Golf Pros
Ben Bauer, PGA
Director of Golf
Ben has 24 years of experience at private Clubs. He began his golfing career at Tecumseh Country Club in Tecumseh, Michigan.
He holds several distinguished positions and leadership accomplishments such as:
- 2022 Sworn in as current President of the Southeast Chapter of the South Florida PGA
- 2021 South Florida PGA Professional Development Award Recipient
- 2019 Southeast Chapter of the South Florida PGA Bill Strausbaugh Award Recipient
- 2018 Southeast Chapter of the South Florida PGA Bill Strausbaugh Award Recipient
- 2017 Education Chair for the Southeast Chapter of the South Florida PGA
- 2016 Southeast Chapter of the South Florida PGA Horton Smith Award Recipient
- 2015-2022 Boardroom Magazine Distinguished Achievement in Leadership
He is professionally affiliated with:
- PGA of America
- Club Managers Association of America
- Callaway Master Staff Professional
- Association of Golf Merchandisers
Henry Bannwarth, PGA
Golf Shop Buyer
Originally from Long Island, New York, Henry is a graduate of the University of Texas-Pan American where he played college golf for 4 years. He obtained his PGA certification in 2007 and became a Class A Professional. Henry has been with Hunters Run for 3 seasons.
Penny Hammel, LPGA
Head Golf Professional
Penny has been an LPGA Class A member for 38 years. She grew up in Decatur, Illinois where she started golfing at the age of 5. She is an award winning professional having won both the NCAA Individual and Team Championship at the University of Miami.
In 1984, she qualified to play on the LPGA Tour – earning Rookie of the Year honors in 1985. She posted four career victories on the LPGA Tour – including being the first player to win the Jamie Farr Toledo Classic TWICE! She played 21 years on the LPGA Tour before a back injury forced her retirement in 2006. For the past 15 years, she has been at Hunters Run as the Head Golf Professional sharing her passion and expertise.
Kevin Kelchner
Lead Assistant Golf Professional
Kevin has an extensive background in golf. He has worked for clubs such as Country Club of Detroit, Palm Beach Country Club, Mountain Lake Country Club, and most recently The Dye Preserve in Jupiter. Kevin will be handling operational duties which will include developing new Standard Operating Procedures and developing training so we can better serve you. While Kevin will not be providing individual lessons at this time, he will be involved in various clinics to help you improve your game. Please join me in welcoming Kevin to our golf operations professional team.
Ralph Garofano, PGA
Ralph Garofano, PGA
Ralph was born and raised in Westchester County, New York, and has been a PGA Class A Member since 1994 and has built a solid reputation as a teacher and a golfer. He was a two-time All-American at Lynn University in Boca Raton, Florida; played in two National Club Professional Championships (1996 and 1999), and has also qualified for the National Assistant's Championship (1996). He is a past Champion of the Treiber Memorial Championship (1998) and was always a consistent top finisher in the Metropolitan PGA area events. Ralph was also the former Head Professional at Brae Burn Country Club in Purchase, New York.
Ralph's passion and key strength as a PGA Professional is his dedication to private instruction and group clinics. He has the unique ability to connect with players of all ages and skill levels, and he truly enjoys witnessing his students' progression in the game of golf.
Brian Schuler, PGA
Brian Schuler, PGA
A New York native, Brian moved to south Florida in 2002 to pursue a career in golf. A graduate of Dutchess Community College, he was a member of the men’s golf team for two years qualifying for the Junior College National Championships. From there, he went on to attend James Madison University where he studied Mathematics and Secondary Education. In 2005, he joined the team at Plantation Preserve Golf Course, Plantation, FL, where he served as Director of Golf and more recently, General Manager.
Elected to PGA membership in 2016, Brian has received the following honors from the Association: 2017 Southern Chapter Bill Strausbaugh Award and 2018 Southern Chapter Professional of the Year Award.