Hello! I’m Ericka

Golf Instructor

As a born and raised Floridian who grew up playing boys ice hockey, golf didn’t really become a part of my life until two weeks before my freshman year of high school. I wanted to play sports in high school and intended on playing hockey. However, my high school did not have a hockey team so I needed to find a different sport to play if I wan’t to compete in high school athletics.

I decided to try out for the golf team figuring I whacked something with a stick in hockey and would whack something with a stick in golf. How hard could it truly be?I grew to love the game of golf very quickly, and have never looked back. 

My golf career has been stock full of opportunities that have lead to the coach and player I am today. It started out with high school golf along with being a participant in The First Tee of the Sarasota/Manatee chapter. Through The first Tee I was awarded opportunities to attend the Life Skills and Leadership National Academy as well as the Advanced Players Forum. The greatest opportunity The First Tee has offered me was me earning a spot to pay in the Walmart First Tee Open along side the Champions PGA Tour 2 years in a row. Being a senior in high school the first time around and getting to play Pebble Beach on an all expense paid trip with Andy Bean as my partner, was kind of surreal. For sure there wasn’t a way to top the experience…until there was. The following year leading into my freshman year of college I earned a spot to attend the Walmart First Tee Open for the 2nd year in a row. This year was a little different. My Champions Tour playing partner was Jeff Sluman and his best friend happens to be Bill Murray, who was one of our amateur playing partners during the tournament. To say I have made incredible memories to last a lifetime before I was 20 years old is an understatement.

By the end of my senior year I had earned a full golf scholarship to Daytona State College, a junior college in Daytona Beach, Florida. I played my two years at DSC where we won just about every tournament we played in; as well as back to back national championships. I earned 1st Team All American honors both years at DSC.

After I concluded my two years at DSC I was able to be recruited again and earned a full golf scholarship to attend The University of Mississippi where I earned a Bachelors Degree in Integrated Marketing communications. After graduating from Ole Miss in 2014 I attended LPGA Tour Qualifying School where I earned status for the LPGA Symetra Tour. I played on the LPGA Symetra Tour from April of 2014 until September of 2017. During my time playing professionally I was also the playing/teaching professional at Waterlefe Golf & River Club in my home town of Bradenton, FL. 

Following my stint playing professionally, I became the Assistant Women’s Golf Coach at the University of Alabama at Birmingham in September of 2017. I stayed at UAB for 11 months before moving to Asheville, North Carolina to take over as the Head Women’s Golf Coach at UNC Asheville. I was at the helm of the UNCA Women’s golf program from August of 2018 until May of 2022. While coaching at UNC Asheville I was also a teaching professional at The Cliffs at Walnut Cove where our team practiced and played. Following my years in North Carolina, I accepted a job to be the head women’s golf coach at South Dakota State University in Brookings, South Dakota, where I am currently coaching today. 

Throughout my years playing collegiately and professionally I have always found myself coaching or mentoring others through the game of golf. Whether it was giving back to The First Tee by volunteering, coaching in junior golf camps at Lakewood Ranch Country club, being the playing professional at Waterlefe Golf and River Club, volunteering for clinics each week on the LPGA Symetra Tour or being a teaching pro at The Cliffs at Walnut Cove. I have always had a love for growing the game, helping others get better and challenging myself in expanding my scope of knowledge to better serve my own game and others’.

The instructors and mentors I have had throughout my life and golf career are the reason I have such a passion for growing the game and helping others. I have amazing people in my life who have paved the way to show me. Being able to add to the education I have received from each of them to expand my knowledge of the game to help others is my true passion. As a TPI certified instructor I don’t just look at your golf swing, I look at who you are and how your body moves. There is no perfect golf swing for everyone, but for everyone there is one perfect golf swing. My approach is based on ensuring your swing moves in harmony with your over all physical makeup, past injury profile and level of intended time input to get better.  

This website was originally developed for you to follow along with my professional playing career. It has now morphed into my landing page for EKS GOLF LLC. I have a passion for growing the game both through college coaching and teaching the game within my community through private lessons, group clinics, workshops and more. If you are interested in learning more about the game or shaving strokes off your handicap send me an email and let’s set something up!