Mark's journey with PGA HOPE (Helping Our Patriots Everywhere) has profoundly impacted his life, offering him a supportive community and lasting friendships. As a U.S. Army Veteran and PGA HOPE ambassador, Mark is dedicated to promoting the program and supporting his fellow Veterans. Through ...PGA HOPE, he discovered not only the therapeutic and social benefits of golf but also a way to connect with others who share similar experiences. His passion for spreading awareness about the program shines as he works to ensure that more Veterans can benefit from this life-changing opportunity.

Join Mark in supporting Veterans like him by donating to the national HOPE 4 Heroes campaign ending on December 31! Your support can make a real difference—every $330 raised provides a Veteran with access to PGA HOPE at no cost to them. This program offers invaluable opportunities for Veterans to engage in the game of golf, build new friendships, and improve their well-being.

Give today by visiting pgahope.com!

#giveback #pgahope #veterans #VeteranSupport

🗓Mark your calendars! Michigan PGA Professionals will be playing against Detroit Red Wings Alumni for the third consecutive year in efforts to raise funds for PGA REACH Michigan!

Sunday, February 16, 2025 at Michigan State University's Munn Ice Arena; Game starts at 1:00pm | FREE ...& OPEN TO THE PUBLIC; donations will be accepted onsite

Visit the link below for more information:
https://michiganpga.com/pga-reach-michigan/patriot-classic-charity-hockey-game/

HALL FINANCIAL MICHIGAN OPEN: Shanty Creek Resort to Host 108th State Championship on Cedar River Course

BELLAIRE – Taking advantage of Northern Michigan’s collection of dynamic resort destination golf courses, the 2025 Hall Financial Michigan Open Championship will be played on the ...Cedar River Course at Shanty Creek Resort, the Michigan Section PGA announced today.

The 108th edition of the state championship for Michigan’s top golfers will be played June 9-12.

The championship has been conducted the last two years at Oakland University’s Katke Cousins Course and prior to that was played at Grand Traverse Resort near Traverse City for five consecutive years. Hall Financial will be the title sponsor for the fourth consecutive year.

"We are so excited to be able to conduct the Michigan Open on one of Northern Michigan's premier courses,” Kevin Helm, executive director of the Michigan Section PGA said. “We were fortunate to have our Michigan PGA Championship at Shanty Creek Resort from 2000 through 2005 and Cedar River produced some memorable final round finishes. The players can expect an enjoyable yet challenging venue."

Steve Scheuermann, PGA Director of Golf Operations at Shanty Creek, said he let the Michigan Section PGA know the resort was interested in hosting championship golf.

“It’s precisely what we were hoping for,” he said. “We feel we have tremendous championship golf at Shanty Creek and that lately it wasn’t being talked about as much as some of the other golf courses in Michigan. We wanted better exposure and having the best golfers in Michigan here gives people a reason to talk about us.”

Lindsey Southwell, the marketing director for Shanty Creek, said the resort is happy to have the PGA return with championship golf.

“It’s a great opportunity for us to demonstrate the quality and conditioning of our great golf products,” she said. “Having the pros and top players in Michigan compete on Cedar River is exciting and our course superintendent staff is excited to have the resort host an event of such caliber. As golfers themselves, they understand what golfers are looking for in a course and are excited to showcase their talents as well.”

David Hall, president and CEO of Michigan-based Hall Financial and an accomplished amateur golfer who has competed in multiple Michigan Opens, is pleased with the move to one of Michigan’s top resort courses.

“Hall Financial is very excited to showcase the state’s top event at a wonderful Northern Michigan venue,” he said. “We are more excited than ever to continue to build this event with rich tradition and unbelievable memories.”

The Cedar River course, one of five courses at Shanty Creek, is an award-winning design by the late elite PGA Tour golfer and course designer Tom Weiskopf. It opened in 1999 and currently lists a maximum yardage of 7,001 with multiple tee positions.

It was World Golf Hall of Fame member’s first course in Michigan and features isolated holes, generous tree-lined fairways, classic natural green settings, significant elevation changes and includes one of his trademark dramatic drivable par 4 holes (301-yard No. 13).

It has been listed on several best-of lists including being named one of America’s Top 100 Resort Courses by Golf Week and has been listed along with its sister course at Shanty Creek, The Legend, among Michigan’s Top 20 public courses by Golf Magazine.

Alex Piotrowski is the director of Outside Operations at Shanty Creek and leads the grounds staff that includes Cedar River Superintendent Bryan Klukowski. Andrew Reh is the general manager at Shanty Creek.

Last June, Eric Lilleboe of Okemos kept the lead through the final three rounds and won the 107th Open. It was the second time the 36-year-old PGA Tour Americas player won the coveted state title and had his name added to the James D. Standish Trophy. He also won in 2019.

First played in 1916, the Michigan Open annually attracts the top professional and amateur golfers in the state and its list of winners includes golf legends Walter Hagen, Al Watrous, Chuck Kocsis, Horton Smith and Dave Hill, and more recent Michigan Golf Hall of Fame inductees Randy Erskine, Buddy Whitten, Lynn Janson, Jeff Roth, Tom Gillis and Scott Hebert. Current PGA Tour member Ryan Brehm is a three-time winner of the historic James D. Standish Jr. trophy.

ABOUT HALL FINANCIAL: Hall Financial is proud to partner with the Michigan PGA and the Hall Financial Michigan Open. Supporting the Michigan PGA and its members is a passion for Hall Financial CEO, David Hall. Growing the game of golf in the state of Michigan while providing a key financial resource is a privilege for Hall Financial. David Hall started Hall Financial in 2016 with the core mission to be the most client-focused mortgage company in the industry. Since its inception, the company has built a reputation for making the mortgage process simple and fast while delivering clients with Five-Star service. With nearly 7,000 Five-Star reviews, the team at Hall Financial is committed to providing customized mortgage solutions tailored to each client’s needs. Media contact for Hall Financial: Mark Gildersleeve, Sr. Vice President- Growth & Strategy, 248-590-0131, mgildersleeve@hallfg.com. Website: callhallfirst.com

ABOUT SHANTY CREEK: Shanty Creek is a four-season destination resort spanning nearly 5,500 acres and four distinct villages: Summit, Schuss, Cedar River, and the new Hawk’s Eye, each with lodging, dining, and golf. Located in Northern Michigan’s Bellaire, just 30 miles northeast of Traverse City, Shanty Creek offers a variety of activities and outdoor recreation perfect for your next Michigan getaway. Website: shantycreek.com

PGA CONTACTS: Website: michiganpga.com
Greg Johnson, PGA media coordinator, 616-560-8995, gregeeee24@gmail.com,
Justin Phillips, PGA tournament director, 517-641-7421, jphillips@michiganpga.com.

ATTACHED: A photo of the Cedar River course.

It's #GivingTuesday!

Join us on the mission today to give back to our Nation's Heroes. PGA HOPE is doing more than putting a golf club in a Veteran’s hands – it’s saving that Veteran’s life.

No donation is too small and can help a Veteran on the waitlist ...experience this amazing program for free! Visit pgahope.com to learn more and give back today!

#giveback #pgahope #bethechange #givehope #supportacause #SupportOurHeroes #veteransupport

Wishing everyone a Happy Thanksgiving!