Prof. Justin Barroner has served as a professor, advisor and coach at California University of Pennsylvania (Cal U) since 2005. He was hired to help develop and grow the University's professional golf management program. Since this time, Prof. Barroner has helped build an internship program, which highlights over 300 golf facilities across the country including Congressional Country Club (host of the 1997 and 2011 U.S. Open Championship), Crooked Stick Golf Club (host of the 2007 U.S. Women's Amateur Championship and the 2009 U.S. Senior Open), Oakmont Country Club (host of the 2007 and 2016 U.S. Open Championship), Nemacolin Woodlands Resort (host of the 2003-2006 PGA Tour 84 Lumber Classic), and The Broadmoor Resort (host of the 2008 U.S. Senior Open and 2011 US Women's Open).
He also coached the Cal U men's golf team in 2006 and 2007, leading them to their first tournament win since the team's inception, in 2005. In January 2008, Mr. Barroner was named the professional golf management program director and has been at the helm of the program ever since.
Prof. Barroner also received the 2008, 2009 and 2011 Tri-State PGA, Horton Smith Award for his outstanding and continuing contributions to developing and improving educational opportunities for current and aspiring PGA Golf Professionals, the Tri-State PGA's Bill Strausbaugh Award in 2010 and 2014 for Mentorship, and the Tri-State PGA's Junior Golf Leadership Award in 2012. In addition, he was elected in 2012 and 2016 to three-year terms on the Tri-State PGA's Board of Directors as the assistant/apprentice chairman.
Prior to coming to California University, Prof. Barroner worked at Woodmont Country Club, an exclusive private country club located just outside Washington, D.C. During his time at Woodmont Country Club, he oversaw the golf shop operations and provided golf instruction to over 100 different students completing over 400 hours of instruction each year.
Prof. Barroner also worked as a golf professional at The Breakers Resort in Palm Beach, Fla.; Huntingdon Valley Country Club in Philadelphia, Pa.; Wilmington Country Club in Wilmington, Del.; and The Penn State Golf Courses in State College, Pa. During his experiences, he worked with some of the most influential names in the golf industry including Todd Anderson, a Golf Magazine Top 50 Golf Instructor at the Breakers Resort and under Jack Connelly, president of the PGA of America 2000-2002.
Prof. Barroner grew up in Hollidaysburg, Pa., and received his education at Penn State University in the professional golf management program. He was also a member of the Schreyers Honors College at Penn State and completed a thesis on employee motivation at golf facilities. During this time, he worked to earn his PGA Class A Membership. In order to earn this prestigious membership, he spent five years studying all aspects of the game of golf. In addition, Prof. Barroner has earned PGA Certified status in 6 different career paths including teaching and player development. Prof. Barroner also holds a master's of science degree in sport management from Cal U and completed an M.B.A. from Clarion University.