Kircher joins award-winning sports activities journalist Greg Johnson and former Michigan Newbie champion Kevin VandenBerg because the 2024 inductees.
BOYNE FALLS, MI – Stephen Kircher, the President and CEO of Boyne Resorts, has been inducted into the Michigan Golf Corridor of Fame. Kircher, together with Greg Johnson, an award-winning sports activities journalist and Hudsonville resident, and Kevin VandenBerg, a multi-time newbie golf champion initially from Mattawan, have been inducted at Ferris State College’s Katke Golf Course.
Kircher, 60, is the son of Michigan Golf Corridor of Famer Everett Kircher and adopted in his father’s footsteps in main the biggest family-owned four-season resort firm in North America. They’re the third parent-child duo within the MGHOF becoming a member of Bruce Matthews and Jerry Matthews, and Pete Inexperienced and Suzy Inexperienced-Roebuck.
“Boyne Resorts could be very excited to see Stephen be a part of his father for this unbelievable honor in Michigan’s golf business,” mentioned Bernie Friedrich, the Director of Golf Course Renovations and Growth for Boyne Resorts and himself a member of the Michigan Golf Corridor of Fame. “Everett was a pioneer for golf within the state of Michigan, and in the present day, Stephen continues that imaginative and prescient by means of BOYNE Golf, which continues to affect Michigan and assist to place the area as one of many high golf locations within the nation.”
Kircher was a participant first, profitable a person state highschool championship for Boyne Metropolis Excessive, incomes letters at two universities (Northwestern and Michigan State) and sustaining a scratch handicap for over 30 years.
His quite a few contributions to golf embody main efforts to develop and develop the business in Michigan. He’s a previous chair of the Michigan Journey Fee, a founding member of the America’s Summer season Golf Capital Affiliation, co-founder of the distinctive Match of Champions, co-designer of the Hills Course and Bay Harbor Golf Membership programs and works carefully with the Boyne group on new tasks.
Johnson, 67, labored for nearly 30 years with the Grand Rapids Press and is at the moment a media guide for the state’s most outstanding golf associations. He has authored newspaper and journal tales on all elements of the sport and has lined Michigan’s greatest golf tournaments for 4 a long time.
As well as, throughout his newspaper profession he was a columnist protecting sports activities at each stage in Michigan and nationally as properly, together with main championship golf, the Olympic Video games, Tremendous Bowls and extra.
A longtime committee member of the MGHOF, Johnson was instrumental in establishing its new residence at Ferris State and at the moment serves as chairperson and president of the Michigan Golf Basis.
VandenBerg, 58, has demonstrated taking part in excellence at state and nationwide ranges. The previous Kalamazoo Golf Affiliation president most notably is the one golfer to win the Michigan Newbie, GAM Championship and GAM Mid-Newbie Championship in the identical yr (2000).He moved to Pulaski, N.Y., in 2007 and centered on constructing a monetary administration enterprise, however after turning 55 began taking part in senior competitors, together with two U.S. Senior Opens and two U.S. Senior Amateurs. He was runner-up in Golfweek’sSenior Participant of the Yr rankings in 2022 earlier than being named Golfweek’sSenior Participant of the Yr in 2023, a yr by which he had 13 high 5 finishes in 20 match begins.
VandenBerg frequently returns to play in Michigan tournaments by sustaining his Golf Affiliation of Michigan (GAM) membership, and earlier this yr he received the GAM Senior Match Play Championship.
The threesome brings the variety of inductees to 140. The ceremony was carried out within the Ken Janke Sr. Golf Studying Middle at Katke, which homes the MGHOF.
The MGHOF features a heralded assortment of portraits and memorabilia that commemorate the main Michigan golfers and contributors to the sport.
The MGHOF is run by the Michigan Golf Corridor of Fame Committee, and funded by means of the non-profit Michigan Golf Basis (501(c)(3)) since 1996. It contains 17 folks representing a cross-section of the state’s golf associations in addition to golf media and conducts an annual election to acknowledge the achievements of aggressive Michigan golfers, but in addition the accomplishments of people who’ve contributed to the sport. For extra data and to study concerning the present members of the Corridor of Fame, go to mghof.org.
About BOYNE GolfBoyne Golf has been named one among North America’s “Premier Resorts” (Gold) by GOLF Journal.
Bay Harbor Golf Membership and the Inn at Bay Harborare Boyne Resorts’ flagship Michigan properties, set alongside the gorgeous Lake Michigan shoreline. They function 45-holes together with three golf course combos designed by Arthur Hills (Hyperlinks/Quarry, Quarry/Protect, and Protect/Hyperlinks), together with the scenic Crooked Tree Golf Membership. The Inn at Bay Harbor is a Marriott Autograph Assortment resort combining luxe consolation with gracious hospitality.
The Highlands, rated the No. 1 Golf Resort for Worth by Golf.com, options 72 holes of premier golf design. The Heather, the 2019 NGCOA Course of the Yr, was designed by Robert Trent Jones Sr., whereas the Hills Course was crafted by Arthur Hills. The Donald Ross Memorial is a rendition of the legendary architect’s nice holes from across the nation, and The Moor course was just lately up to date. The Highlands is the right buddy journey vacation spot for golfers who prefer to play as many holes as they will through the lengthy summer time sunlight hours that northern Michigan options.Boyne Mountain not solely options two enjoyable 18-hole programs (The Monument and The Alpine), together with the charming Mountain Grand Lodge and Spa, it’s also the main family-friendly golf vacation spot within the area with the Avalanche Bay Indoor Waterpark, junior golf camps, and numerous child golf packages. Golf Digest named Boyne Mountain one among its “Prime-10 Locations for Household Golf Journeys.”For extra data, go to BOYNEGolf.com.
