Alex Cavaliere and his brother played many sports growing up, but spent most of their time playing hockey at a young age. Their parents introduced them to golf as a way to spend time together outdoors as a family. Alex was eight years old.
“My parents had clubs,” Cavaliere recalls, “but to my knowledge only played a handful of times before by my brother and I were born. We began playing at Chanticlair Golf Course, a nine-hole course in Colchester, Connecticut and practiced at a nearby public driving range. I also began attending the First Tee - Connecticut in Cromwell around the same time and spent time there through high school.”
As his interest in golf grew, Cavaliere’s parents found his first golf coach, a PGA of America Master Professional named Don Gliha, a two-time Connecticut PGA Section Teacher of the Year. Alex spent many years taking lessons from Gliha until he retired, but the time they spent together continues to have a huge impact on Cavaliere’s coaching philosophies.
“Don made golf so fun for me as a kid, but also taught me some important lessons about being a golf teacher, including creating an educational experience for the student,” Cavaliere explains. “I began taking lessons from (former PGA of America President) Suzy Whaley during my freshman year of high school when I wanted to become more dedicated to golf. Once Suzy was elected Secretary of the PGA of America, I began to take lessons from her husband Bill. Suzy and Bill sparked my interest in a career in golf, which led to my interest in going to PGM school. Besides Suzy and Bill, the PGA members I grew up around were all very kind people who focused on helping others and creating great experiences. Seeing the positive impact a PGA member can make on someone’s life inspired me to become a PGA of America Golf Professional myself.”
Cavaliere enrolled in the PGA Golf Management Program at Penn State University in 2018. There, he learned about all aspects of the golf industry and spent a lot of time in their Golf Teaching and Research Center, which is equipped with the best technology used throughout the golf teaching industry.
He graduated from Penn State with a degree in Recreation, Park and Tourism Management and a PGA Golf Management concentration, with minor degrees in Kinesiology and Sports Studies and certificates in Meeting & Event Management and Business Fundamentals.
During his time in the PGM program, Cavaliere completed his internship obligations under the direction of Joe Connerton, PGA. He worked for Joe first at the Hartford Golf Club and then Round Hill Club when Connerton became the PGA of America Head Golf Professional there. During his time at Round Hill Club, Cavaliere met Michael Breed, PGA and Tom Rosati, PGA, who both encouraged him to pursue a career in teaching golf.
Cavaliere is in his 5th season as a full-time teaching professional at Lyman Orchards Golf Club, a GRAA Top 50 Public Facility located in Middlefield, Connecticut, and was recently given the title of Director of Junior Golf Instruction since he works predominantly with junior golfers. Lyman Orchards, however, has a wide array of player development offerings for all types of players and is home to the largest women’s instruction program in the country and 3rd largest PGA Jr. League program in the country, under PGA of America Director of Golf and GRAA Elite Growth of the Game Teaching Professional John Dipollina.
“I create and oversee the junior golf programs and curricula at Lyman Orchards for clinics and camps,” Cavaliere details. “Lyman has beginner, intermediate and advanced programming for juniors, along with 10-12 weeks of junior golf camps each season. I utilize Operation 36 to track progress and keep the juniors engaged as they participate in the clinics and camps throughout the year. I keep my program offerings fresh and exciting so that participants can enjoy learning, whether they are brand new to golf or more experienced.”
Outside of clinics, Cavaliere teaches many junior golfers privately as well. He mentors a mix of competitive juniors of all ages and various beginner and intermediate players. In 2025, his students won nearly 50 events across multiple tours locally, regionally and nationally. He coached his PGA Jr. League 17U team to the National Championship in 2025. He also had a student compete in the USGA Girls Championship in 2025 and another compete in the 2025 Girls Jr. PGA Championship. He also has a younger student who recently competed at Augusta National Golf Club in the Drive, Chip and Putt competition last April.
Cavaliere is not only proactive at his own facility, but in the Connecticut PGA Section as a member of its Board of Directors and several committees — Membership, Junior Golf and Player Engagement. He has attained many certifications — SAM PuttLab, Trackman, Mach 3, Eyeline Elite Putting and more, and is TPI-certified to better teach the body’s impact on the golf swing for maximum improvement of his students. Through the stellar practice facilities and detailed programming at Lyman Orchards, Cavaliere and his colleague’s students have many opportunities to learn and practice, the key to continuous game improvement.
Pondering the future of player development, Cavaliere says, “Fitness and golf-specific training have proven to be important to competitive players as long as I can remember. I have noticed over the past few years that more golfers are seeking golf-specific fitness professionals to help improve their strength and mobility. I think it’s important to create a relationship with the best fitness professional in your area so that you have a trustworthy person to send your students to. I anticipate the popularity of golf fitness continuing to increase and eventually becoming something that amateur golfers think about as much as formal golf instruction.”