Written By: Greg Johnson
FARMINGTON HILLS – Stacy Slobodnik-Stoll of Haslett, one of the state’s most accomplished golfers and a member of the Michigan Golf Hall of Fame, finds a way to fit her competitive golf into a busy life.
“As time goes on I’m still trying to be competitive in whatever age division I can,” said the 52-year-old Michigan State University women’s golf coach who is also the winningest Golf Association of Michigan (GAM) golfer in history with 18 individual titles. “I still love competing so much.”
The 2023 GAM Women’s Senior Champion, who also reached the round of 16 in the U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur Championship, has been named the GAM Senior Women’s Player of the Year, Ken Hartmann senior director of competitions and USGA services for the GAM, announced today.
“I’m thankful the GAM provides opportunities for every age group across the board,” Slobodnik-Stoll said. “We are lucky to have a state organization that runs so many great tournaments. I’m honored to be a player of the year.”
Player of the Year point totals can be found on a pull down from the PLAY tab at GAM.org. Last week Kimberly Dinh of Midland was named the Women’s Player of the Year and August Meekhof of Eastmanville was named the Men’s Player of the Year. Later this week the Senior Men’s Player of the Year will be announced and over the next few weeks the GAM will announce more Players of the Year in gender and age categories. The Players of the Year are presented by Carl’s Golfland.
Slobodnik-Stoll, a member of Country Club of Lansing, was a local USGA qualifying medalist to set up her run to the round of 16 in the U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur. Those performances in the national championship were the key to earning 550 points for the season.
Julie Massa of Pentwater, last year’s GAM Senior Women’s Player of the Year for the unprecedented seventh time and a member of Lincoln Hills Golf Club in Ludington, finished second with 395 points.
Shelly Weiss of Southfield and the Michigan Women’s Golf Association was third with 285 points. Lori Schlicher of Lewiston and Garland Lodge & Golf Resort (232.5 points), the Michigan Senior Women’s Amateur Champion, and Joan Garety of Ada and Egypt Valley Country Club (212.5 points) rounded out the top five.
Slobodnik-Stoll said reaching the round of 16 in the U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur was the highlight of her summer competition.
“It is so interesting that whatever level I play at I’m always learning and I’m learning more about the senior amateur circuit of tournaments,” she said. “I still don’t have the time to dedicate to my game because of other priorities, but I’m doing the best I can and competing at that level this summer was awesome. Competing in any USGA tournament is an honor.”
Finding time to practice and compete is a challenge for Slobodnik-Stoll, who is busy coaching her successful golf team at MSU and trying to follow the tournament schedule of daughter Olivia, who is a junior standout golfer for Grand Valley State University and GAM tournament regular in the summer. Meanwhile, her husband and Olivia’s father, Jim, directs the family business of two golf courses they purchased in recent years – Twin Oaks Golf Course in Freeland and Vassar Golf Club in Vassar, east of Saginaw.
“Practice is very limited with following Olivia around, the golf courses, my job as a golf coach, there’s just not enough time for my game,” she said. “I have priorities. I would rather watch Olivia play than play myself. My job at Michigan State is my passion and isn’t just during the season. It’s year around with responsibilities to the university and the athletes I recruit and coach. I try to keep it all in balance. My competitive golf is just one part of my life and I love all the parts of my life right now.”
Hartmann said it’s never a surprise when Slobodnik-Stoll collects another golf accomplishment.
“She is one of the most consistent players in Michigan, hits fairways and greens, and you just expect her to be there at the end of a tournament and the end of the year in the points standings,” he said. “I think she does it with very little time for her game, too. Outside of her job as coach, there’s the family business in golf and we see her out watching Olivia play, too. In a way that makes what she is doing with her golf even more impressive.”
