MGCA Award Winners

2026 Award Winners

Friedrich, Eccleton Highlight Michigan Golf Course Association Honorees

LANSING – Bernie Friedrich, Director of Golf Course Renovation and Development for Boyne Resorts, and Jay Eccleton, CGCS, Director of Operations at The Emerald Golf Course in St. Johns, have been selected as winners of the top annual awards of the Michigan Golf Course Association (MGCA).

Friedrich has been named the winner of the 2026 Matthews Lifetime Achievement Award, and Eccleton the winner of the Lyle Leeke Distinguished Service Award and will be honored and celebrated at the Annual MGCA Awards Banquet on Tuesday evening, Dec. 1, during the 2026 Michigan Golf Business Conference and Vendor Fair at the Soaring Eagle Casino & Resort in Mount Pleasant. 

“We are excited to honor award winners that have left an indelible mark and exemplified the spirit of servant leadership in the Michigan golf industry,” Jada Paisley, executive director of the MGCA said.

The Matthews Lifetime Achievement Award is awarded to an individual or organization that over the span of a lifetime has provided steadfast leadership, outstanding service, and continuous commitment to the Michigan golf industry.

Friedrich, who in 2026 celebrated his 50th year with Boyne Resorts, started his career as head PGA golf professional at Boyne Mountain Resort and has since served in senior vice-president roles while helping guide what has become the largest family-owned golf resort destination in North America.

Currently he is the director of golf course renovation and development, and during his career Boyne Resorts has expanded from three golf courses to 14, including 11 in Michigan, two in Maine and one in Montana.

He has served on the MGCA Board of Directors, was honored with the MGCA Lyle Leeke Distinguished Service Award in 2018 and has taken on leadership committee roles with the Michigan Section PGA. He is a two-time Michigan PGA Golf Professional of the Year winner and is a member of both the Michigan PGA Hall of Fame and the Michigan Golf Hall of Fame for his contributions to the game. In 2023, he was named the PGA Golf Executive of the Year by the PGA of America for outstanding leadership, vision and service to golf.

Friedrich also has a legacy of service to his community and the state’s tourism industry. He has served on the board of America’s Summer Golf Capital, is a founding member of The First Tee of Northern Michigan and the co-founder of the Harbor Cup, a golf event that has raised more than $1.4 million for food projects in Northern Michigan.

The Lyle Leeke Distinguished Service Award is presented to individuals who have displayed distinguished service to the MGCA and the golf industry in the state of Michigan. It is named in honor of Leeke, one of the founders of the MGCA.

Eccleton, a Certified Golf Course Superintendent (CGCS), celebrated his 26th year at The Emerald in 2026 where he and his wife Katie are on the management team of the mid-Michigan public golf course that was the MGCA’s Golf Course of the Year in 2022.

Throughout his career he has had a lasting commitment to MGCA and the broader golf community through leadership, education, advocacy, and service. He has served for 15 years on the MGCA Scott Family Educational Support Foundation and currently serves on the Michigan Golf Course Association Board of Directors.

A frequent presenter at MGCA Business Conferences, Eccleton generously shares his experience and practical ideas to help fellow golf course owners and operators succeed. He was also an early participant and supporter of MGCA’s Registered Apprenticeship Program, helping develop the next generation of golf course superintendents.

Eccleton has also served other leading golf organizations. He was a founding board member of the Michigan Golf Course Superintendents Association (MiGCSA) and its president in 2011-12. He was named the Golf Association of Michigan’s Golf Course Superintendent Award of Merit winner in 2015, and he also worked on the state’s Water Use Advisory Council representing golf’s interests at the state level.

His involvement in golf started with his family at an early age. His parents owned a golf course in Stockbridge and were early members of what is now the MGCA, and today with Katie, he tirelessly promotes the benefits of golf while allowing The Emerald to host significant charitable events and youth and high school tournaments.

Past Award Winners