Individual Instruction
Lucas Balala
Head Golf Professional
Lucas grew up in University Place, WA and attended Curtis Senior High School where he played on the golf team all four years, making 3 state championship appearances. After high school, he attended Linfield College, where he also played for four years while earning his bachelor’s degree in Exercise Science. Shortly after graduating, Lucas became an assistant golf coach for his alma mater Linfield College and also served as an assistant professional at Michelbook Country Club in McMinnville, OR. He arrived at Allenmore in the summer of 2020 and worked as an assistant professional under the tutelage of Mitchell Berschauer, PGA, until he was named Head Golf Professional in the fall of 2021.
Team Griffin Golf
We are excited to announce Team Griffin Golf will be back for the 2023 season!
Coach Sara and Coach Chris are PGA golf professionals with a passion to grow the game. These coaches have been teaching golf for a combined 25+ years. They each played Division 1 college golf and have even coached various college and high school golf teams. These coaches from Griffin Golf are excited to partner with Allenmore again to offer clinics specifically designed for women and kids. Additionally, coach Joshua Lackey will be joining their team for the 2023 season!
Sara Griffin
Teaching Professional
I was born and raised in Federal Way, WA, and started playing golf at age 8 at Twin Lakes Golf and Country Club. I was a four-year letterman on the boy’s high school team before signing on to play for the Oregon State University Women’s Golf Team. Upon graduating, I became the assistant coach for the OSU Beavers. After two years of assisting, I was offered the head coach position at University of San Francisco. Between 1997 and 2005, I developed a Top-25 ranked team, secured a West Coast Conference Championship and made eight consecutive NCAA Regional appearances. In 2005, I returned to the Pacific Northwest to begin work at Tacoma Country & Golf Club. I earned my Class A PGA Membership in 2009.
Chris Griffin
Teaching Professional
My golf career began at the age of 9, and I haven’t stopped since. In 2000, I turned professional and in 2006 became a Class A Member of the PGA. I had spent my teen years working the bag room of Tacoma Country & Golf Club, and eventually worked my way up to first assistant at TCGC. In 2009, I set off to pursue a full-time PGA Tour career, playing on the Canadian Tour and various mini tours while attending PGA Tour Qualifying School. After four years of tour experience, I returned to TCGC to continue teaching. In 2013, I won the Washington State Open, and have been a consistent top 10-player in the PGA’s Pacific Northwest Section. I was a member of the Hudson Cup Team 8 times.
Joshua Lackey
Teaching Professional
I was born and raised in Puyallup, WA. I grew up on the golf course and have been competitively golfing since the age of ten, and have since played in hundreds of golf tournaments all around the US. Golf has taught me the importance of hard work, grit, and visualization to achieve my goals. I became a part of the Griffin Golf family over a decade ago, and this family has provided me the crucial support and tools needed to advance my golfing career. I achieved a 4-year letterman at Rogers High School and won the South Puget Sound League 4A Player of the Year in 2016. Furthermore, I graduated from George Fox University in 2022. Throughout my 4 and 1/2 year college career, I had two personal wins including the NCAA DIII Conference Champion and four consecutive team wins. After college, I got an engineering job and later felt called to leave, so I could pursue my passion to mentor and share my love for the game of golf. My engineering education mixed with my golf experiences allows me to apply my unique understanding of physics, biomechanics, and overall process of thinking to produce a unique approach to golf.