Our Consultants

Neil Schloss
CPA, Castle Consulting

Mark Uhlman
IT Consultant

Joe Micheline
Attorney at Law, Legal Council

Neil Gordon
Financial Consultant

Deborah Freedman
HR Manager

Mike Attara, PGA Certified Professional

President

Mike Attara is a certified PGA Professional, golf industry executive, and the founder and president of Spirit Golf Management.

Mike’s love for the game of golf began when he first picked up a club at the age of 12. He enjoyed success playing competitively and earned his Class A PGA certification in 1990 and certification in golf management in 2006. Mike spent 15 years serving as a Regional Vice President for a national golf course management company before transitioning into the role of an independent golf course operator. For many years, he managed all aspects of Eagle Ridge Golf Club, a 27-hole championship golf course, and golf academy in Lakewood, New Jersey.

In 2009, Mike expanded his capabilities and formed Spirit Golf Management. Spirit provides an array of management and consulting services to a diversified client base, and the company has enjoyed rapid growth under Mike’s leadership. Spirit’s owned and managed properties along the East Coast have garnered numerous accolades including “Course of the Year” honors, and its executives and golf professionals have earned multiple awards for their excellence in growth-of-the-game initiatives, merchandising, and junior programming.

Mike is a frequent expert speaker on player growth and development as well as industry trends at conferences hosted by the PGA of America, the National Golf Course Owners Association of America, and the National Golf Foundation. He served as a member of the national committee for the PGA’s Golf 2.0 strategic initiative aimed at re-engaging golfers and growing the game. He has also been an advisor to the PGA’s Player Development Department and has spoken on behalf of the organization at the PGA Merchandise Show.

Mike is a five-time recipient of the New Jersey PGA’s President’s Plaque for his contributions to growing the game of golf. He also sits on the Board of Directors for the Pennsylvania Golf Course Owners Association.

A native of Monroe Township, New Jersey, Mike currently resides in Yardley, Pennsylvania, with his family.

Kevin Beirne, PGA

Vice President, Golf Operations

We are so happy to welcome Kevin back to the Spirit Golf management team. Kevin worked alongside Mike Attara for 12-years at Eagle Ridge Golf Club, advancing to the position of Head Golf Professional. Kevin has proven to be a leader and an asset to any team he has been part of throughout his career. Kevin has been recognized as the 2014, 2015, and 2016 NJPGA Player Development Award winner for his exceptional contributions in Growing the Game of Golf. He is considered a leader within the section and nationally in creating and executing player development programs. Kevin has also been honored as the 2015 NJPGA Merchandiser of the Year for public facilities for promoting the game and business of golf and skillfully merchandising his golf shop retail space.

Kevin was elected to the NJPGA Board of Directors in 2015 and currently serves as the Junior Golf Chairman, he previously served as Vice Chairman of the Growth of the Game Committee. Kevin teaches the game at a high level, as a US Kids Certified Professional and US Kids Top 50 Honorable Mention teacher, teaching many outstanding Junior, High School, and Collegiate players during his career.   Kevin played soccer and golf collegiately on nationally ranked teams while attending Greensboro College in NC and ultimately graduating from Salisbury University (MD).

Kevin and his wife Vicki were born and raised at the Jersey shore and have three children, Landon, Madelyn, and Reese who love the beach, sports, and time together. When not at work, you can find Kevin on the sidelines coaching youth soccer or enjoying the beach with the family.

Ed Gibson, PGA

PGA Director of Player Development

Ed has over 16 years of teaching experience and is a certified PGA professional as of 2002. Most recently, Ed was the Head Golf Professional at Applebrook Golf Club in Malvern, PA. Ed was named the Philadelphia PGA Section “Assistant Golf Professional of the Year” 2007, and was also named one of the “Top 25 Golf Instructors”, Philadelphia Magazine, May 2008. Ed has served as President of the Assistants’ Organization, and is currently on both the “Growth of the Game Committee”, and “Membership Committee” in the Philadelphia PGA Section since 2007. Ed was the nominee for the 2010, 2011, & 2012 Philadelphia PGA Section “Teacher of the Year”, and 2010, 2011 “Junior Golf Leader”. Ed was named in US Kids Top 50 Honorable Mention 2011.

Teaching Philosophy

“My teaching philosophy is a combination of my ideas as a golf instructor, and ideas that I have learned from other instructors over the years. I believe that I am always learning, and my philosophy will continue to grow. My main goal as an instructor is to be able to achieve the students expectations in a fun and learning environment. I want my students to have a game plan as to how they are going to be able to improve their game through practice and instruction. The approach I like to take is determine the type of learner (visual, audio, or kinesthetic) my student is in order to make sure the student absorbs what we are working on in the lesson. I believe that it is extremely important to be able to have your student walk away from the lesson feeling as though they understand what we just went over, and not feel overwhelmed by the lesson. I am a believer in giving my students 1 – 2 drills to work on so that they can feel how I want them to swing the club. With that being said, I also strongly believe that we should focus on one aspect of the swing at a time. I like to break the swing down into four aspects: Setup, Backswing, Downswing, and Finish. Overall, the goal is to have the student make a repeatable golf swing, and also to have the student understand what their strengths and weaknesses are in their own swing in order for that student to improve.”

John Goeke

Director of Hospitality

Having worked in many facets of the food and beverage industry, John draws on a wealth of knowledge and experience. John is a summa cum laude graduate of Johnson and Wales University, and worked as a chef with Hyatt Hotels for more than five years. John has been the executive chef and food and beverage manager at Eagle Ridge Golf Club for the past 12 years. Clubhouse operations, menu planning, staffing and special events were a few of his charges. In recent years, John has focused on design and consulting as well as opening several new clubs for Spirit Golf Management.

John is a food enthusiast, always eager to experiment with new flavors and formulas. The Kitchen, and more importantly the cuisine that is produced there, is the lifeblood of any restaurant operation. John’s simple philosophy, “fine food stems from high quality ingredients and good technique. Natural flavors shouldn’t be masked but rather enhanced.” This notion along with a talented, well tuned staff has been the key to John’s success.

An award winning chef and sculptor, John has many interests outside the culinary field. A college basketball player, who still has a deep passion for the game, John sits on the board of directors for the Bordentown area Basketball League and still coaches. He also enjoys baseball and softball with his teenage children who are both very talented pitchers.

Andrew Cantor

Director of Marketing

Andrew is an award-winning Designer and Creative Director who has worked extensively with high-profile clients developing marketing and communication strategies. Andrew joined Spirit Golf 4 years ago and was instrumental in continuing to build and grow our many Brands. From course signage, social media, and the creation of all necessary collateral materials to our website creations, Andrew and his team have helped extend our Brands with an eye toward ROI.

Andrew started his multimedia, multi-disciplined interactive design firm called Cantor Design in 1987 after many years as a creative director in various New York ad agencies and direct mail firms.

For the past 36 years, Andrew has worked on branding, collateral, direct, and interactive campaigns for Fortune 50 companies. His client list is a who’s who of the business and creative fields in which he travels. From Pfizer, AIG, Chartis, New York Life, Credit Suisse, Marsh Financial and Seagrams, to Frank Sinatra, the Beatles and the Grateful Dead, just to name a few.

Andrew holds a BFA from the Philadelphia College of Art, is a member of the Art Directors Club of NY and AIGA of NY, as well as a former APDF Executive Board member, and former UArts Alumni Council member.

Cheryl Kelly

Office Manager

Cheryl joined the Spirit team in 2013 with a 15-year background in business administration and human resources. She has a Bachelors Degree in Education from University of Connecticut and a Masters Degree in Healthcare Administration from The University of New Haven.

Managing the day-to-day operations of the busy Spirit Golf Management office combines her strong administration skills with her passion for the game of golf. When Cheryl is not at work, you can find her on the course.

Paula Harland

Office Manager

Paula Harland joined the Spirit Golf Management team in February 2023.  Paula holds a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting from Rider University and an MBA from LaSalle University and has over 35 years of accounting and business management experience with the majority of those years in a regional educational service agency.  In November 2023, Paula retired from the Bucks County Intermediate Unit (Bucks IU) in Doylestown, PA, after 25 years where she served as the Business Administrator/CFO and Board Treasurer for ten years, the Director of Financial Services for ten years, and Chief Accountant for five years.  Prior to joining the Bucks IU, Paula held the position of Controller at a home energy company for six years and was employed as a Staff Accountant for a central New Jersey accounting firm.  

In her career, she has received numerous awards of achievement for her comprehensive annual budget reports and financial reports, and she served as the Business Managers’ Committee Chairperson for the Pennsylvania Association of Intermediate Units (PAIU) and was an active member in PAIU, the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA), the Association of School Business Officials (ASBO International), the Pennsylvania Association of School Business Officials (PASBO) and its regional chapter, the Delaware Valley Association of School Business Officials (DVASBO) where she served as co-chairperson of the conference planning committee and served on their scholarship and events committees.   It was through her involvement with these organizations that Paula developed a love for the game of golf – attending many golf outings and fundraising events over the years.  

Paula and her husband, Rick, reside in Bucks County, PA, and have one daughter, Lori, who is currently living in Ireland.  When not at work, Paula enjoys going to the gym, riding her bike, playing golf, traveling, and driving her classic car.