Meet the Staff

Chip Watson, PGA – General Manager

Class-A PGA Professional, Certified in Golf Operations & Instruction

Chip has 23 years of experience as a PGA Class A Professional. He is heavily involved with the Carolinas Golf Group (management company for the Lonnie Poole Golf Course), currently serving as Vice President at the Raleigh based company. Watson directs the business activities and operations of the company and also serves as the general manager and golf director of the Lonnie Poole Golf Course at NC State. The Arnold Palmer designed golf course is on the Centennial Campus of NC State and is the home to the men’s and women’s golf programs. Watson also is the Assistant Men’s Golf Coach at NC State University and he also serves as the lead instructor at the Wolfpack Junior Golf Schools. He has also served on the PGA President’s Council on Growing the Game of Golf, and was the 2006 John L. Fennie State Cup Award winner in 2006.

Watson, a 1989 graduate of Campbell University, was a full scholarship player for the Camels. He earned all-conference honors in 1987, and was an academic all-american in 1986. He also won the Big South Conference’s Sportsmanship Award for all athletes in 1987.

Watson was a four-year all-conference selection at Apex High School, and was the 1985 Player of the Year for the Triangle Athletic Conference. He was also a NC Junior Medalist in 1985 and winner of numerous junior tournaments.

Nick Dillman, PGA – Head Golf Professional

ndillman@lonniepoolegolfcourse.com

Class-A PGA Professional

Nick grew up in Gastonia, NC and moved to Raleigh in 2004. He is a graduate of North Carolina State University where he studied Golf Management. Nick was hired as an Assistant Golf Professional in May 2009, and was named Head Golf Professional in March 2011. In his young career, he has gained a passion for developing players of all ages and abilities. Nick enjoys spending time with his wife, playing golf, traveling, Wolfpack Sports, Carolina Panthers football, and homebrewing.

Scott Clagg, PGA – Assistant Golf Professional

sclagg@lonniepoolegolfcourse.com

Scott is a recent graduate of the North Carolina State University Professional Golf Management Program. He has many years of competitive golf experience, including two years of collegiate golf. Scott is excited to share his knowledge with golfers of all ages and abilities. His main focus is to keep things simple and start with the basics of the golf swing, PGA…

Posture

Grip

Alignment

Without these essential fundamentals it is impossible to have a consistent golf swing. Scott tailors each lesson to meet the individuals wants and needs with a main focus on having FUN! The late great Payne Stewart put it best when he said, “But in the end it’s still a game of golf, and if at the end of the day you can’t shake hands with your opponents and still be friends, then you’ve missed the point.”

Nate Brill, PGA – Apprentice

nbrill@lonniepoolegolfcourse.com

Originally from London, Ohio, Nate moved to Raleigh in 2010 to further his career in golf. His passion for golf didn’t begin until his adulthood while serving in the United States Air Force, but once it caught, there was no stopping its spread. After completing his military career, Nate’s passion for the game of golf ultimately grew from being a member of a country club to eventually persuing the path of becoming a PGA golf professional. In 2007, he graduated from the Golf Academy of America – Myrtle Beach and since then has held several different golf positions, including support staff, tournament director, and Board of Director. His golf accolades include the 2008 and 2009 Men’s Club Champion at London Country Club in London, OH. Nate began working at Lonnie Poole Golf Course in May 2013 and is currently pursuing his apprenticeship through the PGA of America. In his spare time, he enjoys playing golf, watching and talking sports, and improving his knowledge of golf.

Chase Duncan – Lead Golf Instructor

chase@chaseduncangolf.com

PGA Apprentice

Originally from Lancaster, Pennsylvania, Chase is proud to now call Raleigh his home. Chase has experienced competitive golf at one of the highest levels as he was a 4 year letter winner under Hall of Fame coach, Richard Sykes, at N.C. State University. At only 24, Chase was named Lead Instructor of the Wildwood Green Golf Academy at Wildwood Green Golf Club in Raleigh, NC. Then, in November of 2009 Chase was given the opportunity to take his teaching to one of the best new facilities in North Carolina, the Lonnie Poole Golf Course at N.C. State University. Chase is very excited to be able to offer his students an unparalled learning environment.

During his playing and teaching career Chase has had the opportunity to learn from some of the game’s most knowledgeable minds. To name a few, Chase has worked with Golf Digest Top 100 Instructor & Pennsylvania Teacher of the Year, Ted Sheftic (Hanover, PA); world renowned putting instructor, Mike Shannon (Sea Island, GA); as well as one of Hank Haney’s top disciples, Peter Murphy (Dallas, TX).

Chase has always been a student of the game. He has been able to compile the wealth of information that he has learned from various instructors to form his own theory and understanding for the mechanics of the game. His experiences as a player and as a teacher have molded his philosophy of implementing sound mechanics to allow his students to achieve ultimate athleticism throughout all areas of their game. He prides himself on his communication skills and makes it his primary goal to teach each student exactly what their flaws are and how to fix them.

Daniel Spurling- Director of Player Development

Originally from Raleigh, NC, Daniel joined the US Army where he served honorably for eight years, where he played All-Army golf. Daniel’s passion for golf continued when he settled back into North Carolina and began the Professional Golf Management Program at NC State University. After training for three years under the guidance of a Top 100 premiere fitter, Daniel obtained his Master Fitting certification from Golf Smith International. With the use of the most up-to-date ball flight tracking system, customers experience a golf club fitting that is unlike any other. Striving to make the fitting experience as realistic as possible is of utmost importance to Daniel. A full analysis is conducted outside with interchangeable equipment to ensure the customer is witnessing the process in real time. With extensive knowledge of golf club engineering, design, and construction, Daniel frequently builds clubs for customers to ensure the optimization and efficiency of the club’s performance.

Proper Golf Attire is required to use the golf facilities

Men – No cut off shorts, bathing suits or tank tops may be worn while using the golf facilities. A collared shirt must be worn at all times.
Women- No cut off shorts, bathing suits or halter tops may be worn while using the golf facilities.
Golf Shoes with metal spikes are prohibited. If you are not wearing golf shoes, you must get footwear approval from the Golf Shop Staff before using the facilities.