Wally Sierakowski, PGA,Head Professional,Red Run Golf Club,Royal Oak, Michigan
Wally Sierakowski’s journey to PGA of America Membership began at Ferris State University, where the school’s PGA Golf Management University Program prepared him for a lengthy career and helped eventually earn him one of the PGA of America’s most coveted honors: a Bill Strausbaugh Award.
Strausbaugh’s legacy is woven deeply into the PGA of America and Ferris State itself, having helped build the very foundation of mentorship and knowledge-sharing that formed the PGM program.
“Bill helped create the golf management program at Ferris, the first of its kind,” Sierakowski reflects. “To have him as an early mentor was an honor, and to win an award named for him is special.”
Over the years, he’s literally opened the door for many students to enter the PGA Golf Management University Program at Ferris. As a fourth generation Bulldog, Sierakowski started the Jerry & Joyce PGM Memorial Scholarship in his grandfather’s name. Since 2006, at least one sophomore each year has received the scholarship for standout freshman performance and a demonstrated commitment to the game.
As PGA Head Professional at Red Run Golf Club in Royal Oak, Michigan, Sierakowski oversees a tournament calendar that blends rich history with modern prestige. The club’s annual Red Run Invitational is the second-oldest invitational in Michigan, interrupted only three times to host PGA TOUR events – the Motor City Open in 1950 and 1951, and the Western Open in 1958. Legends like Byron Nelson, Bobby Locke, Chick Harbert, Al Watrous and even Walter Hagen have walked Red Run’s fairways.
This summer, Red Run welcomed the 125th Women’s Western Amateur Championship, one of the most historic titles in women’s amateur golf. Over six days in July, 120 of the game’s top players competed in stroke play and match play for the chance to hoist the trophy and earn exemption into the U.S. Women’s Amateur. University of Houston junior Maelynn Kim (pictured) went wire-to-wire, holding off Elizabeth Rudisill in a 1-up final that came down to the last hole.
Hosting a championship of that scale demands months of preparation and the ability to handle surprises with efficiency and grace.
“No matter how well you plan, something unexpected will happen,” Sierakowski says. “It could be weather, a course setup change, a player request – the key is to stay calm, work the problem and make sure the experience never suffers.”
Sierakowski’s efforts extend far beyond tournament operations. Through Red Run’s long-standing partnership with the Western Golf Association, he’s supported the Evans Scholars Foundation that provides full college scholarships to deserving caddies. Many of these young women and men, some of whom come out of Red Run’s caddie program, are the first in their families to attend college, and the opportunity often changes the trajectory of their lives.
“That’s what makes it so rewarding,” Sierakowski says. “I know firsthand what a college opportunity can do for someone – Ferris changed my life. Helping caddies, especially those who work here at Red Run, get to college is a way to pay that forward.”
