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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:

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