Tom Son

Joe Neri

Clive Berkman

Greg Botti

Nikki Prichard

Christy Swartz

Steven Montalto, PGA

Jason Hong, PGA

Tom Son;

General Manager,

PGA Associate

Tom is the General Manager (GM) of Arrowood Golf Course. Before Tom became the GM in January 2018, he worked in the Investment Banking Industry as a Managing Director in Hong Kong and Korea from 1999 to 2016. Tom also served in the United States Army from 1994 to 1999, resigning as a Captain. Prior to his commission in the Army, Tom graduated from the United States Military Academy (West Point) in 1994 and recently graduated (Valedictorian) from Golf Academy of America (San Diego campus) in 2017. Tom, who is truly passionate about golf and is very excited to be at Arrowood, says “I will work to make a positive change at Arrowood so the Arrowood’s experience will be one to remember for our members/customers.” He looks forward to meeting everyone in person and wishes everyone to have an excellent experience at Arrowood Golf Course.

Contact Tom at: tson@arrowoodgolf.com

Christy Swartz;

Food and Beverage Manager

I have been in the Food &Beverage (service) industry for the past 25 years. I grew up in the Bay Area, Mountain View to be exact, and have three lovely children, two in the USMC which is what brought me to Southern California. I'm a huge sports fan! 49ers, SF Giants, Warriors, and San Jose Sharks.

When I'm not busy helping to give our customers a great food and beverage experience, I love camping, hiking, biking, paddle boarding anything outdoors, I'm in.

Contact Christy at cswartz@arrowoodgolf.com

Nikki Prichard;

Head Professional, PGA Associate

Nikki has been playing golf since she was 11 years old, starting off driving around in the golf cart with her dad and grandpa on family vacations. When she was in her sophomore year of high school, she was offered a full ride to the University of Nevada, Reno, where she competed for all four years. After graduating, Nikki moved to Oceanside, a place near and dear to her heart, to pursue her dream of working in the golf industry and teaching the game. Her goal as an instructor is to grow the game of golf and to motivate her students to reach their full potential with unique drills, strategies and mental game techniques.

Greg Botti;

Golf Inventory Manager

From the bentgrass greens of the east coast to the ryegrass and zoysia found in the fairways here out west, Greg has over 25 years experience in the golf industry. Dating back to his college days as a Caddie Master and cart attendant, his travels have included managerial positions at top golfing resorts as well as stints as an instructor, tournament savant and as a clubfitter for some of the industry's top golf club manufacturers. Over this time, Greg has conversed with thousands of golfers on a myriad of topics involving all things golf and has even written a thing or two on the subject.

Greg proudly serves as Arrowood's proverbial Utility Club since 2014.

Contact Greg at: gbotti@arrowoodgolf.com

Joe Neri;

Superintendent

Joe was born in Tijuana. His family immigrated to US in 1970, and he is proud to say that he's a Mexican-American. As Arrowood Golf Course' Superintendent, Joe began at Arrowood in 2004, as part of the initial course construction team. Ever since his arrival at Arrowood, Joe has loved his job and cannot think about doing anything else. He and his employees take great pride in making this course as good as possible for our customers, and Joe says that he owes any successes to his employees and our family at Arrowood. Joe's interests, other than enjoying life to the fullest is being a musician, playing golf, traveling, exercising and hanging out on our beautiful beaches in San Diego with family and friends. Joe looks forward to serving you at our incredible Arrowood Golf Course in the near future.

Contact Joe at: jneri@arrowoodgolf.com

Jason Hong

Director of Instruction, PGA Professional

My Teaching Philosophy

My teaching philosophy is straightforward, simple, and focused on the golf fundamentals. This approach allows me to focus on the key fundamentals in the swing such as a solid setup, grip, posture, stance, alignment and ball position, which I believe, will help create more consistency. Golf is hard enough and my job is to make the game as easy as possible.

I have found that simplifying the golf swing and the thought process are very important to the everyday golfer. The simpler your swing, the easier it is to have a swing that is more repeatable and consistent. Creating a simple swing that is more connected, compact, and on plane will reinforce and allow the golfer to repeat the swing even after a long break without having to feel like they’ve lost their swing.

Some of the other topics I like to focus on are Tempo, Balance and Stability. I’ve realized that over my 7 years of teaching and working with a lot of different swing models and methods, sometimes just focusing on something as simple as tempo and working on their balance and stability helps tremendously in creating a more consistent and polished swing. I am also a strong believer in working with the golfer’s natural swing instead of trying to fit them into a certain swing model. By doing so, it allows the golfers to make improvements at a quicker rate and be able to enjoy the game of golf with a newfound confidence.

I understand that all golfers have different physical abilities/limitations and personal goals in mind. I am very patient and tailor my instructions to each player. I try to teach student’s how to self-correct and build a pre-shot routine to be able to help themselves when they are out on their own. I don’t just teach you on how to hit a golf ball, I help you play better golf and enjoy your golf experience both on and off the course.

My Teaching Background

• Instructed Golf for Business class at Arizona State University with over 10-15 college students per semester. Taught 4 semesters. Beginner to Advanced level. 2011 to 2012

• Taught and assisted a Junior Golf Clinic at Las Sendas Golf Course and at Red Mountain Country Club. Student’s ages ranging from 4-16 years old. 2013-2014

• Was a Head Golf Coach for Campo Verde High School Golf Team as well as an Assistant Golf Coach for Benedictine University Golf Team. 2013-2015

• Was the main PGA teaching professional at Papago Golf Course. Also volunteered and taught golf for Ability 360 which is a company that helps and empowers people with all disabilities. 2014-2017

• I am a PGA certified class “A” professional and have over 7 years of teaching experience. Certified since June 2014

• Bachelors Degree in Business Management from Arizona State University W.P. Carey School of Business. Graduated 2014

The PGA logo is the most-recognized brand in the golf industry. A symbol of quality and integrity in the eyes of the general public, it represents the gold standard; the very best in golf. What this means is that when a golfer reaches out to me as a PGA Director of Instruction, that I meet the highest standards in the golf industry for education, service, and playing ability.

Contact Jason at: jhong@arrowoodgolf.com

Steven Montalto, PGA

First Assistant Professional

Steven grew up in Central New Jersey where Ice Hockey was his first love. He soon realized he was far better with a golf club than a hockey stick. He attended Methodist University in Fayetteville North Carolina where he received a degree in Business Administration and earned his PGA Professional accreditation in 2013. He spent 5 HOT years in Arizona gaining experience as a professional before meeting his future wife and moving to Southern California (her home). He is here to help Arrowood in every facet of the Golf Operation, and to make sure you have an amazing experience while golfing our fantastic facility.

Contact Steven at SMontalto@arrowoodgolf.com

Clive Berkman

Berkman brings more than three decades of culinary expertise. “As a native of Johannesburg, South Africa, Berkman’s eclectic international style is influenced by his years of culinary training throughout Europe and greater US cities including New York, Miami, New Orleans, Houston and San Francisco. Clive was at the helm of Charley’s 517 in Houston, Texas and later his own restaurant, Clive’s, also in Huston. While there, he taught at the University of Houston Conrad N. Hilton College of Hotel and Restaurant Management. Most recently Chef/ Executive chef of The Garden Court Hotel Palo Alto.

Berkman also continues to speak on influential food panels and at cooking demonstrations throughout the United States.

As chef concept developer Berkman is for attention to detail, utilizing the best possible ingredients and applying old school culinary practices with new age thinking.

Contact Clive at: CBerkman@arrowoodgolf.com

The Arrowood Team

We are blessed with a team of nearly 100 dedicated people who enjoy our culture of community and excellence. Everyone from our maintenance team, to golf operations, customer service and food and beverage are here with one common purpose, to serve our customers.

Tom Son;

General Manager,

PGA Associate

Tom is the General Manager (GM) of Arrowood Golf Course. Before Tom became the GM in January 2018, he worked in the Investment Banking Industry as a Managing Director in Hong Kong and Korea from 1999 to 2016. Tom also served in the United States Army from 1994 to 1999, resigning as a Captain. Prior to his commission in the Army, Tom graduated from the United States Military Academy (West Point) in 1994 and recently graduated (Valedictorian) from Golf Academy of America (San Diego campus) in 2017. Tom, who is truly passionate about golf and is very excited to be at Arrowood, says “I will work to make a positive change at Arrowood so the Arrowood’s experience will be one to remember for our members/customers.” He looks forward to meeting everyone in person and wishes everyone to have an excellent experience at Arrowood Golf Course.

Contact Tom at: tson@arrowoodgolf.com

Nikki Prichard;

Head Professional, PGA Associate

Nikki has been playing golf since she was 11 years old, starting off driving around in the golf cart with her dad and grandpa on family vacations. When she was in her sophomore year of high school, she was offered a full ride to the University of Nevada, Reno, where she competed for all four years. After graduating, Nikki moved to Oceanside, a place near and dear to her heart, to pursue her dream of working in the golf industry and teaching the game. Her goal as an instructor is to grow the game of golf and to motivate her students to reach their full potential with unique drills, strategies and mental game techniques.

Jason Hong

Director of Instruction, PGA Professional

My Teaching Philosophy

My teaching philosophy is straightforward, simple, and focused on the golf fundamentals. This approach allows me to focus on the key fundamentals in the swing such as a solid setup, grip, posture, stance, alignment and ball position, which I believe, will help create more consistency. Golf is hard enough and my job is to make the game as easy as possible.

I have found that simplifying the golf swing and the thought process are very important to the everyday golfer. The simpler your swing, the easier it is to have a swing that is more repeatable and consistent. Creating a simple swing that is more connected, compact, and on plane will reinforce and allow the golfer to repeat the swing even after a long break without having to feel like they’ve lost their swing.

Some of the other topics I like to focus on are Tempo, Balance and Stability. I’ve realized that over my 7 years of teaching and working with a lot of different swing models and methods, sometimes just focusing on something as simple as tempo and working on their balance and stability helps tremendously in creating a more consistent and polished swing. I am also a strong believer in working with the golfer’s natural swing instead of trying to fit them into a certain swing model. By doing so, it allows the golfers to make improvements at a quicker rate and be able to enjoy the game of golf with a newfound confidence.

I understand that all golfers have different physical abilities/limitations and personal goals in mind. I am very patient and tailor my instructions to each player. I try to teach student’s how to self-correct and build a pre-shot routine to be able to help themselves when they are out on their own. I don’t just teach you on how to hit a golf ball, I help you play better golf and enjoy your golf experience both on and off the course.

My Teaching Background

• Instructed Golf for Business class at Arizona State University with over 10-15 college students per semester. Taught 4 semesters. Beginner to Advanced level. 2011 to 2012

• Taught and assisted a Junior Golf Clinic at Las Sendas Golf Course and at Red Mountain Country Club. Student’s ages ranging from 4-16 years old. 2013-2014

• Was a Head Golf Coach for Campo Verde High School Golf Team as well as an Assistant Golf Coach for Benedictine University Golf Team. 2013-2015

• Was the main PGA teaching professional at Papago Golf Course. Also volunteered and taught golf for Ability 360 which is a company that helps and empowers people with all disabilities. 2014-2017

• I am a PGA certified class “A” professional and have over 7 years of teaching experience. Certified since June 2014

• Bachelors Degree in Business Management from Arizona State University W.P. Carey School of Business. Graduated 2014

The PGA logo is the most-recognized brand in the golf industry. A symbol of quality and integrity in the eyes of the general public, it represents the gold standard; the very best in golf. What this means is that when a golfer reaches out to me as a PGA Director of Instruction, that I meet the highest standards in the golf industry for education, service, and playing ability.

Contact Jason at: jhong@arrowoodgolf.com

Steven Montalto, PGA

First Assistant Professional

Steven grew up in Central New Jersey where Ice Hockey was his first love. He soon realized he was far better with a golf club than a hockey stick. He attended Methodist University in Fayetteville North Carolina where he received a degree in Business Administration and earned his PGA Professional accreditation in 2013. He spent 5 HOT years in Arizona gaining experience as a professional before meeting his future wife and moving to Southern California (her home). He is here to help Arrowood in every facet of the Golf Operation, and to make sure you have an amazing experience while golfing our fantastic facility.

Contact Steven at SMontalto@arrowoodgolf.com

Clive Berkman

Berkman brings more than three decades of culinary expertise. “As a native of Johannesburg, South Africa, Berkman’s eclectic international style is influenced by his years of culinary training throughout Europe and greater US cities including New York, Miami, New Orleans, Houston and San Francisco. Clive was at the helm of Charley’s 517 in Houston, Texas and later his own restaurant, Clive’s, also in Huston. While there, he taught at the University of Houston Conrad N. Hilton College of Hotel and Restaurant Management. Most recently Chef/ Executive chef of The Garden Court Hotel Palo Alto.

Berkman also continues to speak on influential food panels and at cooking demonstrations throughout the United States.

As chef concept developer Berkman is for attention to detail, utilizing the best possible ingredients and applying old school culinary practices with new age thinking.

Contact Clive at: CBerkman@arrowoodgolf.com