PGA Members Mike Dickson, Clarksburg, MD; Erika Larkin, Aldie, VA; Bernie Najar, Owings Mills, MD; Trillium Rose, Rockville, MD; John Scott Rattan, Bethesda, MD and Sarah Stone, Chevy Chase, MD, Recognized Among the Best Golf Teachers in the U.S.
Editors: For headshots of Middle Atlantic PGA Professionals, please click HERE. All photos courtesy of the Middle Atlantic PGA Section.
Stafford, Va. – The Middle Atlantic Section of the PGA of America (MAPGA) has announced that six PGA members from throughout the region have been named to GOLF Magazine’s prestigious Top 100 Teachers in America list for 2024-2025. The MAPGA Members recognized as the best in their profession across the U.S. include:
- Mike Dickson: Director of Instruction – Little Bennett Golf Course (Clarksburg, MD)
- Erika Larkin: Director of Instruction – The Club at Creighton Farms (Aldie, VA)
- Bernie Najar:Director of Instruction – Caves Valley Golf Club (Owings Mills, MD)
- Trillium Rose: Director of Instruction – Woodmont Country Club (Rockville, MD)
- John Scott Rattan: Director of Instruction – Congressional Country Club (Bethesda, MD)
- Sarah Stone: Director of Instruction – Chevy Chase Club (Chevy Chase, MD)
In addition to the MAPGA Professionals named to GOLF Magazine’s Top 100 Teachers in America List for 2024-2025, the publication has also recognized Steve Bosdosh, Director of Instruction at Bosdosh Golf Academy at P.B. Dye in Ijamsville, MD, with a Lifetime Achievement honor as a GOLF Magazine teacher who has remained on the Top-100 list for 20 consecutive years or more.
Additionally, GOLF Magazine has named three MAPGA Professionals as Teachers to Watch, including Leighann Albaugh, Director of Instruction at Magnolia Green Golf Club, in Moseley, VA; Chris George, Director of Instruction at Kingsmill Resort, in Williamsburg, VA; and Adam Smith, Director of Instruction at The Country Club of Virginia, in Richmond, VA.
Launched in 1991, GOLF’s Top 100 Teachers in America franchise has established itself as the preeminent list for recognizing excellence in golf instruction. Biennially, and through a rigorous and competitive selection process, editors at GOLF Magazine identify the most innovative, committed, accomplished, and passionate golf teachers in the United States.
Candidates, who are nominated by the PGA of America, LPGA and United States Golf Teachers Federation, among other organizations, are screened against a set of criteria that evaluates a number of different guidelines.
These include their teaching experience and accomplishments, student portfolio and peer ratings, along with their overall commitment to the growth of the game, both through volunteerism and their ability to use digital platforms. Each candidate must also share a vision and carry themselves with the utmost professionalism.
“The Middle Atlantic PGA stands proud of these PGA Members who have been selected for GOLF Magazine’s Top Teachers in America list, as they represent the best of the best among tens of thousands of PGA Professionals across the country,” said Jon Guhl, Executive Director, Middle Atlantic PGA. “For nearly 100 years, the Middle Atlantic PGA has been vastly committed to player development, and today we have over 1,100 PGA Members and apprentices in our Section whose passion and commitment to the game is unmatched. We are so proud that six out of the top 100 come from our little part of the country!
For more information on the Middle Atlantic PGA, visit www.mapga.com.
About Middle Atlantic PGA
The Middle Atlantic PGA Section (MAPGA), located in Stafford, Virginia, is one of 41 Sections of The Professional Golfers’ Association of America (PGA), headquartered in Frisco, Texas. The MAPGA has been a part of the PGA since 1925 and consists of over 1,100 members and apprentices in Maryland, Virginia, the District of Columbia and small portions of Pennsylvania and West Virginia. There are over 900,000 golfers playing more than 16.5 million rounds of golf a season in the Middle Atlantic region. As player development remains a driving force in the golf industry, the MAPGA provides a wide variety of programs and assistance to support its members who teach the game, promote goodwill and share the game’s values to their golfing customers and their communities in general. Locally, MAPGA Professionals assist in raising over $6 million annually for charities.
