The Ferris State University PGA Golf Management program celebrated its 50th anniversary this year with a weekend-long celebration that included alumni, golf professionals and Ferris State faculty.
The program’s history dates back to 1975.
Then-Ferris State president Robert L. Ewigleben played golf in college at Michigan State University with Don Perné, who had since begun working in several prestigious golf clubs, according to PGA Golf Player Development Director Mark Wilson.
They’d kept in touch since then, and Ewigleben eventually suggested that it might be “appropriate for the educational mission of Ferris State” to create a program around the sport. Teaming up with Dr. Gary Wiren, an educator with the PGA, the three men created the first golf management program in the United States, a feat that Wilson chalks up to their unique dynamic.
That “fascinating coincidence of individuals” was how Wilson explained why the very first PGA golf management program in the country ended up in the middle of central Michigan, as opposed to Florida or California.
Joe Hatch, who has served as Ferris’s PGA Golf Management Director since joining the school in 2022, believes that being the first program in the United States is part of the reason it has continued to thrive for 50 years.
“We had a 10-year head start before there was another PGA golf management program that was introduced,” Hatch said.
Adding that Ferris was “the only opportunity on the block” for students interested in joining the golf industry through a bachelor’s degree program, a path that still isn’t the only option.
“A lot of people don’t really understand it,” said Ferris’ PGM Student Association president Ethan Lemke, explaining that many people join the field by starting in golf houses and working their way up. “To this day, when you tell someone that you go to school for golf, a lot of people say, ‘Well, what’s that?’”
To Hatch, getting a degree in the profession “gives [students] a really good safety net and gives them a lot of options,” Hatch said. “So that if they choose to do something different in life, they’re not a one-trick pony.”
Beyond the head start, though, Wilson thinks the program’s biggest strength is its support from alumni.
“[The program] has a great network now of graduates… Over the years, about 3,700 students have started the program, about 2,100 have graduated from it and about 1,100 are still active as PGA professionals in the golf business,” Wilson said.
To celebrate the 50th year of the program, Ferris held a weekend-long anniversary event featuring faculty members and over 100 former students, the largest number of alumni ever on campus at the same time, according to Hatch. Students were involved in all of the events, since “it’s likely that this may be the only opportunity for a student to be part of an anniversary,” Lemke said.
Lemke said the experience was a great chance to build a network of contacts.
“Being able to connect with people that are in your industry and people you can tap on the shoulder someday and say, ‘I need some help.’ It was such a fun, fun, exciting time,” Lemke said.
To Wilson, the reception event reminded him of the power the program can have.
“Alumni told some interesting stories about their time at Ferris. There are just so many alumni at Ferris who really have a great affinity for the program,” Wilson said. “They feel it helped them start their career.”
As a result, the program has an excellent reputation in the industry, across the country and even around the world.
“If you go to any golf club or course in the country, one of my opening lines is always to ask, ‘Hey, is anyone in the golf shop from Ferris?’” Wilson said. Often, he finds that someone is.
Despite this large-scale success, Lemke’s favorite part of the program is the community it creates.
“This is more than just a college program. We’re a family, we do everything together,” Lemke said. “This program is something that I took a chance on, and it ended up being the best decision of my life… I don’t think there’s any other program like it in the whole world.”
Hatch, as an alumnus himself, understands the feeling. He described the experience of being on the other side of the desk as “Deja vu, in a weird way. This is kind of a dream job for me.”
After 50 years, the passion behind the Golf Management program is only growing.
“I think that we’re going to continue to try to uphold the mission, essentially, of the program in terms of creating great golf professionals,” Wilson said. “[to] continue to build the program and make it even stronger.”
Hatch feels the same way.
“I try to tell our students this… I hope this is the worst semester you have in our program,” Hatch said, “because I hope to make it better next semester.”
Lemke hopes the program continues to get new students involved.
“We love golf, whether we’re playing, whether we’re talking, whether we’re watching…” Lemke said. “My advice to someone that feels the same way [is to] take a chance, because you never know if you don’t try.”
Lemke described the creation of the program as a “leap of faith,” though one that seems to have paid off.
“Doing anything for 50 years, in my opinion, is quite challenging, and doing it as an industry leader, particularly when other programs… are trying to catch you, it’s hard to continue being the best,” Hatch said. “I think it’s more of a testament to the legacy and the excellence Ferris has had.”
But, for those in the program, that excellence is more tangible than just a legacy.
“[Being in this program has] been nothing short of fantastic… it has taught me a lot, it’s given me a lot of great opportunities that otherwise I might not have had,” Lemke said. “This program means a lot to me… It’s a life-changing program, if you go through it correctly.”
Students interested in learning more about Ferris’ Golf Management program can visit their website.