George Bitner
Spring Lake High School
Impact Statement
“They want to learn how to play golf. Golf is a sport of a lifetime.” -George Bitner
Biography
This past school year saw George Bitner coach his 50th year of high school golf. Bitner, who is 77 years old and showing no signs of wanting to retire, started the Spring Lake boys’ golf team in 1969 and the girls program in 1980. Along the way, he has coached both teams to over 1,000 victories.
During an interview in the spring, Bitner figured that he had been behind the wheel of the school van for about 115,000 miles. In that same interview, he said he still has about five years left in him and the 2014 girls’ team is expected to challenge for a state team title after finishing third in Michigan’s Division 3 finals last year.
Bitner continued to lead Spring Lake’s boys’ and girls’ golf teams. He led the girls’ team to three consecutive D3 State Championships from 2014-2016. Bitner stepped down after 88 combined seasons after the 2016 season.
Bitner was inducted into the Spring Lake High School Athletic Hall of Fame as part of the inaugural first class in 2018. He was also inducted into the Muskegon Area Sports Hall of Fame the same year. Additionally, Bitner was honored by the creation of the George Bitner Invitational. The first event was held at the Spring Lake Country Club in May of 2019.
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