Furman University '98

Katy Nahm

Assistant Coach - Woman's Golf

Nahm spent over a decade at the University of Kansas, where she played a crucial role in the development and success of the program. While at Kansas, the Jayhawks won six tournaments and had 22 top-five finishes and 43 top-10 finishes. Under Nahm’s development, six Jayhawks improved their stroke averages, helping the team earn a trip to the 2013-14 NCAA Regionals and Nationals for the second time in school history. The best player she coached at Kansas was Yupaporn Kawinpakorn, who was ranked 14th in WAGR and was an Honorable Mention All-American. Kawinpakorn won five events during her senior year as a Jayhawk.

Before her tenure at Kansas, Nahm spent two years as the Director of College Placement and Instructor at the Hank Haney International Junior Golf Academy in Hilton Head, South Carolina. is time

ACADEMY DIRECTOR

LARRY PENLEY

Clemson Director of Golf (retired)

2003 NCAA Coach of the Year
8-Time ACC Coach of the Year
2009 South Carolina Golf Hall of Fame Inductee

Clemson Director of Golf Larry Penley is the winningest coach in Clemson history in terms of team championships (83) while producing 60 All-Americans. In the prior 32 years, the Tigers have finished in the top-20 twenty-three times with seven top-4 finishes. Clemson also won the East Regionals in 1993, 1994, 1995, 2000, 2002, 2003, & 2004. Clemson has also won eleven ACC Championships under Coach Penley.

The Tigers have been just as successful in the classroom, Coach Penley's teams have graduated at a rate of 97%. During his 34 years at Clemson, the Tigers have had over 12 Academic All-American selections.

As a player, Coach Penley has also excelled. He was a 1981 All-ACC selection while playing for Clemson with a stroke average of 72.66 He is also the 1987 and 1998 South Carolina Amateur Champion, setting a scoring record in 1987 with a score of 277 (-11). He has also won the SCGA Mid-Am (1990) and the 1992 Carolinas Golf Association Mid-Am.

ACADEMY INSTRUCTORS

​​Coach Penley love for the game and passion for working with young people, volunteers his time and expertise to the Academy enriching the lives of each student through his bigger than life personality and knowledge of the game.

Coach Penley love for the game and passion for working with young people, volunteers his time and expertise to the Academy enriching the lives of each student through his bigger than life personality and knowledge of the game.