The latest of his PGA leadership roles
LAS VEGAS — Country Club of Birmingham Director of Golf Eric Eshleman continued his ascent toward the presidency of the PGA of America this week when he succeeded Nathan Charnes as vice president.
Charnes was elected as the 45th President of the PGA of America at the association’s 110th Annual Meeting at the Red Rock Casino Resort and Spa. Charnes will serve a two-year term, representing the more than 30,000 PGA of America Golf Professionals.
When Charnes’ term is up, Eshleman is expected to be elected president of the PGA of America. Eshleman is a member of the Alabama-NW Florida Section.
A PGA of America member for nearly 30 years, Eshleman has held numerous leadership roles within the PGA of America, serving most recently as the District 3 Director (2021-24), overseeing the Alabama-NW Florida, Gulf States and Tennessee Sections. He served two-year terms as Secretary, Vice President, President and then Honorary President for the Alabama-NW PGA Section (2012-19).
In 2019, Eshleman received the national PGA of America Golf Professional of the Year Award, the highest annual honor given to a PGA of America member.
Well known as a teaching professional for students such as Graeme McDowell, Patton Kizzire, Paul Dunne and the 66th U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Eshleman was honored by the Alabama-NW Florida PGA Section on several occasions. He received the Section’s PGA Golf Professional of the Year Award (2010, ‘17), the Teacher of the Year Award (2000, ‘04), the Bill Strausbaugh Award (2011) and Youth Player Development Award (2014).
Additionally, Eshleman is a member of the PGA of America Adjunct Faculty, teaching golf to beginners and assisting students and staff in developing their skills and shaping their career paths. He also serves as Chairman of PGA Coach. One son, Ryan, plays professionally. He has two other sons who attend Auburn University.
Charnes, the organization’s new president, is a member of the Gateway PGA Section and is the general manager of WingHaven Country Club in O’Fallon, Mo.
“Serving as President to represent more than 30,000 PGA of America Golf Professionals is an incredible honor and responsibility,” Charnes said in a release. “Across our 41 Sections, our members are the heart and soul of the game. Alongside our officers and board, my priority is to champion their expertise, expand career pathways and ensure they have the full support of our Association. By spotlighting their impact, we elevate not only the PGA of America globally, but our members where it matters most—at their facilities, in their boardrooms and within their communities.”
Charnes, PGA, is a second-generation PGA Golf Professional from southern Indiana. He played college golf at the University of Evansville, graduating in 2001, then passed the Playing Ability Test (PAT) and became a PGA of America Member while spending a short period working in the Indiana and Kentucky sections.
Charnes has been involved extensively with the PGA of America, both locally and nationally for more than 20 years. At the local level, he served as the Education Chairman for the Gateway PGA Section, which led to him serving on the Gateway PGA Board of Directors from 2011-18.
His national involvement grew when then-PGA of America President Allen Wronowski asked Charnes to join the National PGA Membership Committee, one of five national committees on which he has served. He was later elected to the PGA of America Board of Directors as District 7 Director (Gateway, Midwest and South Central PGA Sections), serving from 2019-21.
Charnes is a seven-time Gateway PGA Section Award recipient, including the Section’s 2012 and 2022 PGA Golf Professional of the Year. He played a critical role with the creation of the PGA of America REACH Foundation, which originated in the Gateway Section while Charnes was serving as an Officer; he was recently selected to serve as a Life Trustee for PGA REACH Gateway.
Featured image courtesy of the PGA of America
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