Boyne Golf’s Friedrich, American Dunes’ Ziska Earn PGA of America Awards
Boyne Golf’s Bernie Friedrich and American Dunes’ Ian Ziska are the recipients of 2023 National Awards from the PGA of America.
Friedrich, who has worked as a golf professional for 46 years at Boyne Golf, was named PGA Golf Executive of the Year. Boyne Golf’s “Magnificent Ten” courses, which Friedrich has been instrumental in developing, are nationally recognized.
A multi-award-winning PGA Member at the Section level, Friedrich has been recognized as the Golf Professional of the Year twice (1998, 2001), Bill Strausbaugh Award recipient (2019), PGA Golf Executive of the Year (2021)
and five times as Merchandiser of the Year (1990-’92, 1995-’96). In 2019, he was inducted into both the Michigan PGA Hall of Fame and the Michigan Golf Hall of Fame.
Ziska, head golf professional at American Dunes in Grand Haven, was named 2023 Merchandiser of the Year in the Public category. American Dunes is the spiritual birthplace of the Folds of Honor Foundation, which provides funds for the families of fallen and disabled veterans.
Ziska is a graduate of the Ferris State University PGA Golf management Program, and has received multiple Michigan Section PGA awards, including the Youth Player Development Award (2006 & 2016), Merchandiser of the Year Resort Award (2010). He has also received awards for Merchandiser of the Year Public Award (2014, 2016, 2017 & 2018), the Bill Strausbaugh Award (2016), and the Horton Smith Award (2018).
The pair of Michiganders will be formally honored at the PGA Annual Meeting in November.
Other PGA of American award winners announced at the 2023 PGA Show are
- PGA Golf Professional of the Year: Jeff Kiddie, PGA – Aronimink Golf Club – Newtown Square, Pa.
- PGA Teacher & Coach of the Year: Kevin Weeks, PGA – Cog Hill Golf & Country Club – Lemont, Ill.
- PGA Golf Executive of the Year: Bernie Friedrich, PGA – Boyne Resorts – Petoskey, Mich.
- Bill Strausbaugh Award: Jack Druga, PGA – Life Member – Metropolitan PGA Section – Southampton, N.Y.
- PGA Professional Development Award: Nick Papadakes, PGA – Onwentsia Club – Lake Forest, Ill.
- Deacon Palmer Award: Jamie Nieto, PGA – The Preserve at Oak Meadows – Addison, Ill.
- PGA Patriot Award: John Carpineta, PGA – Bensalem Township Country Club – Bensalem, Pa.
- PGA Player Development Award: Josh Tremblay, PGA – Springfield Golf & Country Club – Springfield, Va.
- PGA Youth Player Development Award: Susie Redman, PGA – The Woodlands Country Club – The Woodlands, Texas
- Herb Graffis Award: Southern Texas PGA Section
- PGA Merchandiser of the Year – Resort Category: Grace Hurley, PGA – Ponte Vedra Inn & Club – Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.
- PGA Merchandiser of the Year – Private Category: Katie Wiedmar, PGA – Winged Foot Golf Club – Mamaroneck, N.Y.
- PGA Merchandiser of the Year – Public Category: Ian Ziska, PGA – American Dunes Golf Club – Grand Haven, Mic
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