Feb. 3, 2025
Ferris State’s Katke Golf Course, PGA Golf Management program highlighted at West Michigan Golf Show
Ferris State University’s Katke Golf Course and PGA Golf Management Program will be highlighted on the opening day of the West Michigan Golf Show in Grand Rapids this week.
The event runs from Thursday, Feb. 6 to Saturday, Feb. 8, at DeVos Place, 303 Monroe Ave NW in Grand Rapids. The first 400 people attending the show on Thursday will receive a box of three Callaway Warbird Distance+ golf balls with the iconic Ferris State Bulldog logo.
The golf industry is large in Michigan.
The first 400 people attending the West Michigan Golf Show on Thursday will get a sleeve of three Ferris State golf balls.
A 2023 economic impact study indicated about $1.2 billion in consumer spending at state golf facilities. More than 100,000 people are members of The Golf Association of Michigan.
The West Michigan Golf Show will feature representatives from the area’s top equipment dealers, courses and resorts, helping golfers looking ahead to warmer weather and hitting the links. Other activities at the show include closest to the pin, long putt and long drive contests, a PGA Family Fun Zone, and junior clinics.
Ferris State students and staff members will be on hand to talk about the Katke Golf Course, which celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2024, as well as the PGA Golf Management program, which became the first program of its kind 50 years ago this year.
Katke, located at 1003 Perry Ave. in Big Rapids, offers 21 holes of championship golf. From beginning to expert, golfers discover the right amount of challenge on its greens. It also offers one of the finest golf learning facilities in the Midwest. Katke includes the Ken Janke, Sr. Golf Learning Center, one of the top five centers in the country for experiencing indoor golf with the use of Trackman simulators.
The center includes four bays featuring 3D hyper-realistic courses mirroring the feeling of being on a real course.
Golfers can also work on their game with data and feedback on each of their shots and optimize their game when they switch to the performance analysis feature.
Users can play nine or 18 holes, choosing from 39 courses, and comparing themselves to golf professionals.
The Janke Center also is the home to the Michigan Golf Hall of Fame, a collection of portraits, plaques and memorabilia that commemorate the finest players and contributors to golf in the state, including Walter Hagen, Chuck Kocsis, Ben Davis and Shirley Spork and more contemporary notables Dave and Mike Hill, Dan Pohl, Meg Mallon, and Kelly Robbins.
Ferris State also boasts an acclaimed program preparing students for careers in golf.
The PGA Golf Management program was the first to be accredited by the PGA and is one of only 18 total aimed at providing an advantage on the journey to becoming a golf professional.
The PGA Golf Management degree program is a part of the Ferris College of Business with an innovative curriculum that offers a valuable Business Administration degree and vast practical work experience. Students complete the requirements for PGA of America Class A membership.
The program has a near-perfect placement record with career opportunities at private country clubs, public golf courses, and resorts with golf industry partners across the country and abroad for jobs including head golf professional, director of golf, general manager, golf instructor, and more.