listing/roster of Charleroi, Pennsylvania High School Graduates/Alumni


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    THE 90's
      Rachel Podwika, '90
      Jason Slezak, '96
      Bob Stevenson, '96
      Dan LaCarte & Amanda Spina, '99
      Carrie Zelinsky Campbell, '95
      Vince Russell & George Watkins, '91

Valley man top pro at Florida golf club... By Jeff Pikulsky, VALLEY INDEPENDENT, February 26, 2005
Charleroi native Bob Stevenson left the Mon Valley for greener pastures, but where the avid golfer has far exceeded his expectations.

At 26, his whirlwind career in golf management began when he took up the game as a teenager in the Mon Valley.

Stevenson said he worked for peanuts at a Forward Township driving range and took advantage of a perk to develop his swing.

"I got paid $3.50 an hour under the table and all the balls I could hit," he said.

Stevenson said he practiced frequently and played rounds of golf whenever he could.

The Chippewa Golf Course in Bentleyville became his stomping ground.

As Stevenson's game improved, his passion for golf grew - to the point that he considered a possible career in the sport.

In 1996, Stevenson graduated from Charleroi Area High School, where he played varsity golf.

He headed to Penn State University, where he enrolled in the professional golf management program.

"At the time, there were four schools in the country that had it," he said of the program. "Penn State was number one."

After college, Stevenson underwent internships at Southpointe Golf Club near Canonsburg, St. Clair Country Club in Upper St. Clair and Nemacolin Woodlands in Farmington.

Stevenson said the apprenticeships exposed him to his first taste of "real golf."

With the experience he gained, Stevenson landed a job at the Country Club of the Rockies golf course in Vail, Colo.

While there, an unexpected twist of fate changed his life.

A long-time fan of professional golf legend Greg Norman, Stevenson jumped at the chance to meet the man known as "The Shark" when the pro tour came to the Country Club of the Rockies.

"We hit it off," Stevenson said of Norman. "He invited me to come work for him."

Stevenson said he spent time at the driving range with Norman and once ended up as the pro's caddy - as a prank.

"It was a little initiation joke," said Stevenson, who admitted that caddying is not his bag.

Norman twice flew Stevenson to a professional golf tournament in his private helicopter.

"His helicopter is amazing. It's black with a white underbelly it's got a big shark on the side," Stevenson said. "The inside is like a limousine. It's trimmed out with leather."

Stevenson convinced Norman of his affection for golf and earned a spot working at one of the nation's premiere private golf resorts, the Shark's Tooth Golf Club near Panama City, Fla.

Norman designed the highly acclaimed golf course and maintains partial ownership of the club.

Stevenson initially worked 60- to 70-hour weeks as an assistant golf professional when the resort opened in March 2002.

His dedication paid off.

He became the head golf pro there July 1, an accomplishment he considers to be an unprecedented honor.

"My goal was to become a head professional by the time I was 35 or 36, but it happened at 25, which blew my mind," Stevenson said. "To be head pro at a club of this caliber just blows me away.

"Right now, I'm trying to absorb it all, do the best I can and see what happens."

Stevenson said he realizes that a string of unlikely and fortunate events led to his dream job.

He lives within walking distance of his office and provides golf lessons, manages the pro shop and inventory, and frequently is invited to play with members -...a chore he hardly considers to be work.

Stevenson said he returns to the Mon Valley about twice a year to catch up with family and friends.

Referring to his sunny surroundings in Florida, Stevenson said it is ironic that he fell in love with a place outside the Mon Valley, which he still calls home.

"I was never one of those kids that said I can't wait to leave. I loved where I grew up and the people there," Stevenson said. "I always remember my roots and where I came from.

"I always said I was going to stay around home because of the way the seasons change. But every year, when I come home for Christmas, it gets easier and easier to come back here."

Stevenson said he gained leadership skills and learned the value of dedication during his adolescence.

"Since I was about 15 or so, I've always been somewhat of a leader," the former high school class president said.

Returning to the Mon Valley and playing the courses that challenged him as a youth provides reality checks for Stevenson.

"It makes me realize how fortunate I am when I come home and play those courses I did when I was kid," he said. "But if it wasn't for those places, I wouldn't be where I am now."

Jeff Pikulsky can be reached at jpikulsky@tribweb.com