Leadership
Gene Bakkum, Founder, Co-CEO and Coach
PGA Class A Professional
Gene is a Class "A" PGA Professional, a Golf Digest Best Teachers In California 2022-2023, winner of the NCPGA 2023 & 2021 Player Development Award and the NCPGA 2022 Youth 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. 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.
Howard Oliver, Founder, Co-CEO, and Coach
PGA Associate
Howard is a product of Oakland, California and Bay Area junior golf. His love of the game was fostered by legendary figures: Reola L. Freeman, Gene Mixon, Ira Fair, and Winslow “Woody” Woodard to name a few. He played high school and college golf locally for St. Joseph’s Notre Dame High School, Alameda and Cal-State Hayward. Upon graduation, Howard ventured to pursue his dream of becoming a professional golfer and moved to the Phoenix/Scottsdale area. Long known to be the PGA/LPGA Tour’s West Coast proving ground, it was here he learned the intricacies of the game at the world-class level. He worked with, trained, and competed against highly touted amateurs and professionals from all over the globe. Howard competed in the 2015 USGA Mid-Amateur Golf Tournament. Coach Howard led the Piedmont High School varsity boy's and girl's teams for 10 seasons. He has directed both PGA Camps and PGA Junior League since 2018. Coach Howard is also the acting Executive Director of Drive 4 Change, a California non-profit organization dedicated to providing elite level golf programming to underserved and underrepresented communities throughout the Oakland (east) Bay Area.
