The Ken Janke, Sr. Golf Learning Center at Ferris State University, which also serves
as home to the Michigan Golf Hall of Fame will have its Grand Opening and dedication
ceremony at 3:30 p.m. on Sunday, June 2.Friends, members and inductees of the Michigan Golf Hall of Fame will join Ferris State University supporters on Sunday, June 2, as the Ken Janke Sr. Golf Learning Center has its grand opening and dedication.
This celebratory event, including tours of the newly-constructed $3.5 million facility, coincide with the Hall of Fame’s annual golf outing and induction ceremony, which take place at Ferris’ Katke Golf Course and the nearby Holiday Inn Hotel and Conference Center, respectively, that day. MGHOF Chairman Greg Johnson said that the organization is pleased to have Ken Janke Jr. and his wife, Kim, speaking at the ribbon-cutting ceremony as their $500,000 lead gift serves to honor Ken Janke Sr., the co-founder and a member of the Michigan Golf Hall of Fame.
“This partnership with Ferris State University represents a tremendous opportunity to not only preserve the legacy of its champions and contributors but also to educate students and visitors in regard to the rich history of golf in our state,” Johnson said. “We feel like we finally have a home for the Hall of Fame, and in a place where golfers play and prepare for careers and leadership in the game. We plan to flourish in a state-of-the-art golf learning center that devotes space to remembering those who made the game, the profession, what it is today.”
The hall will draw on its collection of portraits, plaques and memorabilia for a curated display in the Ken Janke Sr. Golf Learning Center that commemorates their 127 inductees.
Those taking part in the MGHOF golf outing can register at Katke Golf Course beginning at 9:30 a.m. June 2, with a shotgun start to play at 10:30 a.m. Ferris President David Eisler and the university’s Board of Trustees will welcome outing participants and other invited guests to the Ken Janke Sr. Golf Learning Center ribbon-cutting at 3:30 p.m., with tours of the facility and MGHOF display available following that event.
A cocktail reception will begin at 4 p.m. in the Holiday Inn, with dinner for the Hall of Fame attendees starting at 5 p.m., with the induction ceremony to follow. The MGHOF Class of 2019 includes George Bayer, a former PGA tour champion and Detroit Golf Club head professional; Ron Beurmann, the head professional at the Country Club of Jackson; Bernie Friedrich, senior vice-president of golf operations and resort sales for Boyne Resorts; and Al Mengert, a former Oakland Hills Country Club head professional.