The name Houtteman is not listed among the famous father-son golfers in the history of the PGA like Nicklaus, Woods and Love.

At least not yet, anyway.

Regardless of how things unfold this weekend in the Lower Peninsula Division 4 Final at Ferris State University, Michael Houtteman is going to feel a lot like Davis Love, III, did over the years with his father Davis Love, Jr., coaching him.

That’s because he’s coached by Lee Houtteman, who was fortunate enough to get tips from Davis Love Jr. on how to coach a son. As soon as the last golf ball of a stellar high school career enters the cup, the Houttemans will immediately switch from coach/student-athlete roles to father/son.

“It was always my impression of those two guys (Love Jr. and Love III) is they would banter back and forth and Dad would say ‘When we're coaching, I'm your coach, but as soon as we're done, I'm your dad.’  That was that was something he always preached," Lee Houtteman said.

He first met the Loves prior to joining the PGA when he was working at a golf school in Orlando, Fla. Houtteman was inducted into the Michigan PGA Hall of Fame last fall, and his playing accomplishments include winning the Michigan PGA Championship, two Michigan Senior PGA Championships and the Michigan PGA Match Play Tournament of Champions.

Lee Houtteman was also an 18-time qualifier for the PGA Professional Championship, and a 12-time qualifier for the U.S. Senior Open.

The Loves made a big impression on the Glen Lake 10-year veteran coach.

“Davis Love Jr. was incredible — the dad was a good coach and made an impact on how I tried to look at coaching my son,” Houtteman said. “When Love Jr. was coaching his son he said,  ‘Hey, you got to hit the shot, and when you're not doing this, you got to practice,’ but then as soon as it was all done, they let it go, and then they were just father/son.”

Davis Love Jr. was one of the most respected teachers in golf. Love III notched his first PGA Tour victory in 1987 at the age of 24, his second season on the circuit. Love, Jr., died in a plane crash in Nov. 1988. Love III is just now returning to professional golf after having open heart surgery.

Michael Houtteman has his eyes set on winning an individual MHSAA Finals title this weekend. He also has high hopes of being named Michigan’s Mr. Golf, an honor bestowed annually by the Michigan Interscholastic Golf Coaches Association. Houtteman was the individual runner-up as the Lakers finished 12^th as a team at last year’s Division 4 Final.

He’s already got a taste of the PGA tour from watching his father play. Michael’s first takeaways, however, were not the level of play, or the ropes separating players from spectators, nor the television cameras.

“It was free ice cream,” the Lakers senior said. “The milk shakes were the best.”

Houtteman shot 68 to capture the medalist honor and lead his team to a Regional championship last week. Glen Lake’s Ben Romzek, also a senior, shot an 85. Sophomores Gabe Hazelton and Joel Martin finished with 86 and 87 strokes, respectively, and freshmen Karter Smith shot a 90 as the Lakers carded a 326 championship score.

This year’s Regional effort was the Lakers’ best performance under Coach Houtteman. They have high hopes for a top five-finish this weekend at Katke Golf Course. They finished third in both 2023 and 2022. 

“If we just keep improving and can play where we swing freely, just go hit it and go find it, and maybe make a couple putts. I think it would be awesome if we can finish top five,” Michael Houtteman said. “We just need a solid finish.”

Houtteman, who won an individual Finals championship in tennis at No. 3 singles in the fall, was fifth as a freshman and seventh as a sophomore at Division 4 Golf Finals. 

He is ready to put his best game forward this weekend.

“You are always gunning for that state championship,” said Houtteman, who is headed for the U.S. Air Force Academy in a few weeks to begin his NCAA Division I golf career. “I am hoping to put together a couple of good rounds, and we’ll see what happens.”

If he goes into the Final nervous, his Hall of Fame coach will be happy. Lee Houtteman is pleased if his golfers raise their hands when asked if they are nervous beginning tournament play.

“You got to be nervous,” the coach said. “It’s good. It’s healthy.”

The Lakers are thankful for the tutelage of their coach, whose experiences are rare for a program leader at the high school level.

“He’s definitely a very, very qualified coach compared to most schools,” said Micheal Houtteman, who has competed in Michigan Pro-Am golf tournaments with his father. “Having a person as qualified as my dad is definitely very helpful in the learning of how to not only play golf but how to treat the golf courses.”

“Dad was an unbelievable player and unbelievable coach,” he added. “It is awesome to have a dad and a coach in one, and it’s super helpful not only with my golf game but as my life coach.”

Tom Spencer is a longtime MHSAA-registered basketball and soccer official, and former softball and baseball official, and he also has coached in the northern Lower Peninsula area. He previously has written for the Saginaw News, Bay County Sports Page and Midland Daily News. He can be reached at [email protected] with story ideas for Manistee, Wexford, Missaukee, Roscommon, Ogemaw, Iosco, Alcona, Oscoda, Crawford, Kalkaska, Grand Traverse, Benzie, Leelanau, Antrim, Otsego, Montmorency, Alpena, Presque Isle, Cheboygan, Charlevoix and Emmet counties.

PHOTOS (Top) Glen Lake’s Michael Houtteman putts during an event this season. (Middle) Michael Houtteman, left, and his father Lee take a photo with the team’s Regional championship trophy. (Top photo by Brian Frieberger. Family photo provided by the Glen Lake athletic department.)