PGA Professional Eric MacCluen began teaching at Delcastle Golf Course in 1989, and in 1994 became the Director of Instruction at Hartefeld National Golf Club until 2000 when he started the Eric MacCluen Golf Academy with the intention of making golf accessible to everyone in the Delaware Valley. Eric's love for the game motivates him to not only refine the techniques of highly skilled players, but also to teach proper basics to beginners. His ongoing commitment to juniors has brought approximately 100 college scholarships as well as many national tournament wins. In addition, his numerous clinics and camps have allowed children as young as 4 years old to have fun as they are taught new skills. Eric has been a PGA member since 1994. Among his achievements, Eric was an All American at Greensboro College, a Philadelphia Section PGA Junior Golf Leader in 1998, received the D.S.G.A Annual Award in 1999, and was the Philadelphia Section Teacher of the Year in 2002. Eric has also been awarded the Top 50 Kids teacher from 2004 thru 2007 by US kids Golf. In 2008, he was awarded the Top 50 Master Teacher Award. Most recently, for 2011/ 2012, Eric was voted one of Pennsylvania's Best Teachers by Golf Digest Magazine.

Eric currently resides in the Applecross Community in Downingtown, PA with his wife Holly, their son Eric, and his two step sons Ryan and Liam.

Eric is proud to announce, in January of 2011, he joined Applecross Country Club in Downingtown, PA as their new Director of Instruction. "Along with the Applecross team I am excited to be taking the first steps towards becoming the premier private facility for golf instruction in the area!"

Michael Tobiason, Jr., Teaching Professional

Applecross Country Club

Contact Michael by phone: 302.983.9220 or by e-mail: gpro247@yahoo.com

Eric MacCluen Golf is proud to welcome back, Teaching Professional, Michael Tobiason, Jr. Michael has been a valuable and talented member of our teaching staff for many years.

Michael was born in Wilmington, Delaware and began to develop a love of golf early on. By age 7, he became part of the Junior Golf community, playing in local and regional tournaments. Michael has a long history with Eric MacCluen as Eric was his first golf instructor. He continued to work with Eric on his game through high school and college. Michael attended Goldey Beacom College, where he majored in Human Resource Management. Chosen as a PING All American player two years running, he continued fine tuning his game and turned professional in 2006 competing on the mini-tour circuits.

Michael started teaching at the Eric MacCluen Golf Academy in 2004. In 2007, he took a position as an Assistant Professional at Hartfeld National Golf Course. Michael came back to Eric MacCluen Golf in 2010 as a teaching professional, while still playing professionally, hoping to spread the passion and knowledge that he has gained over the past 20 years. In 2011, Michael played in the U.S. Open at Congressional Golf Course, gaining national press and in the Fall of 2012, Michael appeared as a contestant on the Big Break: Greenbrier on the Golf Channel. This winter Michael has finished in the top-10 in twelve separate events. Michael has truly become an incredible player. Michael has a particular passion for Junior Golf, but loves teaching players at all levels. His philosophy includes simplifying the game to make it easier to lower scores, and make the game of golf more enjoyable!

Career Highlights

• 2 Time All American at Goldey Beacom College
• Over 30 Junior Golf & Collegiate Wins
• CACC Player of the Year - 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006
• CACC Conference Champion - 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006
• Listed in Who's Who Students In America for Golf
• Qualified for the U.S. Open in 2011 and 2012
• 2012 Contestant on the Golf Channels, Big Break Greenbrier

Congratulations to Michael Tobiason!

Congratulations to Applecross Academy Instructor, Michael Tobiason, who won a recent Hooters Tour Event at Forest Lake Golf Club in Orlando, FL on January 24th. Michael finished with three day scores of 67, 62, and 66. The final score occurred on his birthday. He won nearly $10,000 ~ a great way to celebrate his birthday!

Dave Ostrow, FitGolf Physical Therapist

@ Applecross Country Club

Contact Dave by phone: 484.947.1253 or link to his site: fitgolf.com

Eric MacCluen Golf is excited to have Dave Ostrow, an esteemed golf fitness trainer from FitGolf, available to complement the talented instruction at Applecross Country Club in 2013.

We are fortunate to have Dave on site two days a week. Dave Ostrow has been a physical therapist for over 27 years. He is regarded by many to be an expert in the golf fitness industry and has published numerous articles in PGA Magazine, Golf Illustrated, Advance Magazine, and newspapers across the US. David, a member of the Titleist Performance Institute’s Medical Advisory Board and K-Vest Advisory Board, has dedicated himself to the health and well-being of golfers. He will be taking appointments with our members and training some of our junior golfers both privately and in our junior golf fitness classes on Saturdays.

Thomas M. Sterner, Mental Coach

@ Applecross Country Club

Contact Tom by phone: 302.547.9594 or by e-mail: tomsterner@comcast.net

Eric MacCluen Golf is happy to have Thomas M. Sterner, a highly regarded mental coach, available to round out the knowledgeable instruction at Applecross Country Club since 2011.

Over thirty years ago, Thomas Sterner began studying both Eastern and Western philosophy while in his late teens, moving into modern sports psychology and peak performance studies in his late twenties. Born out of an awareness of his lack of long term mental stamina and commitment to any endeavor while growing up, Sterner embarked on a quest as he entered college to make focus and discipline a natural part of how he handled any new skill development, as well as any challenge he faced in life.

Trained as a high level concert piano technician, by age twenty three he held every certification available in his field, Sterner’s skills were tested daily in his work for a major performing arts center. Preparing instruments for hundreds of demanding world- renowned musicians and conductors required that he not only routinely interact with highly disciplined performers, but that he also perform monotonous and complex motions with precision on the instruments thousands of times in the course of a work week. Being disciplined and focused were his key to survival, and became his joy

Thomas Sterner is an accomplished musician, private pilot, student of archery, and avid golfer, and practicing these activities fills his spare time. Sterner finds joy in the process of learning to overcome life’s struggles by understanding the source of inner strength, peace, and self discipline, and the value of staying in the present moment. Inspired by all that he has learned, Sterner sold his highly successful service business in 2005, created Mountain Sage Publishing and wrote his top-selling book, “The Practicing Mind: Developing Focus and Discipline In Your Life”. Since its release he has been asked to speak at a wide range of venues including Corporate Management meetings, Universities, Capital Investment firms in New York and various workshops to name a few. In 2009 he was contacted by Matrix Media in Chicago and given his own talk radio show called “Living In The Present”. The very successful show which he hosted for a year was centered around understanding the source of self discipline and focus and using that understanding to increase ones inner peace and productivity. As he so often states “Do more, think less and learn to enjoy the journey”. 

Quotes by Mr. Sterner:

• “Learning to observe our thinking instead of being a prisoner of our thoughts is the first step to escaping anxiety and directing our energies.” TMS
   
  
• “Feeling impatient is the first clue that you are not living in the present moment.” TMS
   
  
• “Learn to analyze, not judge. Analyzing is free of emotion and objective. To judge something, we must have a reference point that makes it either good, bad or somewhere in between. This creates the flow of emotions which can distort our perspective and be counter-productive. For example, if you lose your job, analyzing the situation is much more productive than judging it. It takes less energy, is free of anxiety, and creates the clarity necessary for better decision making..” TMS