Mitch Camp, Steve Groves, Ken Kintopf and James Popa will be honored in the induction ceremony at Scioto Country Club on September 14.
The Ohio Golf Hall of Fame was founded in 1992 and former members include, Jack Nicklaus, Tom Weiskopf, Bob Hope, Tammie Green, John Cook and Ben Curtis among others.
Mitch Camp has been a member of the PGA of America since 1986. Born in St. Louis, Missouri, his family moved to Orrville, where he graduated from Orrville High School in 1976. Mitch won the Ohio High School Athletic Association AA Individual Championship in 1975 and was a member of The Ohio State University Men’s Golf Team. In 1980, Mitch was named a 2nd Team All-American and won the Les Bolstad Award for Low Stroke Average in the Big Ten.
Before accepting the Assistant Golf Professional job at Fairlawn CC in 1983, Mitch played the Space Coast Golf Tour. In 1989, Mitch became the Director of Golf at Club Walden and has held that position since.
Mitch found time to win the Ohio Open twice. He added three NOPGA Section Championships, plus the 2009 Ohio Senior Open, and the 2012 & 2021 Toledo Open Senior Championship. He was also named NOPGA Merchandiser of the Year, as well as NOPGA Junior Golf Leader of the Year on four separate occasions.
Mitch served as a board member of the Northern Ohio PGA from 1994 to 2002 and was a member of the NOPGA Junior Golf Committee from 1989 to present.
In addition to the Ohio Golf Hall of Fame, Mitch is also a member of the Northern Ohio PGA Hall of Fame, the Wayne County Sports Hall of Fame and the Orrville High School Sports Hall of Fame.
Steve Groves has been a member of the PGA of America since 1973. Originally from Lancaster, Ohio, he developed his love for the game playing at Valley View Golf Course. He played college golf at Ohio State and is the only three-time All-American for the Buckeyes. During his senior season in 1973, Steve claimed the individual title at the Big Ten Championship and added the Ohio Amateur Championship at Findlay Country Club.
After turning professional in 1973, Steve spent time working at Michigan’s Orchard Lake Country Club, Dubuque Golf & Country Club, and Brookside Country Club in Canton. He was the Head Professional at Champions Golf Course for 19 years and spent eight years at the Airport Golf Course. Today, he works as an Assistant Professional at Kinsale Golf & Fitness Club.
In addition to his years as a Golf Professional, Steve was the Head Women’s Golf Coach at The Ohio State University from 1980-1987.
Steve has served the membership of the Southern Ohio PGA as an officer, culminating with a term as Section President from 2009-2011. He was also named the 2007 Southern Ohio PGA Golf Professional of the Year.
He qualified for two US Opens, one PGA Championship and two Senior PGA Championships.
In addition to the Ohio Golf Hall of Fame, Steve is also a member of the Southern Ohio PGA Hall of Fame, Lancaster High School Athletics Hall of Fame and Ohio State University Athletic Hall of Fame.
Ken Kinkopf has been a lifelong Amateur. Growing up in Parma Heights, he learned the game at Ridgewood Golf Club and played for The Padua Franciscan High School golf team, which finished runner-up in the 1978 Ohio State High School championship.
Ken’s achievements on the golf course really began in 1995 when he qualified for the US Amateur Championship at Newport Country Club in Rhode Island. Since then, he has qualified for eight more USGA Championships, two U.S. Open Sectionals and one British Mid-Amateur.
Ken has won four Ohio Golf Association Championships, most recently the 2019 Ohio Senior Amateur Championship. Previously, Ken has won the 2018, 2011 and 2009 Ohio Two Man Best Ball Championships. In the 2009 and 2011 Championships he partnered his son Michael.
After turning 55 years old, Ken’s success ramped up. In a twelve-month span during 2019-2020 Ken won six National Senior Amateur Championships and vaulted to 607th in the World Amateur Golf Rankings and was the 3rd ranked WAGR Senior player in the world. Since 2019, Ken has added three other National Senior Amateur Championships. In addition, Ken was the 2019 Golfweek Senior Player of the Year and Society of Seniors Player of the Year.
Ken now splits his time between Dublin and Jupiter, Florida with his wife of 36 years, Carole. The couple have three sons, Michael, Matthew and Jonathan.
Following in his father’s footsteps, James M. Popa dedicated his life to the game of Golf. He led both the Columbus District Golf Association and Ohio Golf Association. He sat on the Board of Governors of the Ohio Golf Association and served as the Tournament Director prior to becoming the Executive Director in 2015.
With over 30 years serving the game of Golf, Popa has conducted hundreds of Tournaments, Qualifiers and Championships. This calculates to more than 1,400 tournament days of competitive golf while Jim was at the helm. In addition, Jim volunteered his time and expertise for countless other golf events that served the community of Columbus, Ohio. Under Jim’s leadership, Ohio Golf Association grew to over 200 member clubs and added the Ohio Senior Amateur Championship and Ohio Two Man Best Ball Championship to the annual schedule. In 2006, Jim was the leader of the One Ball Tournament that was conducted in Ohio to show that the Committee of a Competition could use a Local Rule to have all competitors play the same golf ball.
Popa becomes the third child of a Ohio Golf Hall of Fame member to be selected for the Ohio Golf Hall of Fame.
Jim and his wife Martha have lived in Upper Arlington for 45 plus years and have three children, J.W., Cathy and Samantha, all of whom are married with families.
In addition to the Ohio Golf Hall of Fame, Jim was the recipient of the Southern Ohio PGA Lifetime Achievement Award in 2009 and the 2017 USGA Ike Granger Award for longtime commitment to golf.
