Our PGA Professionals
Josh Richter
Senior Vice Presidents of Golf Operations, Boyne Resorts
- Hometown: St. Charles, MI
- College: Ferris State University
- Years with Boyne: 26
- Favorite Boyne course: The Heather
- Favorite non-Boyne course: Oakland Hill CC
- Clubs played: TaylorMade
- Community Involvement: The First Tee of Northern Michigan Board of Directors and Golf Committee Chair, Volunteer at The Manna Food Project
- Favorite golf memory: Playing Pinehurst #2 on Masters Sunday in 2005 then watching the tournament in the afternoon.
Casey Powers
Director of Golf, BOYNE Golf
- Hometown: Muskegon, MI / Traverse City, MI
- College: Hope College
- Years with Boyne: 28
- Favorite Boyne course: The Alpine
- Favorite non-Boyne course: Birchwood Farms
- Clubs played: Callaway
- Favorite golf memory: My son Griffin birdying the 18th hole to beat me by a stroke for the first time on The Flamingo course at the Lely Resort in Naples, FL.
Bernie Friedrich
Director of Golf Course Renovation & Development, Boyne Resorts
- Hometown: Born in Schondorf, Germany
- College: Northern Michigan University
- Years with Boyne: 48
- Favorite Boyne course: All
- Favorite non-Boyne course: Royal County Downs, Ireland
- Clubs played: Callaway
- Community Involvement: Harbor Cup, Manna Food Project, The First Tee, Board member of Michigan Golf Association, Adidas Dassler Board Member
- Career Highlights: Merchandiser of the Year - Resort Facility (1990) from the Michigan PGA, Merchandiser of the Year - Resort Facility (1991-1996) from the Northern Chapter of Michigan PGA, Golf Professional of the Year (1998, 2001) from the Michigan PGA, Golf Course Executive of the Year (2018) from American Junior Golf Association (AJGA), Lyle Leeke Distinguished Service Award (2018) from Michigan Golf Course Owners Association (MGCOA), Bill Strausbaugh Award (2019) from the Michigan PGA, Michigan Golf Hall of Fame (2019), Michigan PGA Hall of Fame (2020), PGA Golf Executive of the Year (2021) from the Michigan PGA, PGA National Golf Executive of the Year (2023)
Mike Chumbler
General Manager, The Highlands
- Hometown: Bad Axe, MI
- College: Ferris State University
- Years with Boyne: 29
- Favorite Boyne course: The Heather
- Favorite non-Boyne course: Cypress Point
- Clubs played: Callaway
- Community Involvement: Petoskey Regional Chamber of Commerce Board Member, Founding Board Member for The First Tee of Northern Michigan
- Career Highlight: Bill Strausbaugh Award, Michigan Section 2009
- Favorite golf memory: Hole-in-one on Cypress Point
Joe Charles
Director of Instruction, BOYNE Golf Academy
joseph.charles@highlandsharborsprings.com
- Hometown: Kalamazoo, MI
- College: Ferris State University
- Years with Boyne: 4
- Favorite Boyne course: To be determined!
- Favorite non-Boyne course: Seminole Golf Club, Juno Beach, FL
- Clubs played: Callaway
- Community Involvement: PGA Junior League Coach, Gaylord HS Volunteer Golf Coach, School Program Teaching in the off-season, partnered with First Tee and GAJUGA to host junior golf clinics
- Favorite Golf Memory: Playing golf with Jack Nicklaus and actually getting the ball air-born in front of him
Steve Niezgoda
Head Golf Professional, Bay Harbor Golf Club
Golf Buyer, BOYNE Golf
- Hometown: Petoskey, MI
- College: Ferris State University
- Years with Boyne: 21
- Favorite Boyne course: The Alpine
- Favorite non-Boyne course: Mauna Lani - Hawaii
- Clubs played: Callaway
- Community Involvement: Raise funds for The Manna Food Project and The First Tee of Northern Michigan through Harbor Cup
- Favorite golf memory: Passing my PAT and getting my PGA card.
John Myers
Head Golf Professional, Ross Golf Center
jdmyers@highlandsharborsprings.com
- Hometown: Grove City, OH
- College: Methodist University, Fayetteville, NC
- Years with Boyne: 9
- Favorite Boyne course: The Heather
- Favorite non-Boyne course: Franklin Hills Country Club
- Clubs played: Callaway
- Community Involvement: Varsity Girls Golf Coach Petoskey High School
- Career Highlight: Assistant Golf Professional of the Year, Michigan Section, 2005
Chaz Babin
Head Golf Professional, The Heather
chaz.babin@highlandsharborsprings.com
- Hometown: Midland, MI
- College: Coastal Carolina University
- Years with Boyne: 8
- Favorite Boyne course: Preserve/Links
- Favorite non-Boyne course: Kingsley Club
- Clubs played: Callaway
- Career Highlights: Clinching the Harbor Cup on the 18th hole of The Heather my first time playing in the event.
- Favorite golf memory: Passing my PAT with my dad on my bag.
Zach Zondlo
Head Golf Professional, Boyne Mountain
- Hometown: Knoxville, TN
- College: Coastal Carolina University
- Years with Boyne: 14
- Favorite Boyne course: The Alpine
- Favorite non-Boyne course: Wade Hampton Golf Club
- Clubs played: Callaway
- Favorite golf memory: Learning the game with my grandfather.
- Career Highlights: Three-time Merchandiser of the Year - Resort, Maine Chapter of PGA
- Community Involvement: Coach Boyne City High School Boys Golf
Corey May
Head Golf Professional, Crooked Tree Golf Club
- Hometown: Pittsfield, MA
- College: Coastal Carolina University
- Years with Boyne: 13
- Favorite Boyne course: Sugarloaf Golf Club
- Favorite non-Boyne course: Lake Winnipesaukee Golf Club, New Durham, NH
- Clubs played: TaylorMade
- Playing Career Highlight: 4th place in the PGA State of Maine Championship, 2015
- Community Involvement: Instruct junior clinics at The Highlands on Sunday afternoons.
Jeff Roth
Teaching Professional, BOYNE Golf Academy
jeff.roth@highlandsharborsprings.com
- Hometown: Plymouth, MI
- College: University of Arizona
- Years with Boyne: 7
- Favorite Boyne course: The Heather
- Favorite non-Boyne course: Monterey Peninsula Country Club, California
- Clubs played: NIKE Irons, Titleist Driver/Fairway/Hybrids
- Career Highlight: National Club Professional Champion 1993, Michigan Golf Hall of Fame, Michigan PGA Hall of Fame, University of Arizona Golf Hall of Fame
- Favorite golf memory: Champions TOUR event at Pebble Beach in 2009 - my son caddying and my dad in the gallery! Priceless.
Bob Prange
Teaching Professional, BOYNE Golf Academy
robert.prange@highlandsharborsprings.com
- Hometown: Indianapolis, IN
- College: Ball State University
- Years with Boyne: 2
- Favorite Boyne course: Donald Ross Memorial
- Favorite non-Boyne course: Cypress Point Golf Club in Pebble Beach, CA
- Clubs played: Ping
- Favorite golf memory: Watching my daughters, Ashley and Amber, each make their first hole in one. My joy of both girls participating in Golf Channel's Big Break, and then seeing both of them go on to play professional golf.
Brian Jakeway
Golf Professional, Bay Harbor Golf Club
brian.jakeway@innatbayharbor.com
- Hometown: Petoskey, MI
- College: Golf Academy of America & NCMC
- Years with Boyne: 4
- Favorite Boyne course: The Alpine
- Favorite non-Boyne course: Birchwood Farms G&CC
- Clubs played: TaylorMade
- Favorite Golf Memory: Winning high school invitational at home senior year and having my dad caddie for me in the Michigan Open.
Benny Dieterle
Golf Professional, Bay Harbor Golf Club
benny.dieterle@innatbayharbor.com
- Hometown: Grand Rapids, MI
- College: Ferris State University
- Years with Boyne: 1
- Favorite Boyne course: The Hills
- Favorite non-Boyne course: The Tree Farm
- Clubs played: TaylorMade
- Favorite Golf Memory: Passing my PAT my sophomore year at Ferris State.
Avry Freel
Assistant Golf Professional, Ross Golf Center
avry.freel@highlandsharborsprings.com
- Hometown: Cedarville, MI
- College: Ferris State University
- Years with Boyne: 3
- Favorite Boyne course: Arthur Hills
- Favorite non-Boyne course: Mammoth Dunes
- Clubs played: Cobra
- Favorite Golf Memory: My hole-in-one on hole #5 at Sand Valley
Nathan Kraynyk
Assistant Golf Professional, Ross Golf Center
nate.kraynyk@highlandsharborsprings.com
- Hometown: Buffalo Point, Manitoba
- College: Ferris State University
- Years with Boyne: 1
- Favorite Boyne course: Arthur Hills
- Favorite non-Boyne course: The Kingsley Club
- Clubs played: A variety of brands
- Favorite Golf Memory: Playing in the Harbor Cup at Bay Harbor
Bob Wilson
Golf Professional, The Heather
robert.wilson@highlandsharborsprings.com
- Hometown: Harbor Springs, MI
- College: Palm Beach Community College, Lake Worth, FL
- Years with Boyne: 6
- Favorite Boyne course: The Heather
- Favorite non-Boyne course: Pinehurst #2
- Clubs played: Callaway
- Favorite golf memory: There's been so many over the years it would be hard to single one out.
Dave Trudell
Golf Professional, The Highlands
dtrudell@highlandsharborsprings.com
- Hometown: Kalamazoo, MI
- College: Eastern Michigan University (Hurons)
- Years with Boyne: 23
- Favorite Boyne course: The Heather
- Favorite non-Boyne course: Crystal Downs
- Clubs played: Titlesit - Staff member since 1995
- Career Highlights: 2007 Michigan Section Merchandiser of the Year - Resort
- Favorite golf memory: Holing out for an eagle 2 on #2 Eastern Hills Golf Club while playing with my father.
Scott Pussehl
Assistant Golf Professional, Boyne Mountain Resort
- Hometown: Freeland, MI
- College: Ferris State University
- Years with Boyne: 9
- Favorite Boyne course: The Alpine at Boyne Mountain
- Favorite non-Boyne course: Cornerstone Golf Club
- Clubs played: Callaway
- Favorite golf memory: Not one specific memory, but getting to play golf with friends and family is always the best.