Houghton Lake’s Gordon LaFontaine, Bernie Friedrich of Boyne Honored by MGCA

Award Winners Gordon LaFontaine, Kate Moore and Bernie  Friedrich. Photo by Greg Johnson

Houghton Lake’s Gordon LaFontaine, Bernie Friedrich of Boyne Honored by MGCA

    TROY – Gordon LaFontaine, a Houghton Lake Golf Course owner and former executive director of the Michigan Turfgrass Foundation, received the W. Bruce Matthews Lifetime Achievement Award, and Bernie Friedrich, vice-president of golf and resort sales for Boyne Resorts, received the Lyle Leeke Distinguished Service Award at the Michigan Golf Course Association’s Award Winner’s Banquet Tuesday night.

  Those presentations highlighted the evening that is a celebrated part of the three-day Michigan Golf Business Annual Conference & Vendor Fair that concludes today at the Somerset Inn Conference Center.

  In addition to its annual awards, the Michigan Golf Course Association (MGCA) honored Kate Moore, its longtime executive director who has retired from that post to work in a part-time role with the association. Jada Paisley, the current executive director and formerly the associate director, made emotional remarks and presented a video of MGCA members in praise of Moore’s contributions.

 Emotion and passion for the business carried the evening.

  LaFontaine, who owns Pine View Highlands Golf Course and retired last year after 37 years with the Michigan Turfgrass Foundation (MTF), called the MTF the best of its kind in the world.

  “I can’t thank you enough for this award,” he said. “I’m a guy who was able to do what I love to do, and I’m proud I was able to be of service to you.”

  Friedrich, a PGA professional who has worked for 43 years with Boyne, said he was humbled and honored.

  “I’m fortunate to work with an organization that not only lets us go out and work with organizations and associations like this in the community, but encourages us to do that,” he said. “That means a lot to us. Our golf staff and agronomy staff have a passion for our business and our mission. Without them I couldn’t do anything.”

  Boyne President Steven Kircher, the son of Boyne founder Everett Kircher, praised Friedrich for bringing service to Boyne and also accepted the previously announced MGCA Golf Course of the Year Award that went to The Heather course at Boyne Highlands Resort in Harbor Springs.

  Folds of Honor creator, Major Dan Rooney, who is also an owner of Grand Haven Golf Club, was honored with the Award of Merit by the MGCA. Rooney was unable to attend, but he did address the crowd via video.

  Joe Thomas of Treetops Resort in Gaylord and Kelly Plaisier of Thousand Oaks Golf Club in Grand Rapids were winners of the 2018 Dul Family Player Development Leadership Award.

  Mark Runchey, the director of golf at Fox Hills Golf & Banquet Center in Plymouth, was honored with the 2018 John Dodge Carpe Diem Award.

  MGCA President Bill Fountain was the master of ceremonies and the awards evening was sponsored by Entegra Procurement Services.

  Joe Charles of Treetops Resort in Gaylord was one of the winners of the 2018 Dul Family Player Development Leadership Award in ceremonies presented Tuesday at the Michigan Golf Course Association’s Award Winner’s Banquet in Troy.

  It was reported incorrectly in the press release that was circulated Tuesday. Charles is the director of instruction for the golf academy at Treetops.

THE ALLY CHALLENGE PRESENTED BY MCLAREN ANNOUNCES CHARITABLE DONATION

THE ALLY CHALLENGE PRESENTED BY MCLAREN ANNOUNCES CHARITABLE DONATION

Inaugural PGA TOUR Champions event generates more than $800,000 for southeastern Michigan Charities

GRAND BLANC, Mich. – Tournament Officials announced today that the inaugural playing of The Ally Challenge presented by McLaren, concluded September 16, 2018, at Warwick Hills Golf & Country Club, raised $801,060.41 for charitable organizations in southeastern Michigan. The total includes $365,000 for each of the tournament’s primary beneficiaries, Junior Achievement of Southeastern Michigan – serving children in Flint/Genesee County (JA) and Community Foundation of Greater Flint (CFGF).

“By all accounts the inaugural tournament was a triumph for this community,” said Alison Summerville, business administration executive and head of Corporate Citizenship at Ally. “I’m so happy to present these checks which are the culmination of the hard work of hundreds of people at Ally and in this community to make tournament week a huge success. The legacy of The Ally Challenge presented by McLaren will live on for years to come through the great work of the Community Foundation of Greater Flint and Junior Achievement of Southeastern Michigan.”

“McLaren Health Care is honored to be involved with this worthwhile cause,” said McLaren Health Care Executive Vice President Greg Lane. “It is incredibly rewarding to work with The Ally Challenge presented by McLaren to positively impact the youth of Genesee County. McLaren is committed to making a difference in the communities where we live and work, and we look forward to building on the philanthropic successes of the tournament in 2019 and beyond.”

Junior Achievement of Southeastern Michigan’s mission is to inspire and prepare young people to succeed in a global economy. Junior Achievement is part of the nation’s largest organization dedicated to empowering young people by teaching them the knowledge and skills needed to own their economic success, plan for their future and make beneficial academic and economic choices.

The tournament’s donation will allow Junior Achievement to expedite its five-year growth plan for Genesee County, with emphasis on the expansion of the newly opened JA Finance Park facility on the Flint Campus of Baker College. The JA Finance Park Program will engage middle and high school students in an interactive budgeting simulation that enables them to develop skills to successfully navigate today’s complex economic environment and discover how their decisions can impact tomorrow.  Teachers that would like to request JA Programs for their students or individuals interested in volunteering can call Cindy Bazner at (810) 553-4140 or email Meghan Cuneo atmcuneo@jamichigan.org.

“We are grateful to have been selected as one of the charities benefiting from the proceeds of The Ally Challenge presented by McLaren,” said Kandace Jones, President & CEO of Junior Achievement of Southeastern Michigan. “These resources will help inspire and prepare thousands of K-12 students in Flint, and surrounding areas, to succeed in a global economy through their participation in Junior Achievement’s financial literacy and work readiness programming.”

The Community Foundation of Greater Flint serves the common good in Genesee County—building a strong community by engaging people in philanthropy and developing the community’s permanent endowment—now and for generations to come. CFGF helps donors support the causes they care about, today or through their estates. Since 1988 the Community Foundation has granted more than $116 million to nonprofit organizations to build a thriving community. CFGF serves Flint and all of Genesee County including its community funds in Clio, Davison, Fenton, Flushing and Grand Blanc.

The tournament’s donation to the Community Foundation of Greater Flint will support two charitable funds – the Flint Kids Fund and the Flint Promise Fund. The Flint Kids Fund supports the long-term health and development needs of children and families affected by the water crisis with early childhood education, access to healthy food, access to a medical home, and family emotional supports. The Flint Promise Fund is a locally-driven initiative designed to offer Flint students more opportunities for post-secondary education through a promise scholarship.

“The Ally Challenge presented by McLaren is the gift that keeps on giving through its investment in Flint’s youth, from birth to high school,” said Isaiah M. Oliver, President and CEO,

Community Foundation of Greater Flint. “This donation is an investment in Flint’s future and a vote of confidence in our children. We are thrilled that the PGA TOUR Champions have a home in Genesee County. Their impact will be long-lasting.”

Additional funds were raised by the tournament through a unique program called Birdies for Charity presented by Ally, a grassroots charity platform that serves as an extension of The Ally Challenge presented by McLaren’s mission to positively impact non-profit organizations in the greater Flint area. A total of 16 qualified Michigan 501(c)(3) charities participated in the program in 2018 and raised $26,721.75 thanks to 876 birdies recorded by PGA TOUR Champions players during competitive rounds at The Ally Challenge presented by McLaren.

“The level of support provided to this tournament from our partners, volunteers, Warwick Hills Golf & Country Club and HNS Sports Group is truly inspiring,” said Andrea Brimmer, chief marketing and public relations officer, Ally. “We are incredibly thankful to all who graciously donate their time to support and help raise funds for charitable organizations in southeastern Michigan, including the tournament’s primary beneficiaries, Junior Achievement of Southeastern Michigan and Community Foundation of Greater Flint.”

Volunteer and program recognition donations round out the tournament’s 2018 giving, totaling $44,338.66 to local charitable organizations, including tournament parking programs and volunteer support in tournament concessions.

“On behalf of HNS Sports Group and our tournament staff, I would like to first thank Ally Financial, McLaren Healthcare and all of our sponsors for their generous support,” said Chis Coffman, The Ally Challenge presented by McLaren tournament director. “When you add in the backing we received from this amazing community, the results we are celebrating today become a reality. The tournament is proud to firmly establish a legacy of giving to youth in southeastern Michigan and is committed to growing its charitable spirit in the years to come.”    

The 2019 Ally Challenge presented by McLaren is September 9-15 at renown Warwick Hills Golf and Country Club.

The Ally Challenge presented by McLaren will be one of the premier Regular Season events on PGA TOUR Champions in 2019, which will give way to the fourth-annual Charles Schwab Cup Playoffs – a season-ending, three tournament series used to determine the Tour’s season-long champion.

All three rounds of The Ally Challenge presented by McLaren will be broadcast on Golf Channel.

For more information about The Ally Challenge, please visit theallychallenge.com. For the latest Ally Challenge news and updates on social media follow the tournament on Twitter and Instagram at @AllyChallenge and on Facebook at Facebook.com/AllyChallenge.

PGA TOUR Champions announces 2019 tournament schedule

PGA TOUR Champions announces 2019 tournament schedule Major champions Retief Goosen, Angel Cabrera to make anticipated debuts PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Florida – PGA TOUR Champions announced today the 2019 tournament schedule, featuring 27 events and culminating with the 30th annual Charles Schwab Cup Championship. The 24-event Regular Season will again highlight the Charles Schwab Cup Playoffs, which will be used to determine the season-long champion. The Tour will contest events in four countries and 19 states in its 40th season, with total prize money of nearly $58 million. “We are excited to announce the 2019 PGA TOUR Champions schedule as we continue to build unparalleled engagement for our fans and title sponsors who enjoy watching golf’s legends compete on some of the game’s best venues,” said PGA TOUR Champions President Greg McLaughlin. The 2019 season will begin with the Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai the week of January 14-19 (Saturday finish), where 2017 PGA TOUR Champions Rookie of the Year Jerry Kelly will be the defending champion. The Tour will welcome a handful of new players next year, including two-time U.S. Open champion and 2019 World Golf Hall of Fame inductee Retief Goosen of South Africa, as well as two-time major champion Angel Cabrera of Argentina. World Golf Hall of Fame member Ernie Els, who turns 50 after the conclusion of the regular season, will have to wait until 2020 to make his official debut. “I am excited to begin this new chapter in my career and eager to compete alongside my peers on PGA TOUR Champions,” said Goosen. “The level of competition on this Tour is incredible and creates great drama for fans around the world each week, and I cannot wait to be a part of it.” In 2019, PGA TOUR Champions will welcome three new title sponsors to the annual schedule, including Hoag Hospital with the Hoag Classic (March 4-10), Mastercard with the Mastercard Japan Championship (June 3-9) and Bridgestone with the Bridgestone SENIOR PLAYERS Championship (July 8-14), which will be contested at Firestone Country Club’s South Course in Akron, Ohio. The schedule of five major championships starts in May with the Regions Tradition in Birmingham, Alabama, where Miguel Angel Jimenez (2018) and Langer (2016, 2017) have claimed the three titles since the tournament moved to Greystone Golf & Country Club. The U.S. Senior Open will be played at The Warren Golf Course at Notre Dame in June, while the season’s other three majors will be played at courses that have hosted PGA TOUR events, including Oak Hill Golf Club (KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship), Firestone Country Club (Bridgestone SENIOR PLAYERS Championship) and Royal Lytham & St. Annes (Senior Open Presented by Rolex). The 24-event regular season will lead into the fourth-annual Charles Schwab Cup Playoffs, with the three-tournament series concluding at Phoenix Country Club for the third consecutive year. DATE CHARLES SCHWAB CUP PLAYOFFS HOST COURSE LOCATION Oct. 14-20 Dominion Energy Charity Classic The Country Club of Virginia (James River) Richmond, Va. Oct. 28-3 Invesco QQQ Championship Sherwood Country Club Thousand Oaks, Calif. Nov. 4-10 Charles Schwab Cup Championship Phoenix Country Club Phoenix, Ariz. Since 2001, the Charles Schwab Cup has been awarded to the winner of a season-long, points-based competition. Bernhard Langer is a four-time winner of the Charles Schwab Cup, while Jay Haas, Hale Irwin, Tom Lehman, Loren Roberts and Tom Watson have each won twice. “The Charles Schwab Cup Playoffs have proven to be a tremendous success for our Tour, and our players have responded by providing incredible drama throughout these season-ending events as they chase the Charles Schwab Cup,” said McLaughlin. The Tour’s lone Challenge Season event will be the PNC Father Son Challenge, which will return to the Ritz-Carlton Golf Club in Orlando, Florida, the week of December 2-8. Each event in 2019 will be televised nationally in the United States, with most receiving coverage on Golf Channel, the Tour’s exclusive cable-television partner. Tournament programming is distributed in 190 countries and territories across more than 350 million potential households, with 40+ channels carrying long-form and/or highlights coverage and live coverage distributed in 100+ countries and territories across 120 million potential households. Four events will have broadcast network coverage on the weekend (NBC: KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship, Senior Open Championship presented by Rolex, PNC Father Son Challenge; FOX: U.S. Senior Open). The complete 2019 schedule for PGA TOUR Champions can be found at PGATOUR.com.

Sultan's Run is a must play with beautiful views, excellent golf and is part of the French Lick golf package.

Jeff Howerton is the PGA pro of a golf course with a tremendous amount to offer.  With a clubhouse looking old school country club overlooking multiple holes to sweeping views with multiple elevations, golfers are challenged on every hole with make or bust elevations mixed with risk reward shots that will reward golfers that can pull off shots and penalize those those that just miss with sand in crucial spots. Jeff with the help of  a drone gives three holes that explain what makes Sultans Run a superb play. 

18th hole with waterfall and pond behind the green. 

Sultans Run is a must Play- Watch these spectacular views <<< Drone Views and Video Course Review Link

Juli Inkster gives updates on her career, working for the Golf Channel and Laura Davies.

Juli Inkster is still hanging around. After a very successful LPGA career where she won 31 times on the regular Tour and is the leading winner in the Solheim Cup among American Players, she has a ton of credibility among players talking about LPGA golf. She is currently eligible for the LPGA Legends tour and is a threat to win just about every week including some weeks when Laura Davies shows up. Inkster is the only golfer in LPGA Tour history to win two majors in a decade for three consecutive decades by winning three in the 1980s, two in the 1990s, and two in the 2000s. We catch up with her at the French Lick Resort in Indiana for this candid interview. 
Juli Inkster is candid about the LPGA Legends and her career   <<< Video Link

Greg Babinec, Monty Elam Headline 2018 Michigan PGA Special Award Recipients

Greg Babinec, Monty Elam Headline 
2018 Michigan PGA Special Award Recipients

EAST LANSING, MI – The Michigan Section PGA honored its 2018 Special Award Winners at the President's Dinner held Sunday, October 28th at the Country Club of Lansing. The President's Dinner celebrates PGA Members who have excelled in their profession as well as those who have volunteered and given of themselves to serve the Section.

Greg Babinec, Head Golf Professional at Crystal Mountain Resort, has captured the 2018 Michigan Section PGA Golf Professional of the Year award. This prestigious honor is awarded to the professional that has demonstrated outstanding qualities of leadership and strong moral character. The individual must also maintain a substantial record of service to the Association and game of golf and be well-regarded as a model PGA Golf Professional. Babinec was chosen by his peers for the award based on his overall performance as a Golf Professional, service to the Section and the Association, leadership ability, image and ability to inspire others and his promotion and growth of the game.

William “Monty” Elam, a 23-year PGA Member of the Michigan PGA Section, and the PGA Director of Golf at Whiteford Valley Golf Club in Ottawa Lake, Michigan, is the recipient of the 2018 Deacon Palmer Award. The Deacon Palmer Award honors a PGA Professional who personally displays outstanding integrity, character and leadership in the effort to overcome a major obstacle in their life. Elam was also selected as the PGA of America's National Deacon Palmer Award winner.

Adam Schriber, Director of Instruction at LochenHeath Golf Club, was awarded the 2018 Michigan Section PGA Teacher of the Year. Schriber was honored for his overall impact on teaching and coaching at his facility along with his innovative and special teaching programs he implemented.

AJ Partenio, Head Golf Professional at Walnut Creek Country Club, was named the 2018 Michigan Section PGA Assistant Golf Professional of the Year. Partenio's strengths as a player, teacher, merchandiser, tournament administrator and overall golf professional all contributed to his success at his facility and the game of golf.

Kevin McKinley, Director of Golf at Treetops Resort, and Michigan PGA President, has been selected as the Michigan Section PGA’s 2018 recipient of the Bill Strausbaugh Award. McKinley was honored for his outstanding integrity, character, and leadership through a commitment to mentoring and making significant impacts on the careers of PGA Professionals. Established in 1979, the Bill Strausbaugh Award is presented to a PGA Professional who by their day-to-day efforts, have distinguished themselves by mentoring their fellow PGA Professionals in improving their employment situations and through service to the community. The award reflects the characteristics and qualities of Strausbaugh, a Middle Atlantic PGA Master Professional who died in 1999.

Ian Ziska, Head Golf Professional at Katke Colf Course at Ferris State University, has been selected by the Michigan Section PGA as the recipient of the 2018 Horton Smith Award. The Horton Smith Award is awarded annually to a PGA Member for his outstanding contributions to professional education. Ziska reflects this commitment through his day-to-day activities in the Michigan Section PGA and at Katke.

Ziska, for the third year-in-a-row, was also awarded the 2018 Merchandiser of the Year for Public Golf Facilities by the Michigan Section PGA. This award recognizes excellence in business and merchandising at public golf facilities as well as innovation in displays, merchandising techniques, staff training and overall success and growth.

Mike McGonigal, Head Golf Professional at Egypt Calley Country Club, has been named the 2018 Merchandiser of the Year for Private Golf Facilities, and Elliott Oscar, Head Golf Professional at Forest Dunes Golf Club, has been named the 2018 Merchandiser of the Year for Resort Golf Facilities by the Michigan Section PGA.

Paul Hawkins, Director of Instruction at Binder Park Golf Course, has been selected by the Michigan Section PGA as the 2018 recipient of the Patriot Award. Hawkins was honored for personifying patriotism through the game of golf and demonstrating unwavering commitment and dedication to the men and women who have valiantly served and protected the United States of America. The Patriot Award originated in 2008 following the inspiration of Patriot Day founder Major Dan Rooney, a PGA Professional from Broken Arrow, Oklahoma.

Scott Wilson, a PGA Teaching Professional at Bay Meadows Family Golf Course, has been selected by the Michigan Section PGA as the 2018 recipient of the Player Development Award. This award recognizes a PGA Golf Professional, who has displayed extraordinary and exemplary contribution and achievement in the area of player development. It also considers the PGA Professional’s growth of the game leadership, commitment at the Section and National levels in the player development arena, and the meaningful impact made at the facility.

Kelly Sivier, a PGA Teaching Professional at Meadowbrook Country Club, has been selected by the Michigan Section PGA as the 2018 recipient of the Youth Player Development Award. This award bestows special recognition on a PGA Golf Professional, who has displayed extraordinary and exemplary contribution and achievement in the area of youth player development. The award considers the PGA Professional’s focus on youth through their growth of the game leadership, commitment at the Section and National levels in the youth player development arena, and the meaningful impact made upon youth through the introduction and participation in the game.

Jeff Fettig to Serve as General Chair for the 2020 KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship

Jeff Fettig to Serve as General Chair for the 2020 KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship   BENTON HARBOR, Mich. (Nov. 1, 2018) – The PGA of America announced today that Jeff M. Fettig, Whirlpool Corporation’s chairman of the board of directors, will be the General Chair for the 81st KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship, to be played May 19-24, 2020, at Harbor Shores.   The General Chair acts as an ambassador for senior golf’s most historic and prestigious major championship, the KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship, and leads an executive committee dedicated to providing a world-class experience for all those involved including the entire Southwest Michigan community. In this role, Fettig will also lead the process to establish the framework to engage and support the 1,600 volunteers who help make the Championship so successful.   "It is an honor and pleasure to work with the professional staff of the PGA of America and the dedicated and talented volunteers as we plan for the next KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship at Harbor Shores," said Fettig. "We have set the bar very high with our 2012, 2014, 2016 and 2018 events, and we are committed to making the 2020 event the best ever for the players, the spectators, volunteers and for the community. "   Fettig was the CEO of Whirlpool Corporation from 2004 until 2017, the parent company for the Championship’s title sponsor, KitchenAid. He is well-versed in nearly every sector of Whirlpool’s business, having spent time in operations, marketing, sales, planning, and product development, as well as leading its Europe and Asia operations.   Originally from Tipton, Ind., Fettig serves as Chairman of the Board of Whirlpool Corporation, the nonemployee Executive Chairman of DowDuPont and as a member of the board of directors of the Kohler Company.  He also serves as a board member of Indiana University Foundation, the board of governors for the Boys & Girls Clubs of America and as a Trustee for PGA REACH, the 501(c)(3) charitable foundation of the PGA of America.   2020 will mark the fifth playing of the KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship at Harbor Shores. Roger Chapman (2012), Colin Montgomerie (2014), Rocco Mediate (2016) and Paul Broadhurst (2018) won the first four. Harbor Shores also will host the 83rd (2022) and 85th (2024) editions.   The 2019 KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship will be staged May 21-26 at Oak Hill Country Club in Rochester, N.Y.