Joanna Coe, Merion Golf Club’s PGA director of instruction, has turned the elusive dream of a life in professional golf into a life she dreamed about.
Coe, of Haverford, Pennsylvania, grew up playing public golf in southern New Jersey and blossomed into a four-time all-American at Rollins College, winning the 2008 NCAA Division II title and leading the Tars to the team championship as a freshman.
Following her aspirations, she qualified for the U.S. Women’s Open in 2011 and played on the LPGA’s Symetra Tour (known today as the Epson Tour) in 2012-15.
At qualifying school in 2016, Coe began to feel the misgivings of tour life and realized she was not happy.
“I felt like my identity was my score,” she said. “…. The instability was getting to me, the loneliness on tour, the constant numbers, and the worry about the cut. I figured it was time for a change. I knew I wasn’t going to be out there forever to give it a go.”
With advice from her sister and relying on her experience with golf instruction through her teacher, Bruce Chelucci, she established a LinkedIn profile and put out the “open-to-work” alert.
She fortified her decision to go into teaching because at Chelucci’s New Jersey Academy of Golf at Blue Heron Pines in south Jersey, Coe learned the craft of the golf swing while working on her own.
On the job front, it didn’t take long for Coe to hear from Baltimore Country Club inquiring about her interest in its open position as a junior golf instructor.
From her base in Orlando, Florida, she flew to Baltimore for an interview and was offered the job.
“I had this feeling I needed to do it,” Coe said. “I needed a change. I knew how important it was to get into that network for Northeast golf, and I took a leap of faith.”
In six years, with dogged determination for improving the program, Coe moved up to assistant director of instruction and then to director of instruction.
Word spread of her work at BCC, and in 2022, historic Merion in suburban Philadelphia reached out regarding its director-of-instruction job.
“It was an unbelievable dream opportunity that I couldn’t turn down,” she said, reflecting on her roots in south Jersey and Philadelphia.
Merion was impressed that her work at Baltimore Country Club was organized and effective.
“They knew that my work wasn’t a one-hour lesson factory,” she said. “There was a plan and a program.”
Now three years into her job, she has established an enviable life. She married Ryan Hartsfield in January of 2023 and is eight months’ pregnant, due on June 9.
“I pinch myself sometimes that I am here,” Coe said of the century-old club, which has played host to five U.S. Opens, two Curtis Cups, a Walker Cup and numerous national amateur championships. “It is such a great membership. It’s a pleasure to be here every day. They have such a high golf IQ, and they are so happy about my future family. The history is unbelievable to be at such an iconic place in the world of golf. I am incredibly grateful.”
Coe likes to soak in the vibe of Ardmore Avenue and Merion’s iconic wicker baskets atop the flagsticks on a daily basis.
“Our learning center is next to the 16th hole,” Coe said. “I was walking here the other day, and the Scottish broom is in full bloom, and God it’s beautiful. It doesn’t get old.”
“I’ve been fortunate to experience a lot of amazing things because of golf and been to the coolest places. I have worked my tail off to get to this point at the age of 34.” — Joanna Coe
Coe, who was No. 3 in Pennsylvania in Golf Digest’s most recent rankings of the best teachers in each state, has earned accolades as a player and now as a teacher.
She conceded that she “goes with the flow” in her approach to instruction.
“It’s adaptable; it’s fun,” she said of her style. “It’s evolved over time because I know so much more than I used to. I’ve learned more about communication styles and learning styles. I’m like a chameleon. I adapt to them.”
Along with Nick Iacono, her teaching colleague, Coe fosters what she calls a “passionate but curious atmosphere” for teaching that focuses on critical thinking and problem solving to prepare pupils for the intricacies of Merion’s renowned East Course.
Coe plays as much as possible and boasts a best score of even-par 70 on the East, where she says the 17th is the hardest par-3; the fifth or the 18th is the hardest par-4; and No. 2 is the hardest par-5. She rated the greens on holes 5, 12, 15 and 18 as the most difficult to putt, and despite the proximity to the dining porch for the opening tee shot, she said, No. 1 is the best birdie chance.
Hoping to continue to play after the birth of her baby, Coe was granted a medical exemption in accordance with the LPGA’s maternity policy into the 2025 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship at PGA Frisco because of her fifth-place finish at the 2023 LPGA Professionals National Championship. It will be her seventh major championship.
As a player, she was named the 2019 Women’s PGA Professional Player of the Year and the 2022 Philadelphia PGA Women’s Player of the Year.
Her shorter-term competition focus is on the PGA Cup. Though the team has not been announced, she hopes to play at Sunriver in Oregon in the fall, saying: “It would be cool to bring the baby along and watch Mommy do her thing.”
The transition from the life of a competitive professional to a balance of teaching golf and raising a family is taking shape for Coe.
“I’ve been fortunate to experience a lot of amazing things because of golf and been to the coolest places,” she said. “I have worked my tail off to get to this point at the age of 34.”