Northern Ohio PGA Announces 2025 Special Award Winners – Get to Know Them!

By: Tim Rogers, NOPGA Media

Executive of the Year

Matt Creech, PGA
The Golf Dome & Tanglewood GC

This is the first time in the 79-year history of the Northern Ohio Section that an Executive of the Year Award has been presented. How else would the board of directors acknowledge Matt’s vision, commitment, innovation, insight and overall contributions to the section and the game? A career that has spanned nearly 30 years and touched so many lives and embarked on so many projects deserves such an award.

His career began at Mayfield Country Club and extended to Sand Ridge where he served 18 years as Director of Golf Operations before eventually becoming general manager of both clubs and guiding them through periods of transformation that entailed elevating standards and programming in all aspects. In his final two years he attracted 320 new members through all levels and helped solidify it as one of the premier clubs in Northeast Ohio by reversing a $500,000 operating loss into a $2 million surplus.

During his career he has served the Northern Ohio Section in a number of varied areas. His service is defined by consistent impact, as well as its longevity and depth to the organization. He served two terms on the Section’s Board of Directors, from 2009-2010 and 2015-2016. He served two years each as the Section secretary, vice president and president. He currently is in his third year as an Honorary President.

Previously, he chaired the Growth of the Game Committee, was a member of the Tournament Committee and the Hall of Fame Committee. In 2007 he attained PGA Certified Professional status in the areas of golf operations and general management.

Three years ago, he entered a new chapter by purchasing, rebranding and operating The Golf Dome training facility in Chagrin Falls with the mission of providing complete player development for all golfers. In 2024 he became the owner-operator of Tanglewood Golf & Grounds operations and led a resounding revitalization of the property and its operations, increasing rounds from 23,000 to 32,000 and revenues from $830,000 to $1.2 million.

The Golf Dome has become one of the top teaching and junior golf sites, delivering more than 3,000 lessons a year and conducting clinics seven days a week, annually serving more than 1,000 junior players in the largest program in Northern Ohio.

Golf Professional of the Year

Steve Bordner, PGA
The Country Club

The NOPGA Golf Professional of the Year is one of the highest honors the Section can bestow on a member. The award encompasses and acknowledges the wide range of services and responsibilities that club professionals assume. It ranges from player to teacher to industry leader to mentor to administrator to communicator and all the way to being a one-man welcoming committee to the new kid in the bag room as well as the newest member families.

Throughout his 26-year career, from his first head professional position at Irondequoit Country Club in Rochester, N.Y. to his position as Director of Golf at The Country Club for the last seven years, Steve has proven to be the consummate professional in every aspect.

He is an active instructor and donates lesson times to local charities. He has served on the NOPGA Board of Directors and as co-chair of the Tournament Committee. He plays host to the Section’s annual Tour Championship and brought a Junior Section event to the club in 2025. He helped two former assistants become head professionals or directors of golf and led two associates who started as caddies to join the Section. He has become a trusted leader on both the golf and green committees at Country – overseeing and guiding the membership through the club’s recent full course restoration — and is PGA HOPE certified.

Over the last several years he has served the Section as a member of the Awards Committee and as a co-chair of the Tournament Committee. In the fall of 2023 began his first term on the Board of Directors.

Steve also has found time to serve on the Chagrin Falls Board of Education. A native of Dakota, Ill., Steve and his wife, Danah, are the parents of Taylor (13) and Reagan (11). Golf runs in the family. Danah, the daughter of a golf professional, is a former Big Ten champion (Indiana) and played on the LPGA Tour. Steve’s brother, Scott, is an agronomist and oversees two major courses in the Philadelphia area.

The significance of the Golf Professional of the Year can be found on the list of former winners, many of whom are in the NOPGA Hall of Fame. It started with Bob Hamrich in 1974 and led to Michael Spiech in 2024 and now Steve Bordner in 2025.

Assistant of the Year

Josh Diemer, PGA
Chagrin Valley Country Club

One of the primary responsibilities of an assistant golf professional is to promote the game at every level while being consistent in becoming a well-rounded professional that is involved in every aspect of the game. From teaching to initiating to administrating and accommodating his or her club’s members to the best of their abilities are all components learned by assistant professionals. Josh has learned them well and continues to apply them to his position at CVCC.

Since joining the CVCC eight years ago Josh has become a well-rounded professional and has made a point of showing fellow professionals the importance of attaining that status. His dedication, availability and loyalty has helped others learn all aspects of club operation.

His first undertaking was to modernize the club’s events for men, which he focused on innovating and expanding. The biggest men’s events at the club have grown each year under his supervision and guidance.

He also has been at the forefront of revolutionizing the Ladies Golf Program and introducing, organizing and conducting a Ladies Golf Trip in 2024. He also has become the primary instructor for the ladies at CVCC for the last two years. Membership in the 9-hole and 18-hole leagues has grown to approximately 100 participants.

For the last three seasons he has been the primary point of contact for the Cleveland Women’s Golf Association, serving as tournament director for the CWGA Championship when hosted by CVCC and assisting as the organization modernized its registration process.

Outside CVCC Josh has been a huge supporter of the NOPGA Foundation and currently serves on the NOPGA Tournament Committee and Junior Golf Committee and twice has served as an assistant captain of a PGA Junior League All-Star team.

A native of Grove City, Josh is a 2015 graduate of the Professional Golf Management program at Ohio State after captaining the golf team for two years at Urbana College.

Teacher & Coach of the Year

Steve Mulcahy, PGA
University of Findlay

Trust.

It is one of the most important components in the relationship between coach and pupil. Everywhere he has worked throughout his 35-year professional career — from Toledo Country Club to Stone Oak Country Club to Canterbury Golf Club to Shawnee Country Club and to his current position as the assistant coach of the men’s and women’s programs at the University of Findlay — Steve has been the man people have trusted to reach their maximum potential.

This marks the second time Steve has received this award, and it comes as no surprise. He has been on Golf Digest’s list of the best teachers in Ohio for the last 20 years, ranking first for eight of those years. He has sent more than 100 juniors to play in college, including twin daughters Erin and Mary Kelly. Older sister Meghan and younger sister Bridget joined their siblings in helping Lima Central Catholic win four consecutive Division II state championships. Erin clinched the final point as Findlay won the NCAA Division II national championship in 2022.

Under his guidance all new students at Shawnee Country Club were required to take three lessons, receiving instruction on the full swing, short game and putting. He also taught them how to practice and understand the importance of all three disciplines. His views are so respected he was asked to write an article for PGA Magazine on the significance of that approach.

Steve’s credentials are not restricted to the physical side. He formerly sat on the board of the Lima Junior Golf Association and during his tenure at Shawnee he introduced and conducted clinics for beginners, women and senior players. He started lending expertise to both Findlay programs in August of 2021 and now is a full-time assistant coach for both. The new job has kept him busy with several recruiting trips in June after both programs enjoyed successful spring seasons. Steve and his wife, Lyn, live in Lima.

Patriot Award

Todd Ekstrand, PGA
Barrington Golf Club

In a unified show of support many NOPGA members endorse and participate in the programs that proudly stand behind the U.S. Armed Forces and its veterans. Some lead PGA HOPE programs. Some conduct events at their respective clubs on Patriot Golf Day, and many are involved in the Folds of Honor. Todd is heavily involved in all three programs at Barrington and beyond.

Todd’s father and grandfather served in the military and left an impression. While he did not serve – on the advice of his father — he adopted a philosophy that if he couldn’t serve, he would serve those who did.

Since arriving at Barrington as an assistant nearly four years ago Todd has become PGA HOPE Certified and has coordinated specialized PGA HOPE events, providing and conducting personalized instructional clinics tailored specifically for veterans. He also has participated in the past two PGA HOPE Cup events at Glenmoor and Avon Oaks. He also has attended HOPE programs at the Valley of the Eagles and Medina Country Club to learn from fellow PGA professionals to better his own program.

His appearance at Glenmoor was special. It gave him the opportunity to play golf with his father, a former Navy SeaBee during the Viet Nam War and the victim of a recent stroke. Understanding that competitiveness took a back seat, spending time on the course with his dad – Todd’s real-life hero — and other veterans was reward enough.

When Todd was hired at Barrington in 2022, he witnessed the effect of what Folds of Honor does for Veterans and wanted to continue those efforts when following Mark Sierak as Head Golf Professional in 2023. His support elevated awareness in such a meaningful program, his assistants became PGA HOPE certified the following year. His proactive involvement in Patriot Golf Day has helped raise much-needed funds that benefit military veterans and their families.

Professional Development Award

Steve Parker, PGA
Firestone Country Club

He has been an assistant professional and a head professional in Buffalo, Akron and Ravenna. He has been a director of golf and a director of instruction at two of the finest clubs in Summit County. He has been a college coach and the executive director of one of the largest junior golf organizations in Ohio. He is a past president and a board member of the NOPGA Section. Currently, he is one of 452 PGA Master Professionals in the country – an honor earned in 2024 — and since 2023 the District 5 Director of the PGA of America.

Through it all, commencing in 1990 when he turned professional to the present, Steve focused on educating himself to reach each station and his priority on education expanded when he became the District 5 Director.

Steve has been at both ends of the learning/teaching spectrum. He took consistent instruction while continuing his education during his early years as a professional. He became a Specialized and Certified Professional in 2023 and a Master Professional one year later. Going forward he passed along the valuable information he learned to those interested in becoming a PGA Professional.

As a Section leader and District 5 Director on the National Board Steve has made a goal to create opportunities to advance the PGA and how it impacts its members. He regularly attends Section, National and Winter Championships and has served the association at both the Section and National levels by chairing national committees such as the National Tournament Committee, the Budget Committee and the Properties Committee.

Whether it was as head coach at the University of Akron (1999-2006), the Executive Director of the First Tee of Akron (2006-2011), the assistant professional at Windmill Lakes (1994), the Head Professional at Wanakah C.C. (2011-2014), the Head Professional and Director of Golf at Portage Country Club (2016-2022) and as the current Director of Instruction at Firestone C.C. Steve has imparted his learned swing knowledge. As the NOPGA President and board member and as District 5 Director he has shared his administrative knowledge on those with similar goals.

Bill Strausbaugh Award

Stephen Radcliff, PGA
Pike Run Golf Club

Established in 1979, the purpose of this award is to recognize a PGA member for their daily efforts to distinguish themselves as an extraordinary mentor to fellow professionals. They do this by making significant impacts on their careers to help them become the best PGA member they aspire to be. Throughout his 35-year career Steve has done just that, mentoring several young individuals – both PGA Professionals and course superintendents – as they pursued their careers throughout Ohio and other states.

After starting as a caddy at age 14 in his hometown of Tiffin, Steve’s professional career began in Arizona and included a stop in Myrtle Beach before he became the head professional and general manager at Pike Run in Ottawa, Ohio, in 1999. He has continued his mentoring endeavors, working with hopefuls while they were in high school through college and beyond. Many of them continue to reach out to Steve for guidance and encouragement.

His efforts certainly are not limited to mentoring. Using a strong work ethic and advocating dedication, leadership, communication and understanding, Steve has supervised the entire operation at Pike Run, from instruction to maintenance to pro shop management to food and beverage. He has worked with staff members from 14 to 80 to create a positive atmosphere and provide a delightful experience for employees and customers alike. Many of his staff members have been employed for numerous years, validating Steve’s leadership capabilities.

Working in a small, rural community has enabled Steve to utilize his supervisory and communication skills with fellow professionals to help many organizations exceed their goals of fundraising by conducting outings. He had a goal of breaking the $400,000 mark in 2025, which does not include his off-the-course initiatives and supporting community events.

Steve believes his greatest accomplishment has been watching the young, impressionable individuals that he has worked with succeed in their careers and become award-winning, constructive influences in the game. That’s what mentors do. That’s what Steve has done and that’s what he continues to do.

Player Development Award

Brian Tolnar, PGA
Mill Creek Golf Course

If you questioned 1,000 Mill Creek customers – men, women, seniors, veterans, collegians, beginners, advanced players or professionals — you might be hard-pressed to find one whose game has not been developed/improved by Brian. Accompanied by his team his omnipresence is that evident.

As the Director of Golf Operations since 2016 and earning PGA Certified Player Development status in 2018, Brian and his staff have executed a far-ranging operation that is not limited to hands-on instruction. It includes growing the game for everyone with programs for juniors, families and adaptive golfers, as well as spearheading the construction of the Mill Creek Indoor Player Development Center, a $600,000 project that was added in 2024-25. The center has reached new golf-related customers while increasing activity in equipment sales, food and beverage operations and indoor demo days.

Brian considers the facility his team’s greatest achievement. It includes three Trackman hitting bays, an artificial putting surface, a Callaway fitting studio, a club repair and grip room, a small merchandise concession area, a Donald Ross history area, restroom facilities and office space. It enables the staff to work with players year-round.

Brian and his staff routinely utilize many of the programs sponsored by the PGA, including the PGA Junior League, PGA HOPE (for Veterans), PGA Family Golf, Downs Syndrome Golf Association, Clubs Fore Kids and the PGA Junior Camps, as well as numerous playing opportunities for advanced amateurs and juniors, such as the NOPGA’s Junior and Futures Tours, Drive, Chip Putt qualifiers and several non-Section related tours. It also includes tournaments conducted by high schools and conferences. In the last decade it has been calculated that more than 37,150 people have taken advantage of Mill Creek’s programs.

Brian also has had time to be involved in five national-level programs, 10 Section-level programs and six community-based programs. He has been the recipient of several awards over the years, including the 2021 National PGA Merchandiser of the Year, the NOPGA Professional of the Year (2023) and he has been named the NOPGA Merchandiser of the Year four times.

Youth Player Development Award

Mike Pickett, PGA
Kirtland Country Club

It is universally agreed that junior golf is an integral part of the game, not only as the lifeline to sustain the game’s growth and stability but for the valuable life lessons and skills it teaches, from discipline, integrity, honesty, leadership, sportsmanship and overall character development. While working every day to be the best professional – and person – he can be, Mike has built a robust mission of coaching junior players.

Mike, the Director of Player Development at Kirtland, is a goal-oriented person that sets daily, weekly, annual and career goals for his personal and professional life. He feels he has been put on the planet to create unique experiences for as many people as he can as part of his lifelong philosophy called “The Razz Of Life.”

In the last 12 months Mike has found many ways to help juniors increase their enjoyment of the game and to give back for the good of the game, from serving on the NOPGA Junior Golf Committee, the Section Tournament Committee, being a presenter in the 2025 NOPGA Junior Golf Summit and serving as a volunteer instructor on the NOPGA Associates Workshop. He is an accomplished rules official and a superb calligrapher and is regarded as one of the hardest working, dedicated and diverse members of the Section.

He has taken a leadership role in junior golf education, offering free programs to players, parents and coaches and conducting the Junior Golf Mindset Night, the NEO Junior Golf Summer Planning Webinar and the Junior Golf College Recruiting Playbook Webinar.

He is the PGA Junior League Cleveland-East League manager, an organization that includes more than 100 juniors. He is responsible for preparing league policies, a full event schedule, statistical tracking and communication. Additionally, he has coached the Painesville Riverside High School golf team for the last four years.

He created the Kirtland Country Club Academy that offers an on-line instructional program for juniors (and adults) and weekly covers the Rules of Golf, mental game techniques, nutrition, fitness, college recruiting and other aspects.

Merchandiser of the Year – Private

Greg Smith, PGA
Westbrook Country Club

Location, location, location.

It is a catch phrase that many in the business world believe is a crucial factor in determining success.

That might be one of the secrets to the considerable success of the pro shop at Westbrook Country Club, but it certainly is no more crucial than Greg’s philosophy of providing a thoughtfully curated selection of high-quality golf and lifestyle products and offering excellent service and advice in an appealing setting that creates a pleasurable experience for club members and guests.

The pro shop supports Westbrook’s broad mission of delivering a superior and memorable experience for all who visit.

Greg is a firm believer that displays can grow stale, so Westbrook’s inventory is changed between 20 and 30 times a year. He also believes that member preferences and their feedback ensure that offerings remain relevant, desirable and unique to the club’s presence. The shop is stocked with premium and trusted brands that deliver performance and style.

Now in his 25th season as Westbrook’s Head Golf Professional, Greg is quick to point out that the pro shop has flourished since 2024 when club owners Dan and Brenda Niss authorized the construction of a new, larger and more functional shop. That included moving it from an isolated location to a prominent spot in the clubhouse and expanding it from approximately 300 square feet to the present 1,744 square feet. The new shop and its accessibility have increased customer traffic and led to a dramatic increase of 33 percent in gross merchandise sales.

Location, location, location. That might be a critical component, but it cannot stand alone. Part of the shop’s personalized service includes custom fittings, personalized embroidery, special order items and additional key components of seasonal promotions and exclusive member events. They are all designed to increase the shop’s attractiveness and prosperity. Greg’s vision makes it easy to understand why he has been named the winner of this award.

Merchandiser of the Year – Public

David Kinnell, PGA
Pine Hills Golf Club

Some merchandisers base their philosophy on taking college classes on marketing, business management and the like. Others base it on what they see in the ads in Golf Digest or the commercials on The Golf Channel. Others just decide to jam their pro shops with as much product as possible and hope it sells. Pine Hills Golf Club Head Professional David Kinnell has a different method. He bases his philosophy on what he deems as a simple, but powerful, principle. It’s called listening.

Kinnell believes sales are not built solely on salesmanship or persuasion. They are built on listening. He listens to his customers. He listens to his staff. He listens to his fellow professionals. Obviously, his plan works as Kinnell has been chosen as the NOPGA Merchandiser of the Year for Public Facilities.

He listens to his customers because it enables him to realize their needs. He applies what they say to tailor solutions that help him offer products and provide services. It leads to the simple premise that if customers feel heard they become loyal visitors instead of one-time buyers.

He listens to his staff because he realizes they are on the front line of the club and they see challenges and opportunities he might miss. He uses their feedback to improve processes and spot trends while encouraging his team to feel valued. Empowered employees perform at a high level which leads to better service for the customers and stronger sales for the club. Everybody wins.

Kinnell, a graduate of Bedford High School, has been at Pine Hills for 29 years, the last 17 as head professional. He broke into the business while working for Paul Tirpak at Astorhurst Golf Club and Steve Brzytwa at Pine Hills, which hosts approximately 30,000 rounds per year. His pro shop measures about 1,000 square feet and is consistently and attractively staged with varied brand names. When the product talks, David listens.

Sales Rep of the Year – Hard Goods

Mark Wise
Titleist

Mark Wise hears it practically every day, but he never tires of it because he firmly believes it. Wise could be in any social setting . . . on a golf course . . . in a pro shop . . . in the grille room . . . at a cocktail party . . . at a banquet. As soon as people learn that he works for Titleist, the well-meaning envy comes out. They tell him he has the greatest job in the world. They tell him they wish they could be him. They tell him he works for one of the greatest brand names in the history of golf. On and on.

It has been 28 years for Wise at Titleist and he has been named as the NOPGA Hard Goods Sales Representative of the Year for the sixth time, including three consecutive years starting in 1993.

As a youngster growing up in Ravenna he found a second home at Windmill Lakes Golf Club. At Windmill he met Kent State coach Herb Page and the two forged a relationship that grew stronger than aerospace titanium. It only made sense that Wise would join the KSU team and he went on to captain the first of Page’s Mid-American Conference championship teams in 1984. The bond remained and he returned to Windmill to work for his coach. Like the overwhelming majority of Page’s former players, Wise credits the legendary coach for a large portion of his success.

Wise, 62, moved to Acushnet Golf and Titleist after 10 years at Cobra Golf. The rest is a history that Wise continues to build.

Wise, an 11-time club champion at Lakewood Country Club, began formulating his sales philosophy and principles while working for Page and Cobra.

Stick to your word. Whatever you say you are going to do, you must do it. If you promise a customer something you must deliver and you must be fair. It’s as much a Titleist mantra as it is a philosophy. Wise practices both and that’s why the NOPGA members respect him so.

Wise and his wife, Mary Pat, have grown daughters, Julie Bogner and Kelly Albaugh and two grandchildren. They live in Westlake.

Sales Rep of the Year – Soft Goods

Joe Lombardi
FootJoy

About 14 years ago FootJoy added apparel to its line of popular, high-quality shoes. At the time Joe Lombardi was in his second year with the company and while he loved offering FootJoy shoes to his customers it soon became apparent that FootJoy apparel and Lombardi were, well, a perfect fit. Members of the Northern Ohio Section of the PGA obviously agree. It marks the third time in the last ten years that they have chosen Lombardi as the Soft Goods Sales Representative of the Year and the sixth time in his career that he has been recognized.

The Canton native and product of the Kent State golf program is approaching his 30th year in the business and he has no pretentiousness about himself. What his customers see in him is what they get. A professional who serves his customers at every turn and a partner who wants his customers to make money. He sells himself before he sells the product as he believes that relationships spur business.

Lombardi is quick to credit the men he calls his “mentors.” Men such as Herb Page, Jim Logue and Ned Weaver taught him there was a right way and a wrong way in how you approach people.

He carries that ideology to all his business dealings, whether he is working with a high-profile, prominent country club or with a small, local muny. He realizes he has worked for arguably three of the greatest golf manufacturers in the world in Spalding, Ping and now FootJoy. Throughout his career he burned no bridges. Simply not his style.

Lombardi and his wife of 36 years, Andrea, have two grown children, daughter Jennifer Foltz and son Andrew and two granddaughters. Here’s guessing they all wear FootJoy apparel.