Mark Matz of Beaver Creek Golf Club becomes third PGA professional from the Vail Valley in the 2020s to earn Colorado Section’s top honor — Golf Professional of the Year; Awards Gala set for Oct. 24
By Gary Baines – 8/13/2025
The Vail Valley is feeling the love lately when it comes to the top honor bestowed by the Colorado PGA.
The Golf Professional of the Year is the top award presented annually by the Section, and this year it goes to Mark Matz, the PGA director of golf at Beaver Creek Golf Club in Avon.
It marks the third time in the 2020s that a PGA professional from the Vail Valley has earned the honor. Ben Welsh of Frost Creek in Eagle was the Section’s Golf Professional of the Year in 2020 and Alice Plain of Vail Golf Club was the honoree the next year.
That’s saying something as a PGA pro from a Vail Valley course hadn’t earned the GPOTY award prior to 2020.
“I am deeply honored that I have been named the 2025 Golf Professional of the Year by the Colorado PGA Section,” Matz said in a release. “This award has always been, in my eyes, the highest recognition a golf professional can receive. It acknowledges leadership, service, promotion of the game, and overall performance. To be chosen for this honor by my peers is something that fills me with gratitude and humility.”
A PGA of America member since 2012 and a Coloradan since 2017, Matz previously received Section awards for Merchandiser of the Year in the resort category, earning that honor in Colorado in 2022 and in Michigan in 2014. He serves as a board member for the Colorado PGA West Chapter.
Regarding Matz’s accomplishments that earned him the Golf Professional of the Year honor, the Colorado PGA’s release had this to say:
“A passionate growth-of-the-game advocate, Matz has led youth programs including Drive, Chip & Putt, PGA Jr. League, and Youth on Course, and has hosted beginner clinics and national initiatives like Free Lesson Month throughout his career. Even while operating within a resort-based facility with a transient clientele, he remains unwavering in his mission to make golf accessible and welcoming for all.
“One recent example of this is when Mark hosted a good friend who only plays a few rounds of golf each year at his facility. Mark paired his friend with another golfer, and later the friend shared with Mark that not only did they have a great round together, but they had already planned to meet again to play in the near future. He thanked Mark for bringing them together.
“‘That moment reminded me of Harvey Penick’s timeless book, ‘And if you play golf, you’re my friend.’ To me, this is the magic of the game and one of the many reasons I feel so privileged to be part of it. Golfers are some of the most wonderful people you will ever meet, and it is heartwarming that we can all share the bond of the game. It brings us together regardless of background or ability, creating friendships and connections that last well beyond the final putt,’ stated Mark.”
The Colorado PGA announced many of its annual award winners on Wednesday, with others — including player of the year honors — to be decided later. All will be honored at the Section’s Awards Gala, set for Oct. 24 at Cherry Hills Country Club.
Here are the honorees the Section announced on Wednesday — all of whom were selected by a committee of CPGA past award winners:
- Golf Professional of the Year: Mark Matz, Beaver Creek Golf Club, Avon
- Teacher of the Year: Dustin Miller, The Swing Bays, Parker
- Assistant Professional of the Year: Chris Hyten, Castle Pines Golf Club, Castle Rock
- Presidents Award (promoting and enhancing the PGA professional, the Section and the game of golf and contributing to the betterment of the golf professional vocation): John and Sandi Andrew, Colorado Springs
- Bill Strausbaugh Award (outstanding integrity, commitment to mentoring PGA professionals and making a significant impact on the careers of PGA professionals): Ty Thompson, Two Tees Strategies, Colorado Springs
- Ed Kelbel Award (Professional Development): Keith Stilwell, Perry Park Country Club, Larkspur
- Warren Smith Award (special contributions to the game of golf, the Colorado Section, junior golf and their facility): Keith Soriano, senior career consultant for PGA of America, Frisco, Texas
- Patriot Award (patriotism through the game of golf and commitment and dedication to the men and women who have served and protected the U.S.): Rob Grall, Colorado National Golf Club, Erie
- Player Development: Kyle Voska, Colorado Golf Academy, Highlands Ranch
- Youth Player Development: Don Graham, Columbine Country Club, Columbine Valley
- Public Merchandiser of the Year: Adam Finch, Fossil Trace Golf Club, Golden
- Private Merchandiser of the Year: Elliott Oscar, Ballyneal Golf & Hunt Club, Holyoke
- Noble Chalfant Award (distinguished service to the Colorado PGA): Jim Bailey, Bill Loeffler and Tom Woodard
- Salesperson of the Year: Josh Knipp, Territory Manager for Mizuno Golf, Colorado and Wyoming
- Superintendent of the Year: Aaron Fankhauser, The Club at Rolling Hills, Golden
- Todd Phipers Media Award: Spencer Smith, DNVR Sports, Denver
- About the Writer: Gary Baines has covered golf in Colorado continuously since 1983. He was a sports writer at the Daily Camera newspaper in Boulder, then the sports editor there, and has written regularly for ColoradoGolf.org since 2009. The University of Colorado Evans Scholar alum was inducted into the Colorado Golf Hall of Fame in 2022. He owns and operates ColoradoGolfJournal.com