Leadership
Gene Bakkum, Founder, Co-CEO and Coach
PGA Class A Professional
Gene is a Class "A" PGA Professional, 2024 Top 50 US Kids Golf Coach, winner of the 2024 NCPGA Professional Development Award, the NCPGA 2024 & 2022 Youth Player Development Award, a Golf Digest Best Teachers In California 2022-2023, and the NCPGA 2023 & 2021 Player Development Award. Gene was on the coaching staff for the UC Berkeley Men's Golf team from 2002-2016. Taking the lead on player development and skill analysis, Gene helped lead the Golden Bears to their first NCAA National Championship title in 2004 as assistant coach. Gene also served as assistant coach for the UC Davis Men's Golf Team from 2000-2002, where he led the team to the number one ranked position in the Country for Division II Men's Golf. Gene has taken his coaching background and applied it to his teaching and coaching at Metropolitan Golf Links since 2004, and NorCal Golf Academy since 2016.
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Howard Oliver, Founder, Co-CEO, and Coach
PGA Associate
Howard Oliver, co-founder & CEO of Elevate Golf Academy, combines over 35 years of golf experience with a deep background in small-to-medium-sized business development. Howard’s competitive golf journey is impressive: he played professionally for five years, qualified for the prestigious U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship in 2015, and is now a regular contender in Northern California PGA Section tournaments. Beyond competing, Howard shares his expertise with peers, presenting at Section trainings for PGA professionals, including the recent Player Development Conference at Haggin Oaks in October 2024.
Howard’s decade-long career in private equity, where he researched, developed, and scaled three businesses, has been instrumental in driving the success and community reach of Elevate Golf Academy. His unique expertise complements that of his partner, Coach Gene Bakkum, enabling the academy’s growth and commitment to impactful, quality instruction for all.
In addition to his role at Elevate, Howard serves as the Executive Director of Drive4Change, Inc., a California non-profit organization dedicated to using sports, technical education, and social development to support the growth of underrepresented communities throughout the Oakland and surrounding East Bay Area.
