East Potomac Instructors

Phil Cooper is a seasoned golf instructor based in Washington, DC, known for his patient, observant, and approachable teaching style. With a naturally friendly demeanor, Phil creates a relaxed and encouraging learning environment where golfers feel comfortable learning and improving.

Phil uses modern training aids, video analysis, performance monitoring tools, and hands-on instruction to guide students through the process of understanding and improving their golf swing. His ability to break down complex movements into simple, manageable steps allows players to see what is happening, feel the difference, and build confidence through measurable progress.

Every lesson is personalized. Whether working with new golfers or experienced players refining their game, Phil focuses on clarity, consistency, and helping each student move forward with purpose.

Background & Experience

Phil grew up in a military family and traveled extensively, always returning to the Washington, DC area. After high school and college, he enrolled in the ROTC program and was commissioned in the United States Army, earning Airborne qualification first, followed by Ranger qualification, before serving with the 2nd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment.

Athletics have always been central to his life. From basketball and tennis to racquet sports and competitive golf, his passion for sport ultimately led him to the game that continues to challenge and inspire him today.

First, he was a military family student that traveled the world quite a bit but always returned to the DC area. After high school and college, he enrolled in the ROTC program, when graduated was commissioned in the US Army and became an Airborne Ranger.

Prior to, during, and after the military, he was still being an athlete with basketball, softball, tennis, and racquetball. But, as they say, the ball gets smaller as you get older and once the beginning of attending golf outings . . . the passion for the game of golf began!

• Juniors
  • Private Lessons
  • Group Lessons
• Adults
  • Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced Private Lessons
  • Group Lessons
  • Leagues

Ted is a PGA Professional with over 15 years of experience. Ted has held Head Professional and teaching positions at a number of facilities on the east coast, including the Courses at Andrews AFB, the First Tee Program in D.C. and Maryland, the LPGA International in FL, and most recently at the Cottonfield Golf Club and Sugar Creek Golf Club in GA.

Before turning pro in 1990 he had a successful amateur career winning four club championships with the Oxon Blades Golf Club and qualifying for the Public Links Championship.

• Juniors
  • Private Lessons
  • Group Lessons
• Adults
  • Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced Private Lessons
  • Group Lessons

Owen is a certified USGTF Associate Teaching Professional and an advocate of the lifelong benefits of the game of golf. A golfer since early childhood, he played as a member and captain of his high school varsity golf team in Cave Spring, Virginia. While in college at Virginia Tech, Owen played on the Club Golf Team honing his skills and improving his understanding of the game. After graduating in 2024, Owen joined the East Potomac Academy as an instructor and looks forward to spreading his passion for the game.

Working at East Potomac Golf Links, Owen has served as an instructor for various leagues, summer camps, group lessons, and instructional programs. Owen enjoys teaching golfers of all ages and abilities.

“Golf is a game of patience and resolution, anyone can be a good golfer, but hard work can make you a great golfer!”

Owen has an identical twin brother that also works at East Potomac.

His best round at East Potomac is a 66 on the Blue Course in 2024.

• Juniors
  • Private Lessons
  • Group Lessons
• Adults
  • Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced Private Lessons
  • Group Lessons

Rich is a Certified USGTF Associate Teaching Professional and accomplished competitive golfer with a lifelong dedication to the game of golf. His journey began in Virginia, where he emerged as a standout junior player, contributing to a Virginia High School State Championship team and earning over 30 titles on the Virginia Junior Golf Circuit. He twice qualified for the prestigious USGA Junior National Championship, quickly establishing himself among the region’s elite junior golfers.

Rich went on to compete professionally for four years on the Tear Drop Tour, earning multiple runner-up finishes, including the Virginia Beach Open. He also reached the U.S. Open Sectional Qualifier, finishing as 1st Alternate—further solidifying his status as a top-tier competitor. As an amateur, Rich claimed four victories on the 2017 Golf Channel AM Tour, highlighted by a Championship Flight win at the DC Tour Championship and a top-five finish at the National Championship in Rancho Mirage, California.

Now focused on instruction, Rich is passionate about sharing the game that has brought him so much fulfillment—through competition, travel, and lasting friendships. He approaches every lesson with energy, empathy, and a student-centered philosophy, committed to helping golfers of all ages and skill levels reach their full potential and enjoy the journey!

Coming Soon!

• Juniors
  • Private Lessons
  • Group Lessons
• Adults
  • Private Lessons
  • Group Lessons

Coming Soon!

Coming Soon!

• Juniors
  • Private Lessons
  • Group Lessons
• Adults
  • Private Lessons
  • Group Lessons

Ron has been playing and teaching golf for over 50 years (his first 9 holes cost $1.25!).  His first student was a high school buddy who became good enough to play with him on their Maryland State AA Champion high school golf team.

Ron loves introducing newbies and prepping them for the course. He simplifies things and teaches by feel, all with the goal of taking your game from the practice range to the golf course.

His students are all ages, one-quarter are lefties, and gender-wise are divided evenly. He’s great with kids (before instructing golf he coached two DCPS middle school championship baseball teams) and coaches competitive high school golfers/teams up to NCAA D-1 golfers.

Ron teaches the full swing (driver, hybrids, and irons) and short game (chipping, pitching, sand shots, stingers, bump-and-runs, cut shots, and flop shots), and works tirelessly on methods and strategies to help cure the yips. As a swing coach he teaches shaft-lean, lag, and tempo, and how to spin wedges.

Ask about his simple two-step putting method to enable beginners and average putters to quickly get to 80-90% of their ability.

He believes learning golf and getting better is a completely positive experience and his favorite phrase to beginners is “you have to hit 10,000 bad shots including whiffs, so let’s get started. We are not here to perform. We want to take the game from the range to the course.”

Ron’s teaching principles and methods are completely positive because he believes we don’t unlearn habits, we learn over them with newer, better habits. Dwelling on flaws and faults makes it more likely to repeat them. This came from crosstraining taught to him directly by nationally recognized sports coaches (eg. Tom House, Mike Epstein, and DC’s own U.S. Soccer HOF member, the late Len Oliver). Ron follows Timothy Gallwey’s “Inner Game” coaching principles.

Ron also helps with sorting through all the YouTube and Golf Channel instruction and equipment selection (clubs, balls, shoes, putters, learning aides, rangefinders, shafts, fitters, stores, websites etc.)

Ask about his simple two-step putting method to enable beginners and average putters to quickly get to 80-90% of their ability.

• Juniors
  • Private Lessons
  • Group Lessons
• Adults
  • Private Lessons
  • Group Lessons

James is a PGA Professional with over 20 years of experience. He is fluent and teaches both lessons in Korean and English. James is left-handed but teaches both right and left-handed golfers. He has also worked with Bridgestone Golf for 4 years working with golfers by fitting them with the correct golf balls and clubs. James worked with Titleist for a year distributing in Korea.

James joined the GolfDC Academy team in spring of 2013 with 22 years of playing experience in the US and Asia.

• Juniors
  • Private Lessons
  • Group Lessons
  • Summer Camps
  • Leagues
• Adults
  • Private Lessons
  • Group Lessons

Coming Soon!

Coming Soon!

• Juniors
  • Private Lessons
  • Group Lessons
• Adults
  • Private Lessons
  • Group Lessons

Max is a long-time Washington, DC resident, businessman, and philanthropist. Recently retired from his successful business development and government contracting career at Cornet Technology, he now lends his experience to clients as a political consultant, strategist, and fundraiser.

Working from home, Max also enjoys being an Air BnB super host and sharing his spacious home and the Washington, DC experience with others.

Max has a vast network of contacts and is knowledgeable about advocacy and lobbying. His relationships, cultivated over decades, include decision-makers from Capitol Hill, the Administration, and the military. As a former SBA minority business owner, Max has keen insight into how to help small businesses stand out and succeed, and he works to connect small businesses with government opportunities.

Max has served in leadership volunteer positions at dozens of local nonprofits including the DC Rotary Club, the Salvation Army, Recreation Wish List, and the Committee to Promote DC. He also served his city by sitting for a term as a member of the Washington, DC Alcohol Beverage Control Board.

Max is an excellent golfer and enjoys teaching others as a certified golf instructor. When he’s not on the golf course, you’ll most likely find him cheering for the Washington Nationals, Commanders, and Wizards.

 Max has two sons and three grandchildren, the lights of his life. Whenever he can, Max is visiting his grandchildren who live in Colorado and Tennessee.

Max has played golf for more than 30-years, and he’s received his United States Golf Teachers Federation certification and is a Certified Golf Teaching Professional in September 2014 (Certification/License number 8804).

In January 2019, he earned his International PGA Certified Member Designation.

When he’s not on the golf course, you’ll most likely find Max cheering for the Washington Nationals, Commanders, and Wizards.

• Juniors
  • Private Lessons
  • Group Lessons
  • Leagues
  • Summer Camps
• Adults
  • Private Lessons
  • Group Lessons