ExecutiveDirectorReport
Kevin Helm Michigan Section, PGA
Michigan PGA Members & Associates,
It is my privilege to share this 2025 Section Report, highlighting the wide ran events, programs, and initiatives from the past year. I encourage you to also reports from our committee chairs and Chapter and Senior leaders to stay fu informed and engaged.
Member involvement continues to be the key to a rewarding experience as America Golf Professional. Whether through Section and Chapter events, tra ams, leadership roles, or education opportunities, engagement strengthens career, your network, and our Section.
Overall, 2025 was a strong year. The Section finished favorable to budget acr entities, and the golf industry in Michigan remains healthy, despite rising op costs.
We look forward to seeing you at the Spring Meeting on March 9 at Eagle Ey Club, followed by the Michigan PGA Teaching & Coaching Summit. Both pro outstanding speakers and valuable insights.
Respectfully submitted,
Kevin Helm, Executive Director
EXEC
The Section’s Three
ASSOCIATION
CORPORATION FOUNDATION
Employs staff, manages membership & governance. Key Revenue: Dues, PGA Funding, Admin Fees.
Focus: Employment & Governance matters
Manages all Section, Chapter & Senior Tournaments. Key Revenue: Entry Fees, Sponsorships Main Expenses: Purses, Facility Fees, Admin Fees to Association.
Conducts programming: Junior Golf, Military, Inclusion. Key Revenue: Donations, Fundraisers, Program Revenue, Rent. Operates Grant Program; owns homesite building
Section
PGA
Coordinator (Transitioning to new role in 2027)
Corrin Howard joined us last Spring as Operations Coordinator and is transitioning to a new role in 2027. She’ll assist with events this year while training under Diane to take over Membership Administration after Diane’s retirement at the end of 2026.
We have also recently hired Jessie Munson as our new Finance & Office Administrator. Jessie is a recent graduate of Michigan State University and brings a passion for working with people and providing excellent customer service. Jessie’s first day was Monday, March 2.
New Position: Jacob Lambert, Assistant Tournament Director
We recently hired Jacob Lambert as Assistant Tournament Director. Jacob is from Wilmington, DE and brings a lot of practical tournament experience to the team having completed two P.J. Boatright internships with the Golf Association of Philadelphia. Jacob will join us in May shortly after graduating from The Citadel.
Justin Phillips,
Lazaros
Maurier
Corrin Howar
Jessie Munson Finance & Office Administrator
Section Staff Cont.
While not officially members of the Section staff, we consider PGA of America employees Todd Smith, PGA, Career Services Consultant, Stacey Rice-Dorman, PGA, Player Engagement Consultant, and Jeff Van Putten, PGA, Recruiting Specialist, extensions of our staff.
I would like to personally thank each of them for their hard work and dedication to the Section. We have a terrific team that truly enjoys working together and I know you would be proud if you were able to see, like me, how hard they work every day on your behalf.
Summer Interns & PGAWORKS
Fellows
We recently hired Lilly Boehm as our 2026 PGA WORKS Fellow. Lilly is from Norman, OK and a graduate of the University of Oklahoma. She has completed multiple internships with the Golf Coaches Association of America and the AJGA. She will be joining us in early May. 2 0 2 6
Nick Chenault and Jace Fenlon were our two interns during the 2025 season and assisted with Section tournaments, Drive, Chip & Putt events, and other administrative duties. Both did an excellent job and they are now back in school at Michigan State University.
Nick Chenault & Jace Fenlon
Hayley Guilinger was our PGA WORKS Fellow from May, 2024 through April, 2025. After completing her fellowship with us, Hayley accepted a position with Outlyr as Volunteer Coordinator for the LPGA DOW Championship in Midland!
Kenadie Daeger was our PGA WORKS Fellow from May, 2025 through December, 2025. Kenadie has recently accepted the Junior Tour Coordinator position with the Kentucky Golf House!
Kenadie Daeger
Hayley Guilinger
Membership
I am pleased to report that our Member and Associate numbers continue to be strong. After years of declining numbers of Associates, the past couple of years have seen a resurgence in the number of new registrants into the PGA PGM program.
We currently have 779 Members and 193 Associates for a total of 972 Section affiliates. Among the 41 Sections, Michigan is currently the 11th largest Section in terms of Members, 18th in terms of Associates, and 14 in terms of total number of affiliates. th
June 16, 2025 - June 15, 2028
The current PDR cycle requires 54 total credits, with at least 36 earned through Education, PGA Meetings, National Surveys, Section Mentoring, or approved Player Engagement programs. Visit PGA.org or contact the Section office for full details and a requirements grid.
New this cycle: Section and Chapter in-person meetings and education now earn 2 PDR credits per hour.
Spring Meeting (March 9): 8 credits
Teaching & Coaching Summit (Mon PM): 8 credits
Teaching & Coaching Summit (Tuesday): 14 credits
Attend all three and earn 30 PDR credits.
Section Committees
Thank you to all committee members and chairs for their leadership and service this past year. Our committees provide vital member perspective and help plan, evaluate, and implement Section programs and initiatives. Written reports from each committee chair and Chapter President are available in the Membership section of our website. Rather than review each in detail, I’d like to highlight a few key areas of impact.
Tournament
I would like to thank Chris Moore who was appointed chairman of the committee by
Stephanie Jennings. Our tournament program is a
very big part of who we are and we have many
Professionals who consistently participate in
events. Not only do the events offer the
opportunity to compet
Special Awards
Chair Jeremy Lathwell and the committee continue
to do an amazing job. The process here in Michigan has evolved and improved over the years and we are consistently selecting quality winners and providing strong candidates for the national awards. The 2025 Section Award winners were celebrated last October at the President’s Dinner at The Graduate Hotel in East Lansing, which is always an emotional and inspiring evening.
The committee recently completed their interviews and selected the 2026 winners, who will be announced at the Spring Meeting on March 9 and then recognized and awarded their plaques at the President’s Dinner on October 18.
Thank you to Madi Guilmette for her hard work assisting the committee with both the voting and interview process. Also, I would like to extend a huge thank you to the committee members who spend a lot of time and put a lot of effort into selecting the Section winners.
Section Committees Cont.
Education
Ward Sutton chaired the Education committee
for most of 2025 before transitioning leadership
to Jimmy Wisinski after his election as
Secretary. Ward reorganized the committee into
three career-paths: executive management, golf
operations, and instruction.
Based on the results from a Membership Survey in March, 2025, the committee launched the
monthly Lunchtime Learning webinar series, which offers a free 1 hour webinar on the third
Tuesday of each month at 12:00pm. Jimmy and the committee are also leading this Spring’s
Teaching & Coaching Summit and developing
content for the Fall meeting.
Thank you to both Ward and Jimmy for their
leadership and vision!
Membership
The Membership Committee helps Associates and Members maximize their Michigan PGA
affiliation. Chaired by Brian Corwin, it includes a
Mentorship sub-committee (now led by Randy
White) that connects experts with Members seeking skill guidance.
Key initiatives:
Mentorship program with online directory of PGA Professionals
Monthly virtual calls with recent PGM
graduates to support Associates
Focus on helping Associates successfully
complete Level 1
Participation is strong, but more Associates are
encouraged to join!
Growth of the Game
The Growth of the Game Committee, now
chaired by Doug Temple, supports all three pillars of our foundation: junior golf, inclusion, and military.
The committee oversees programs like PGA Jr.
League, Drive, Chip & Putt, and PGA HOPE, manages the grant program, and helps with fundraising events such as Birdies Fore REACH.
The Section’s hitting nets, SNAG equipment, and inflatables continue to be in high demand, with Members regularly reserving them for use.
More information and reservation details are available at michiganpga.com.
Finance
The 2025 financial statements have been completed by the accounting department at PGA of America. This Executive Director report along with the financial statements will be emailed to the Membership. The simplified recap of 2025 is that we had a solid year, finishing ahead of budget in all three entities. It should be noted that the budgets that are presented, approved, and monitored by the Board of Directors are mainly cash flow budgets, tracking money in and money out without including depreciation or investment activity.
In the financial statements from the PGA of America finance department, the three entities combined made $1,030 from operations. Without factoring in ($34,400) depreciation expense, that profit would be $35,430, which is approximately $97,530 better than budget.
Investment Summa
Our investment accounts, as you might imagine, performed very well. Combined, our two accounts ended the year up $255,707. At year-end, the Section General Fund account had capital reserves of $2,208,123, up 12.12%. The Foundation account ended the year at $147,217,up 13.09%.
All of this means that through operations, investment activities, and depreciation, our net assets increased by $256,738, and as of 12/31/25 were $2,673,761. I would like to acknowledge Brent Kerstetter and the team at Mercer Advisors for their expertise and guidance with our investment accounts. They are terrific to work with and I am confident that we have a knowledgeable and dedicated team working on our behalf.
Finance Cont.
In Association, we budgeted to lose ($30,700) and the statement shows us losing ($30,232). Taking out the ($17,600) in depreciation we actually lost ($12,632) and beat budget by $18,068.
In Corporation, we budgeted to lose ($9,700) and ended up making $3,710 (not including Chapter activities). Biggest contributors to exceeding budget were lower credit card fees than budgeted, increased entries in Rocket qualifying events, and lower expenses than budgeted for the Evermore Pro-Am.
In Foundation, we budgeted to lose ($21,700) and made $32,133. There were multiple factors that contributed to such a positive variance, including increased revenues and reduced expenses for PGA HOPE programming. We also received an unbudgeted donation of $25,000 from PGA of America as PGA REACH Michigan was designated by John Lindert as the recipient of the President’s honorarium.
Governance
President
Jeff Rachar, PGA
Vice-President
Ward Sutton, PGA
Secretary
Stephanie Jennings, PGA Honorary President
George Bowman PGA
Eastern Chapter
President
Scott Wilson, PGA
Northern Chapter
President
Pat
Western Chapter
President
Glenn Pulice, PGA
Senior Organization
President
Tournament Chair
Hagerty, PGA
Michael Prior, PGA
Governance Co
John Lindert, PGA
PGA of America
Honorary President
Casey Powers, PGA
At-Large Director
Kevin McKinley, PGA
District 5 Director
Doug Temple, PGA Growth of the Game Chair
Wes Blevins, PGA
At-Large Director
Brian Corwin, PGA
At-Large Director
Randy White, PGA
At-Large Director
The Board of Directors works closely with Chapters, committees, and staff to carry out our mission. We hold three Board meetings annually, plus Officer meetings as needed, and two Membership meetings each year (Spring & Fall).
Elections for five At-Large Board seats take place at the October Annual Meeting. Interested in serving? Connect with me or any current Board member.
PGA REACH Michigan
PGA REACH Michigan is the Section’s foundation. The mission and purpose are aligned with that of PGA REACH, which is the PGA of America’s foundation, and we operate and/or support various programs within three pillars – youth, inclusion, and military.
We have experienced significant growth the past few years, especially with the PGA HOPE program, and it is a priority of the Board of Directors to continue to expand the size and scope of the foundation. As this growth will take a lot of time, effort and prioritization, the Board of Directors has approved the formation of a separate PGA REACH Michigan Board of Directors. A sub-committee has been working on the make-up and structure of this new board and there is still a lot of work to do. We realize that many of our Members are not familiar with our foundation and the programming that we offer, so we are being much more intentional about including PGA REACH Michigan content at our Section meetings, in the eNews, and via social media channels.
PGA Jr. Lea
PGA Jr. League participation memberships and 2,377 playe in 2024. This growth generate engaging kids of all abilities in the game of golf. We are grateful for the strong involvement of our PGA Members as team coaches, and especially thankful to Stacey Rice-Dorman, our PGA Player Engagement Consultant, whose close collaboration with staff and PGA Professionals keeps leagues running smoothly across the Section.
I would also like to recognize Madison Maurier for leading our staff and volunteers in delivering a highly successful three-day state championship at Binder Park GC, where nearly 300 players competed. These events require significant coordination and teamwork, and I’m grateful to the entire Section staff for stepping up to ensure everything ran seamlessly. Thank you as well to Alex Johnson and his outstanding team at Binder Park for being exceptional hosts.
PGA HOPE Michigan PGA REACH Michigan
Last year, our PGA HOPE programming faced budget pressure as demand and locations grew while funding from PGA REACH declined. Through close collaboration with Lead Professionals and generous support from facilities and instructors, we reduced costs significantly and finished 2025 in a much stronger financial position than projected.
In 2026, we plan to operate 26 program locations statewide, with PGA REACH funding covering 16 and the remaining 10 supported through local fundraising and Section support. We are actively pursuing grants and sponsorships to offset remaining costs. Beyond programming, we continue to build community among Veterans through graduate engagement and events like the PGA HOPE Cup. The winning team from the 2025 Michigan PGA HOPE Cup, led by Scott Vice, earned an invitation to compete in the 2026 PGA HOPE Secretary’s Cup in Philadelphia marking the third straight year Michigan has been selected!
Player Development
rants
We continue to offer Player Development Grants to assist Michigan PGA Members with grass roots programs. The grants are awarded within our three pillars – junior, military, and inclusion and we will recognize the program of the year recipients at the Spring Meeting.
EthanBusch-Anderson, PGAAssociate JuniorProgramoftheYear
DougTemple,PGA MilitaryProgramoftheYear
DanLock,PGA InclusionProgramoftheYear
Congratulations to Ethan Busch-Anderson, Marquette Golf Club (junior), Doug Temple, Bay Valley Resort (military), and Dan Lock, Lock Golf Academy (inclusion) for being our 2025 Program of the Year winners. It is inspiring each year seeing the creative programs that our Professionals are conducting.
In 2025, we were honored to once again award approximately $50,000 in grants. The grant application process is open for 2026 with a deadline of March 31, so please visit the Section website to apply.
The Midnight Golf Program was started in 2001 and I am proud to say the Michigan PGA has been involved from the very beginning. The program teaches golf to high school seniors, many of whom come from difficult home environments in need of guidance, friendship, and mentorship. All participants must also attend life-skills classes where a broad range of topics are covered. Each year, the program interviews over 1,000 potential students to identify the 250 that will beselected to participate in the program.
The parent organization has recently undergone a name change to College, Career & Beyond to better reflect the overall mission of the program and to not limit potential financial support. Midnight Golf is still the program name, but it operates under the parent organization CC&B.
Thank you to all the Michigan PGA Members and Associates that have helped with the program over the years, including those listed below who taught classes in 2025. Glenn Pulice also serves as the Director of Golf for the MGP and does a great job organizing the instructors and golf elements of the program.
Midnight Golf is celebrating its 25 anniversary this year and will be holding a 25 Anniversary Gala on April 30 at The Hudson Detroit. You can find more information on the program and the gala by clicking HERE. th th
Midnight Golf Program 25
Jacob Anuszkiewicz | Aaron Bush | Bruce Conroy | Stephanie Jennings | Bob Makoski | Frank McAuliffe
Joel Michaels | John Minnich | Andrew Mogg | Pete Mogg | Glenn Pulice | Terri Anthony-Ryan
Team Michigan
The USNDP is a new initiative launched by the USGA to expand the pipeline for elite local golfers into the national development program and to strengthen junior golf programming across the country. The program is designed to ensure that American golf remains a global leader by focusing on six key pillars: talent identification, access to competition, national teams, athlete resources, player development and relations, and athlete financial support. Representatives of the GAM and Michigan PGA compose the Team Michigan Selection Committee. Athletes will accumulate points through 2026 events selected by the committee, and these points will determine the standings used for team selection. The Selection Committee will name eight boys and eight girls to the team primarily from the point standings. Additional considerations will be head-to-head results, scoring average, competitive round statistics, work ethic, willingness to learn, personal conduct (on and off the course), and the ability to work with others and be part of a team. Additional information can be found HERE.
2025 Section Tournaments
The Michigan PGA continues to operate a strong tournament program under the leadership of Justin Phillips and the tournament committee. Looking ahead to 2026, we have been busy trying to confirm our returning sponsors as well as working hard to replace or add additional sponsors. The most direct obstacle we face when trying to secure tournament sponsorships
ROLEX PLAYER OF THE YEAR: RYAN LENAHAN
Ryan consistently played great throughout the year. I had the pleasure of attending the PGA Championship at Quail Hollow and was able to watch Ryan play. I was so proud of how Ryan competed and represented the Michigan PGA on that stage.
remains our partners being able to see a return on their investment. I know many of you go out of your way to support our sponsors and key advertisers, but it is vital that we continue to show them that we appreciate their investment and give them every opportunity to earn our business.
SENIOR PLAYER OF THE YEAR: JIM DEITERS
Jim had a tremendous year highlighted by winning both the Michigan PGA Senior Professional Championship and the Michigan PGA Senior Match Play Championship.
Player of the Year
108th Hall Financial Michigan Open
Shanty Creek Resort - Cedar River Course
The staff at the resort provided terrific hospitality and a great venue for the participants. The golf course was in excellent condition and provided a great test for the best players in the state. Congratulations to champion Otto Black of Brighton who fired an impressive four-day total of -16 under par for a two-shot victory over Beau Breault of Howell.
Hall Financial was our title sponsor for the fourth consecutive year and they were joined by supporting sponsors Make the Turn and Harbor Title. Thank you to David Hall for his financial support, vision, and enthusiasm to continue to elevate this championship.
LOOKING AHEAD
In 2026, the event returns to Cedar River and we are excited to have Founders Brewing Company joining Hall Financial as a co-title sponsor.
Michigan P Profession
determine our Section Champion.
Walnut Creek Countr
Women’s Open
For the 23rd consecutive year, Crystal Mountain Resort hosted the Michigan Women’s Open with a strong national field. Jessica Welch, a mini-tour professional from Georgia, won the 54-hole event at –9, earning a four-shot victory over Michigan State University amateur Ana Sofia Murcia and repeating as champion after also winning in 2024.
L O O K I N G A H E A D
Beginning next year, the Michigan Women’s Open will become an official event on the Annika Women’s All Pro Tour, an LPGA developmental tour with a seasonlong points race for exempt status on the Epson Tour. The field will expand to 132 players, with 80 spots reserved for Annika WAPT members and the top two finishers earning Epson Tour starts.
The 2025 event marked the second year of the Michigan PGA Women’s Professional Championship being contested alongside the Women’s Open. Kelly Kuhlman captured her first Women’s Professional Championship. Congratulations, Kelly!
Last year was also the second year we held a Senior Division within the Women’s Open. We had seven entries in the senior division and three-time Michigan Women’s Open champion Suzy Green-Roebuck won her second consecutive senior division title by shooting an impressive threeround total of -8 under par. .
Kelly Kuhlman, PGA
Jessica Welch
Suzy Green-Roebuck, PGA
Tourname Champion
Jay Jurecic, mini-tour professional from Crystal Falls, defeated Grant Haefner on the first hole of a playoff after the two finished the event at –13 under par. Thank you to Stephen Kircher, Bernie Friedrich, Josh Richter, Casey Powers, and the entire team at Boyne for all they do to support and host this event. The 2025 event marked the 33rd year of this unique championship that brings champions of select Michigan tournaments together where amateurs, professionals, seniors, juniors, men, and women all compete against one another from different tees for the same purse. It is the highlight of the year for those who have earned an exemption to play.
THANK YOU THANK YOU
Please visit the Section website and review the 2026 Section schedule. We have a fantastic line-up of events and host sites, and we are looking forward to another great season!
In closing, I would like to thank all the Board Members, Committee Members, media representatives, sales representatives, and sponsors who contributed in their own way to help make 2025 a great year. I would also like to thank all of you who in some way supported our generous sponsors. It is really important that we all do what we can to do business with them and it is even more impactful if we tell them at that time that we appreciate their support of the Section.
Lastly, but certainly not least, I want to recognize and thank the Section staff – Madi Guilmette, Corrin Howard, Diane Lazaros, Madison Maurier, Jessie Munson and Justin Phillips, PGA for their dedication and commitment to the Members of the Michigan PGA. We have a great team who I love working with every day.
I end this report each year in a very similar manner, but I am going to keep doing it because I feel it is very important. The coming season will once again present an opportunity for each of you to be viewed as the most valuable person at your facility. Lead by example, be a positive influence on those around you, and inspire new people to look at working in the golf industry. Make it a point to get more involved and engaged in your Section this coming year. Thank you for the opportunity to serve as your Executive Director and I wish you all the very best for a successful 2026.
Kevin Helm, Executive Director | Michigan PGA