March 5, 2026
David Hansinger, new Head Golf Pro at Ferris State’s Katke Golf Course, marking 40-year return as a PGA Golf Management graduate
David Hansinger has assumed the role as the next Head Golf Pro/Manager at Ferris State University’s Katke Golf Course, marking a full-circle moment for the Bulldog whose roots in golf management began in Big Rapids.
Hansinger graduated from Ferris State with a bachelor’s degree in PGA Golf Management in 1985 and never envisioned returning to campus in this capacity -- but never doubted it was a good fit.
“It’s kind of how things fell into place. As I’m getting toward the end of my career, I felt it was a great opportunity to come back and be able to utilize everything that I learned from here and my entire career in the business side of golf and give back to the institution that helped me get my degree,” he said.
Managing courses along the East Coast is where Hansinger spent the bulk of his career not too long after graduating. His work also took him to premiere destinations in the PGA’s Middle Atlantic section, that was until a unique opportunity came about to work for the Department of Defense, now the Department of War.
“I spent 25 years running golf courses for the federal government, and it was very interesting,” he said. “It was ironic because someone I met up here (Ferris State) in the PGM program ended up getting the position as the general manager at Fort Belvoir and asked me if I wanted to work with him. After starting and finishing our time at Ferris together, we stayed in contact and he knew I was in the area.
“Most people have no idea that it’s even a possibility to have a golf career in the federal government. All the services have courses that need to be run, and back when I got in around the mid-90s, they were looking at bringing in PGA professionals,” Hansinger said. “Before, those courses would used retired military members, but most courses today have switched to PGA professionals.”
The stories are limitless related to his time running military golf courses, but Hansinger is most proud of the fact that he could “serve those who serve.” He recognized early on that it was a privilege to direct military courses and meet high-level leaders in addition to servicemen and women.
It was roughly four years ago that Hansinger retired from the government system and took on a role at a public facility north of Baltimore. That was until he heard about the opening at Katke.
Born and raised in Mount Clemens, Hansinger knew it was the right opportunity to not only return to Michigan, but to serve in a professional capacity at his alma mater.
“The opportunity to come back home with family here in Michigan, and the opportunities to reconnect with family are very important,” he said. “The other thing is my wife is from Michigan, we met up here at Ferris, and we’re getting ready to celebrate our 40th wedding anniversary this year… So, there’s a lot of connections here.”
Having decades of experience as a PGA professional will prove fruitful in Hansinger’s role as Katke’s new head golf pro, as he believes most of his responsibilities will come naturally.
At the same time, he hopes to have some overlap with the PGA Golf Management program for a handful of reasons, including providing mentorship to current students.
“I’m hoping it will be a combination of things. With me being a graduate of the program, I can relate to what the kids are going through. From their classes, internships and careers, I went through that. Even though I’m not directly involved, I want to be an integral part in helping them to become better professionals, people, and communicators so we can turn out quality PGA professionals,” Hansinger said.
With Ferris State located in what is traditionally known as a small town, Hansinger realizes the opportunity to promote community interest. Whether it’s through junior golf camps on the course or spreading the Bulldog image at local events, one of his top priorities is to make a lasting impact both on the university and Big Rapids.
He also believes that impact ties into developing strong relationships with head coach Sam Stark of the Ferris State men’s and women’s golf programs, in addition to assistant coaches Kosta Ramirez and Tom Stark, and local high school coaches.
“There’s an opportunity, in my position, to make sure people in this community are aware that we not only have a golf course, but they have access to it. We love that our student-athletes have such a great facility, but we want more people to be involved,” Hansinger said. “It’s my job to make sure the experience for the people coming out is a good one so they keep coming back (to Katke) or go play other courses while enjoying the sport for what it is.”
One can assume that taking over the reins of what many consider to be one of the best courses in the Mitten State comes with pressure to maintain that status. However, Hansinger is confident that he’ll successfully use his position to influence growth in all facets of Katke Golf Course.
“It’s not that I’m prideful, but I’m proud of my accomplishments to this point of my career. … I’m happy to take on this opportunity.”