Harbor Springs, MI – Boyne Resorts Josh Richter, PGA, Senior Vice President of Golf Operations, has been named the Golf Executive of the Year by the Michigan PGA Section. As one of the highest distinctions awarded by the PGA section, the honor recognizes PGA Golf Professionals who represent exceptional service in the golf industry through multi-facility course management, ownership operations, allied associations, or executive leadership. Recipients demonstrate excellent leadership and vision while having a significant record of service to the Association and the game of golf.
Richter has been with Boyne Resorts since 1999 when he started as an intern while attending the PGM Golf Management program at Ferris State University. In his current role as Senior Vice President of Golf Operations, he oversees all aspects of BOYNE Golf’s 14 courses nationwide, including three at Bay Harbor Golf Club and Crooked Tree Golf Club, five at The Highlands, including the new par three-course Doon Brae, and two at Boyne Mountain. In addition, there is Sunday River Golf Club and Sugarloaf Golf Club in Maine, as well as Big Sky Golf Course in Montana. This includes overseeing numerous golf events annually, including the Michigan Section’s Tournament of Champions, Adidas State Pro-Am, and Drive, Chip & Putt local qualifiers. He also serves as president of club operations for the Country Club of Boyne and Bay Harbor Golf Club.
During his tenure, Richter has led many teams in training and mentoring golf professionals, including hiring 40 PGM students for internships at BOYNE Golf. Many students have become general managers, head professionals, golf academy business owners, and other golf industry leaders. Richter’s team and culture-building style were featured in a “Best Practices” article he authored in PGA Magazine’s September 2018 issue.
“This is a tremendous honor and very humbling to be selected as the 2025 Michigan PGA Executive of the Year, especially with so many great operators within the Michigan PGA Section,” says Richter. “This award is a testament to the great staff we have in the golf division, who played a huge part in why I was selected for this award. I want to thank them and the PGA Special Awards Committee for recognizing us with this award.”
Richter’s leadership doesn’t stop at BOYNE Golf. He is an active First Tee – Northern Michigan board member and has been Board President since January 2024. He also sits on the America’s Summer Golf Capital Board and is a prominent figure in the annual Harbor Cup event that has raised more than $1 million for local charities since its inception in 1997. Additionally, he sits on the Michigan PGA Employment Committee, helping the growth of PGA Professionals throughout Michigan.
About BOYNE Golf
BOYNE Golf has been recognized as one of North America’s “Premier Resorts” (Gold) by GOLF Magazine. The Inn at Bay Harbor and Bay Harbor Golf Club, the premier golf destination’s flagship properties, feature 45 holes, including three golf course combinations designed by Arthur Hills (Links/Quarry, Quarry/Preserve, and Preserve/Links), and the scenic Crooked Tree Golf Club, with one of the most beautiful and iconic hotels in America, all set along a scenic five-mile stretch of Lake Michigan shoreline.
The Highlands at Harbor Springs, rated the No. 1 Golf Resort for Value by Golf.com, features four championship courses, a new par three-course Doon Brae, and a 27-hole putting course, The Back Yaird. The Heather, the 2019 NGCOA Course of the Year, was designed by Robert Trent Jones Sr., while Arthur Hills crafted the Hills Course. In addition, the resort features The Donald Ross Memorial, a rendition of the legendary architect’s great holes from around the country, and the always fun Moor course. The Highlands is the perfect buddy trip destination for golfers who like to play as many holes as they can during the long summer daylight hours that northern Michigan features.
Boyne Mountain not only features two picturesque 18-hole courses (The Monument and The Alpine), along with the charming Mountain Grand Lodge & Spa, it is also the leading family-friendly golf destination in the region with the Avalanche Bay Indoor Waterpark, junior golf camps, and various kid golf programs. Golf Digest named Boyne Mountain one of its “Top 10 Destinations for Family Golf Trips.”
For more information, visit BOYNEGolf.com.
