Years of collaboration, dedication and hard work will soon turn the dream of the Ken Janke Sr. Golf Learning Center into a reality—marked by the university with a Saturday, April 28 ground breaking ceremony at Ferris’ Katke Golf Course.
The facility, expected to be completed by early 2019, will feature 7,000 square feet of space with state-of-the-art TrackMan golf technology for Ferris’ PGA Golf Management students and visitors, three indoor/outdoor heated hitting bays for year-round use, an indoor putting green and space to house the Michigan Golf Hall of Fame.
“We’re excited to finally host this ground breaking and so thankful for the generous support and hard-working efforts of so many people who have made this all possible,” said Mike Bigford, chair of the Ken Janke Sr. Golf Learning Center Campaign Steering Committee. “This facility is going to greatly enhance educational opportunities for our PGA Golf Management students and faculty. And, as the future home of the Michigan Golf Hall of Fame, this new Ken Janke Sr. Golf Learning Center is going to attract so many people, including many golf enthusiasts, to Ferris and Big Rapids. We couldn’t be more excited to see the dream of this facility become reality.”
“This facility will allow our students to continue to learn and train at a high level, even during winter,” said Aaron Waltz, director of Ferris’ PGA Golf Management program. “From an education standpoint, the benefit our students will have, using state-of-the-art technology, is critical to their growth as students and future teaching professionals.”
Many key figures from Michigan’s golf community traveled to Big Rapids for the event.
“The ground breaking for the construction of the Ken Janke Sr. Golf Learning Center is a momentous accomplishment for the Michigan Golf Hall of Fame and for Ferris State University,” said Greg Johnson, of Hudsonville, co-chair of the Michigan Golf Hall of Fame. “This is the culmination of a longtime goal. This facility is going to provide the perfect environment to display these artifacts that showcase Michigan golf history and recognize the many great people who have contributed to golf in Michigan.”
In April 2017, Ken Janke Jr. and his wife, Kim, made a $500,000 gift to name the center in honor of his father, Ken Janke Sr., who died in 2011. Janke Sr. co-founded the Michigan Golf Hall of Fame in 1982 with Stan Aldridge, the owner of Indianwood Golf and Country Club, in Lake Orion where the hall of fame was originally located.
Ken Janke Jr. (left) and Kim Janke (right) addressed attendees at the April 28 ground breaking at Ferris’ Katke Golf Course.
Visit ferris.edu/giving/PGM to learn more about the effort to complete this educational facility and future home of the Michigan Golf Hall of Fame.