BIG RAPIDS – Michael Harris, a championship winner at the junior, collegiate and professional golf levels, John Lindert, a PGA golf professional whose dedicated service to the game includes being elected President of the PGA of America, and the late Roger Ostrander, a respected rules official from local to international levels, are members of the Michigan Golf Hall of Fame (MGHOF).
The threesome was inducted Sunday at Ferris State University’s Katke Golf Club, home of the Ken Janke Sr. Golf Learning Center that houses the Michigan Golf Hall of Fame (MGHOF). The 2025 class brings the number of inductees to 143.
In addition, the MGHOF presented just its seventh Special Award in history to Loretta Larkin of Dexter, who has served as the administrator for the MGHOF for 29 years.
“We had a wonderful celebration of a threesome that reflects the best of Michigan golf in playing ability, national leadership and dedication to the rules, and presenting Loretta Larkin a Special Award for the special things she does, helped to make it a perfect day,” Greg Johnson, MGHOF committee chairman, said.
Harris, 47, formerly of Troy and currently residing in Brookfield, Wis., started winning championships at the junior golf level, twice winning the Michigan Junior Amateur Championship. As an amateur he won the GAM Championship, the Horton Smith Invitational Championship, was the runner-up to Flint’s John Lindholm in the Michigan Amateur Championship in 1997, won the Northeast Amateur, played intwo U.S. Amateurs and was a standout at the University of Michigan, winning eight tournaments, including the 1999 Big Ten Conference individual title. As a professional he was the Canadian Tour Order of Merit Winner in 2005, won the 2005 Michigan Open and five times returned home from tour golf to win the Michigan PGA Tournament of Champions at Boyne Mountain. He also played in the U.S. Open twice, in 2000 and 2006 before injuries ended his competitive golf career.
Lindert, 68, a Grand Ledge resident and the head golf professional at Country Club of Lansing, moved to Michigan in 1993 to become the head golf professional at Spring Lake Country Club where he served until becoming the head professional at Country Club of Lansing in 2002. He has filled multiple leadership roles for the Michigan PGA, including serving as a chapter and section president, worked actively with the First Tee of Mid-Michigan, and since 2006 has served in various roles with the PGA of America. He was elected president of the PGA in 2022 becoming just the third Michigan PGA member to ever serve in that position. He also became the first PGA of America member in history to serve as a Board of Control appointee, district director and president. He has won multiple service awards, including Michigan Golf Professional of the Year and the Michigan PGA Player Development Award and is a member of the Michigan PGA Hall of Fame.
Ostrander, known best in golf as Dr. O, died of cancer in 2015 at the age of 74, but not before a career as an oral surgeon in Grand Rapids, and then a second career as a rules official, most often volunteering his time. He softened the hard-line of the rules of golf with an approachable, outgoing personality and served as a rules official for over two decades. As a Golf Association of Michigan Governor and Chairman of the Championship Committee he worked at multiple Michigan Amateur Championships as well as championships for all age groups and genders, worked for the Michigan PGA Section at their top championships, including the Michigan Open, and went on to serve the USGA officiating at six U.S. Opens, nine U.S. Senior Opens and 14 U.S. Amateurs while also being on the USGA Mid-Amateur Championship Committee for 18 years. He enjoyed helping young golfers, especially aspiring PGA professionals when he conducted PGA Playing Ability Tests for the Professional Golf Management students at Ferris State University. His grandson Matthew is now a student in the PGM program and accepted the hall of fame plaque on his grandfather’s behalf Sunday.
Larkin, 62, has served as the administrator of the MGHOF since 1996. She manages and maintains financial records, the non-profit status of the hall of fame, the nominatinig and voting procedures, organization and management of the induction ceremonies, creation of the annual program publication, coordinating and cataloging of the memorabilia collection and all communication to current members and committee members. She currently also works as director of organizational and human resources for the Golf Association of Michigan.
The MGHOF is a heralded collection of portraits, plaques, and memorabilia that currently commemorates 143 members, including Walter Hagen, Chuck Kocsis and Dave Hill, and more current notables Dan Pohl, Meg Mallon and Kelly Robbins.
The MGHOF is administered by the Michigan Golf Hall of Fame Committee, which has been funded since 1996 through the non-profit Michigan Golf Foundation (501(c)(3)) and includes 16 people representing a cross-section of the state’s golf associations as well as golf media. The MGHOF committee conducts an annual election to recognize the achievements of competitive Michigan golfers, but also the accomplishments of individuals who have contributed to the game. For more information and to learn about the current members of the Hall of Fame, visit mghof.org.
THE PHOTO: A 2025 class photo, from left, Special Award winner Loretta Larkin, Michael Harris, Matthew Ostrander with the plaque of his late grandfather, and John Lindert.
