Stephen Kircher
The family-owned BOYNE Resort properties are spread far and wide across the country. From his home base in Northern Michigan Steven Kircher presides as the President of Eastern Operations.
In Michigan alone, BOYNE Resort operates 10 golf courses, multiple lodging options at three locations and employs over 10,000 people.
It is one of the largest entertainment and resort companies in the country with 13 facilities, 10 ski resorts and 11 golf courses. They have facilities not only in Michigan, but also in Montana, Washington, Maine, New Hampshire, Tennessee, Utah and British Columbia in Canada.
Chris Whitten
Before Chris Whitten assumed the role of Chief Executive for the Golf Association of Michigan (GAM), he was the Head Coach at the University of Michigan for eight years. GAM is only USGA Allied Association in the state and thus oversees USGA qualifiers, handicap maintenance, plus they conduct a complete schedule of amateur golf tournaments across the state.
Included on Whitten’s resume, he played collegiately at Notre Dame, served as an assistant coach for the Golden Domer’s, worked at Miles of Golf and was an assistant at Inverness Club in Toledo.
“The move to the GAM made sense for me on a personal level, too,” he said. “It was an opportunity to be more of a presence at home, and to keep our boys involved in golf. I saw a bigger team to be a part of and a team that had a lot of support.”
Whitten’s father Buddy was the Head Professional at Blythefield Country Club, competed on the PGA Tour Champions and is a member of the Michigan Golf Hall of Fame.
As the head of the 70,000 members of GAM, Whitten is one of the key players in the Michigan Golf industry.
Kevin Helm
Kevin Helm has been the Executive Director of the Michigan PGA for nearly 18 years and works with the 800 PGA members employed at over 380 Michigan golf facilities. The Michigan PGA is the 12th largest of the 41 nationwide PGA Sections and is ranked No 2 in total number of courses.
Michigan PGA is involved in PGA Junior League and Drive, Chip & Putt for junior golfers. They organize tournaments for section members, recognize the Michigan PGA Professional of the Year and manage the PGA REACH programs.
Jada Paisley
Jada Paisley serves the Michigan Golf Industry as the Executive Director of the Michigan Golf Course Association (MGCA).
She began with the association over 11 years ago as the Membership Coordinator and moved up to the Associate Director.
The MGCA works to preserve the best interests of the state’s golf industry through government advocacy, education and promotion.
Said the President of the MGCOA Board of Directors and Managing Partner of The Majestic Golf Course, Bill Fountain,
“Jada’s service to our association has been exemplary and we are excited to have her as the leader. She is knowledgeable and respected by the membership.”
Bernie Friedrich
Bernie Friedrich has been at BOYNE Resorts for 47 years and has had a hand in every facet of the ten golf courses at the three locations in Northern Michigan, as well as the other courses that BOYNE operates around the country.
He is currently overseeing the renovations of all the courses in Michigan, as well as those in the Eastern United States.
He has been honored with nearly every imaginable award and was inducted into the Michigan Golf Hall of Fame in 2019.
Bernie is also recognized nationwide as one of the most knowledgeable golf executives in the country.
Barry Owens
Owens spent 24 years as General Manager of Garland Resort before moving to Treetops in 2010. Barry has seen it all and is one of the best resort managers in the business.
He helped bring Treetops into the 21st century and is constantly working to improve the resort and make it one of the best in not only Michigan, but in the nation, as well.
Paul Beachnau
Paul Beachnau saw an opportunity to bring several golf courses in Northern Michigan together as a marketing organization called the ‘Gaylord Golf Mecca.’ That was 35 years ago and Beachnau has been at the helm of the Gaylord Golf Mecca from the beginning.
“We thought at the time we had a good collection of courses and we wanted to put Gaylord on the map as a golf destination. What we have now was beyond my imagination. I remember in 1992 four new golf courses opened in one year. People had decided let’s build there, land costs are fairly affordable, the terrain variety and the natural sand soils are perfect for golf and that helped attract some of the best golf course designers in the game. We kept working together, and here we are.”
The Gaylord Golf Mecca is stronger than ever and currently includes 17 courses, four resort destinations, and 21 hotel properties that have amassed numerous golf awards.
Tony Mancilla
Tony Mancilla was named the General Manager of the Island Resort and Casino in 2014. He graduated from New Mexico Law School and was instrumental in opening the Sweetgrass Course in 2008.
The UP definitely has a short golf season, but the Island Resort & Casino has used its two championship courses, Sweetgrass and Sage Run to lure thousands of avid golfers to cross the Mackinaw Bridge and play their courses.
In addition, Tony had the foresight to help create the ‘Perfect 4some’ with Timberstone and Grey Walls, two other great courses in the UP.
Mancilla also lured the EPSON Tour to the UP in 2011 for the annual Island Resort Championship held on the Sweetgrass Course. It features 156 young women trying to play their way onto the LPGA Tour.
Jeff Fettig
Jeff Fettig retired as Whirlpool Corporation’s Chairman of the Board in 2018 after 38 years with the company, 14 as a member of the Board of Directors.
Benton Harbor in southeastern Michigan was severely affected by over 20 corporations that closed their doors during the industrial decline in the United States in the mid-1980’s. It became a poster child for urban blight, decay, abandoned warehouses and waste along the Paw Paw River.
The Whirlpool Company called Benton Harbor home and realized it was up to them to improve the conditions of the area.
Fettig initiated the hiring of Jack Nicklaus to design to build a legendary golf course that would breathe new life into the depressed area and bring people back to Benton Harbor.
It has done just that, plus the course has also generated dollars for the local economy by hosting the Senior PGA Championship five different times, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2018 and again most recently this year.
There are examples of golf courses helping to grow a community, but few are as inspiring and powerful as the affect The Club at Harbor Shores has had in Benton Harbor.
Dan Gilbert
Dan Gilbert, founder of Rocket Mortgage, was involved with the PGA Tour for several years when Quicken Loans sponsored a tour event from 2014-2108 on the East Coast. In 2019, Gilbert brought the PGA Tour back to his hometown and the Rocket Mortgage Classic has been held at the Detroit Golf Club since that time.
Charitable proceeds raised from the 2020 Rocket Mortgage Classic totaled over $2.7 million, surpassing the $1.2 million that was raised from the 2019 Rocket Mortgage Classic. More than $3.5 million of these proceeds were invested directly into Detroit and Southeast Michigan-based organizations. Funds are disbursed by the Rocket Giving Fund, the 501(c)(3) host organization that manages the Rocket Mortgage Classic.
The 2022 edition of the Rocket Mortgage Classic donated $1.35 million to charity.
The Rocket Mortgage Classic is helping to improve an impoverished area of Detroit and provides needed dollars for Detroit-area charities.
Editor’s Note:
We realize this is not a complete list of the ‘Most Influential People’ in Michigan’s Golf industry and we offer our apologies to those we may have excluded. It was a difficult decision to leave a few names off and hopefully we can add them the next time.
