George Bowman, PGA, a 33-year PGA Member, has been named the 2026 Michigan Section PGA Golf Professional of the Year. The Section’s highest honor recognizes a PGA Professional who demonstrates outstanding leadership, strong moral character, and a significant record of service to the Association and the game of golf.
Bowman, the Head Golf Professional at Oakhurst Golf & Country Club, was selected by his peers and recognized for his leadership within the industry, his commitment to growing the game, and his involvement across multiple golf and community initiatives.
He played a key role in the inaugural Patriot Classic Charity Hockey Game, bringing together Michigan PGA Members and Detroit Red Wings Alumni to raise funds for PGA HOPE Michigan and other Veteran organizations. Bowman also takes great pride in mentoring the next generation of golf professionals, having guided more than 25 Assistant Golf Professionals and 10 PGA Professionals throughout his career.
In addition to his mentorship and community involvement, Bowman has been an active supporter of championship golf, regularly hosting Michigan PGA, Golf Association of Michigan, and USGA qualifiers and tournaments at Oakhurst.
Chris Sobieck, PGA, Owner and Golf Executive at The Mines Golf Course, has captured the Golf Executive of the Year award. This honor recognizes a PGA Golf Professional who has provided exceptional service in multi-facility or course management, ownership operations, allied associations, or executive leadership within the golf industry. As one of the highest distinctions awarded by the PGA, recipients must demonstrate exceptional leadership, vision, courage, and strong moral character, along with a significant record of service to both the Association and the game of golf.
After purchasing The Mines in 2021, Sobieck has led a wave of growth at the facility, including the addition of a new short course, restaurant, event center and winter range facility. With growth comes additional opportunities to continue building his team. Sobieck leads his staff of 5 PGA Professionals and 115 seasonal and full-time employees to ensure every guest experience is up to their team’s high standards.
Throughout his career, Sobieck has had the pleasure of leading, hiring, and working with over 40 PGA Professionals, many of whom have won Section awards or have gone on to coaching and leading other professionals within the industry. He’s quick to credit those relationships as a two-way street, grateful for the way those connections have shaped his own growth just as much as he hopes he’s influenced theirs.
Adam Schriber, PGA, Director of Instruction at LochenHeath Golf Club, has been named the Teacher & Coach of the Year. Schriber is honored for his overall impact on teaching and coaching along with his innovative training strategies and techniques.
Most of Schriber’s time is spent working with players on the PGA TOUR and Korn Ferry Tour including JJ Spaun, Sam Ryder, and Denny McCarthy. While he’s often in the teacher’s chair, he sees himself just as much as a student of the game. He’s always eager for thoughtful conversations about how golf can be understood more deeply and taught more effectively.
Outside of his work with Professionals, Schriber has a passion for making the game of golf more accessible, especially for junior golfers. He’s spent much of his career finding ways to offer coaching at little to no cost, working to remove financial barriers and create a more welcoming path into the game for players of all backgrounds. He helped launch the first girls’ golf team at Elk Rapids High School and spearheaded the annual Get Better and Give Back fundraiser, where he trades 30-minute lessons for donations of non-perishable food items benefiting the Northern Michigan Food Coalition.
Bryan Fegert, PGA, Assistant Golf Professional at Battle Creek Country Club, has been named the Assistant Golf Professional of the Year. During his time as a PGA Professional, Fegert has discovered a true passion in junior golf. He deeply values the trust parents place in him, not just to help their kids improve their swings, but to support their growth as they navigate life both on and off the course.
At Battle Creek Country Club, Fegert wears many hats, contributing across merchandising and tournament operations. He takes pride in executing member events seamlessly, fully aware that much of the work happens behind the scenes. That same commitment to elevating the member experience carries into the golf shop, where his understanding of the club’s unique culture allows him to thoughtfully select products that best serve its membership.
Kyle Martin, PGA, Head Golf Professional at The Fortress Golf Course, has been selected as the recipient of the Bill Strausbaugh Award. As an alum of the Professional Golf Management Program at Ferris State University, he’s committed to giving back to aspiring PGA Professionals. He returns each year to lead teaching and coaching seminars and encourages his employees to pursue the membership program. He currently sits on the Education and Special Awards Committees for the Michigan PGA, the Ferris State PGA Golf Management Advisor Board, and has served on the Member Content Committee for PGA of America. He is 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 has 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.
Ward Sutton, PGA, General Manager at Kent Country Club, has been selected by the Michigan Section PGA as the recipient of the Professional Development Award. The Professional Development Award is awarded annually to a PGA Member for their outstanding contributions to professional education, leadership, networking ability, and contributions made by the candidate to grow and strengthen the image of a PGA Professional. Ward has been instrumental on the Michigan PGA’s Education Committee, helping ensure that educational opportunities are both available to members and associates and aligned with their interests and professional needs.
Matt Smith, PGA, Head Golf Professional at Crystal Downs Country Club, has been named the Merchandiser of the Year for Private Golf Facilities, Emily Cutler, PGA, Head Golf Professional at Bucks Run Golf Club, has been named the Merchandiser of the Year for Public Golf Facilities, and Chad Maveus, PGA, Head Golf Professional at Forest Dunes Golf Club, has been named the Merchandiser of the Year for Resort Golf Facilities by the Michigan Section PGA. This award recognizes excellence in business and merchandising at golf facilities as well as innovation in displays, merchandising techniques, staff training and overall success and growth.
Doug Temple, PGA, Director of Golf at Bay Valley Resort, has been selected by the Michigan Section PGA as the recipient of the Patriot Award. Temple is 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. He has been a certified PGA HOPE (Helping Our Patriots Everywhere) instructor since 2019 and continues to facilitate multiple PGA HOPE sessions each year, introducing the game of golf to better the physical, mental, social, and emotional well-being of Michigan Veterans. He encourages his fellow PGA Professionals to be involved in the program as it has been one of the most rewarding experiences of his career.
The Patriot Award originated in 2008 following the inspiration of Patriot Day founder, Lt. Col. Dan Rooney, a PGA Professional from Broken Arrow, Oklahoma.
Jimmy Wisinski, PGA, Director of Instruction at Kent Country Club, has been selected by the Michigan Section PGA as the Player Development Award Winner. This award recognizes a PGA Golf Professional who has displayed extraordinary and exemplary contribution and achievement in 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 their facility. As a PGA Master Professional in Teaching & Coaching, Wisinski leads a comprehensive and multifaceted player development program at Kent Country Club that serves golfers of all ages, skill levels, and learning preferences. He is chair of the Michigan PGA Education Committee and is an active member of the Section’s Special Awards Committee.
Kelly Kuhlman, PGA, Teaching Professional at Twin Lakes Golf & Country Club, has been selected by the Michigan Section PGA as the Youth Player Development Award Winner. This award bestows special recognition on a PGA Golf Professional, who has displayed extraordinary and exemplary contribution and achievement in youth player development. The award considers the PGA Professional’s focus on youth through their growth of 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. Kuhlman is a longstanding member of the Michigan PGA’s Growth of the Game Committee, the National PGA Jr. League Committee, and the National PGA Jr. League Rules Committee. She is also actively involved in her community, working with local schools to develop golf curriculum and leading after-school programs that introduce students to the game.
Ken Hartmann, PGA, Senior Director of Competitions and USGA Services at the Golf Association of Michigan, has been named by the Michigan PGA as the 2026 recipient of the Distinguished Service Award. This award honors outstanding individuals who display leadership and humanitarian qualities, including integrity, sportsmanship, and enthusiasm for the game of golf.
Over more than two decades, Hartmann has played a key role in elevating the GAM into one of the most respected Allied Golf Associations in the country. Under his leadership, the GAM’s championship program has grown from a compact schedule into a comprehensive, statewide slate serving men, women, juniors, seniors, and net competitors. Tournament operations have also evolved from a largely volunteer-run model into a fully professionalized department supported by four full-time staff members and seasonal Boatwright interns.
Today, the GAM ranks among national leaders in event days and USGA qualifiers, backed by strong participant satisfaction and a deep, well-trained Rules volunteer corps. Throughout his career, Hartmann has earned the trust of PGA Professionals, GAM volunteers, and players across Michigan—many of whom have worked with him through hosting, competing in, or supporting a GAM championship.
The Michigan Section PGA will award and honor its 2026 Special Award Winners at the President’s Dinner to be held this fall. 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.