PORTLAND, Ore. – Lewis & Clark College Director of Physical Education and Athletics, Clark Yeager, has announced the recent appointment of Michael Charles as the Head Men’s and Women’s Golf Coach. Charles joins the Pioneers from Eastmoreland Golf Course in Southeast Portland, where he is presently a golf professional and instructor.

“It is certainly our hope that Michael’s experiences with golf will enable him to be the person that leads our golf programs to the levels we hope for them and teach our student-athletes the values of sport generally but those life lessons that are unique to golf,” said Yeager.

In addition to teaching at Eastmoreland , Charles also instructs at the Merriwether Ladies Golf School. His teaching and coaching career also includes teaching at Mission Hills Country Club and La Quinta Country Club in Palm Springs, Calif.

He is a two-time Portland City Junior Champion and two-time Oregon Juniors Medalist. He competed twice In the USGA Public Links Championships including being the youngest player in the field (17) in 1991. Also in 1991 Charles finished T9th in the Insurance Youth Golf Classic, a national major for junior golf. Before turning professional in 1996 he was a semi-finalist in the Oregon State Amateur, considered one of the top ranked Division I college players on the west coast and had represented Oregon in the Junior America’s Cup and Hudson Cup.

As a professional, Charles has competed on many professional golf tours including the Cascade Tour, the Golden State Tour, the A.G. Spanos Tour, and the Nationwide Tour. Although his focus is on teaching and coaching now, he still competes occasionally including a 2nd place finish in the Oregon PGA Chapter Championships in 2008.

Charles graduated from Jesuit High School and the University of Portland. While at the University of Portland he earned a Bachelors of Arts in Political Science.

"I want to thank Clark Yeager, for giving me this incredible opportunity to return to college coaching here at Lewis & Clark College,” said Charles. "I'm excited for the opportunity to help guide and develop a young group of golfers."