A familiar face on the local golf scene is set to call Blue Shamrock Golf Club in Palmerton home.

Earlier this year, Alex Knoll was named the new head golf professional at the course and looks to lean on his experience to revive an instructional program he felt was in need of such a lifeline.

A former pro at Bethlehem Golf Club, Knoll is in his ninth year as Palmerton Area High School golf coach and also teaches at the school.

“When I heard Mahoning Valley Country Club closed, I felt there was a golden opportunity here for Blue Shamrock as really the only public course in a 20-minute radius of Palmerton and Lehighton,” said Knoll, a Jim Thorpe resident. “My plan is to really connect with the younger generation and build back a nice junior program here.”

Course owner Tim Naugle didn’t think twice about the opportunity to land Knoll, who was the 2005 Pennsylvania Amateur Champion, one of only two such champions in the area for the past 100 years. He also played college golf at Davidson College on a golf scholarship, played in the 2007 Nationwide PGA Tour Event at Glenmaura Golf Club, played two years on the Hooters and Tarheel Tour National Mini Tours, and competes regularly on the PGA Philadelphia Section Events, where he has placed in the top 25 in golfers in the tri-state area eight of the past nine years.

The course, formerly Blue Ridge Country Club, remains public, but does offer season memberships, which have seen a large uptick since the announcement of Knoll’s arrival.

“Tim was very supportive of me and my goals of giving this club that same old Blue Ridge feel,” Knoll said. “As the golf coach at Palmerton, I’ve seen the course over the last five years and we both agreed that the food and beverage part of this business is as important as anything. It’s not just a place to eat if you play golf. We want people to come and eat lunch and dinner. We have a revamped menu and we’re looking to get more holiday parties and special functions back here.”

The menu for the first of those holiday meals, an Easter brunch, is available on the club’s website, www.golfblueshamrock.com. The club will kick off its new menu on Tuesday.

Knoll said if the restaurant and bar end of Shamrock is successful, the golf will thrive as well.

New clinics and lesson programs, he added, will be the backbone of the improved club experience. In addition to teaching on the driving range, Knoll said he believes lessons will incorporate on course skill building and course management strategies.

“We’re really looking to develop the women’s and junior programs,” Knoll said. “When you look at the game of golf, the growth is in those demographics.”

Several programs are already in the works including a Thursday night “Get in the Swing” clinic starting April 11, a Saturday “Junior Club” starting May 4 and a Shamrock Women’s Casual Club starting May 16.

Individual and group lessons are also available with prices listed on the website.

“One of the other things we’re looking to do is start a high school prep program for players in our local leagues and conferences around the end of July,” Knoll said.

The club also has numerous leagues available to join and will host golf outings/tournaments, though Knoll said available dates are filling up fast.

As for the course condition itself, Knoll described it as well-manicured and high quality.

“We’ve dropped our prices to be more competitive, but to also say thank you to those who have already played here,” Knoll said. “I feel a quality club has great customer service from the time you pull up your car to the time you leave and that’s what we’re striving for here. If people have tried us before and had an opinion, we welcome them back to show them a new experience.”