Beelner, Bolte and Button Named Morris Family Scholarship $500 Recipient-
The Iowa PGA Foundation Morris Family Scholarship committee has selected Duncan Beelner of Ankeny, Iowa, Chloe Bolte of Sumner, Iowa and Macy Button of Ames, Iowa as the 2025 Morris Family Scholarship honoree, each will received $500 to help with their experience and activity in golf, their desire to play college golf, leadership skills, high school activities and interest and financial need.
Duncan Beelner –
When asked what this means to win, Beelner responded with, “I’m incredibly grateful to receive the Morris Family Golf Scholarship as I begin my journey in the PGA Management program at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. I am very passionate about golf and this award motivates me to pursue my goal of growing the game of golf through hard work and dedication. The financial aid provided will help me achieve my goals. I am also grateful to the Iowa PGA for their work around the game of golf.”
Beelner’s journey with golf began at age 15 when his dad introduced him to the game. What started as a casual hobby quickly turned into a passion. Over the past four years, Beelner has dedicated himself to improving as a player. Beelner competed in tournaments and was a proud member of his high school golf team, where he gained valuable experience, discipline, and camaraderie. He also enjoys playing recreationally with friends and family, keeping the joy and social aspect of the game alive.
While his college program at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln is focused on PGA Golf Management, he has a strong desire to continue playing competitively at the collegiate level. Whether through club tournaments, intramurals, or local amateur events, he plans to stay actively involved in the game while pursuing his degree. Playing golf in college will not only help him sharpen his skills but also keep him connected to the competitive side of the sport the he loves.
One of the most rewarding leadership experiences Beelner has had was helping run a junior golf camp through his place of employment. Mentoring younger players gave him the chance to teach fundamentals, encourage growth, and lead by example. It helped him realize how much he enjoys teaching and sharing the game with others. On and off the course, he strives to be someone others can look to for guidance, encouragement, and positivity. Outside of golf, Beelner is deeply committed to academic success. He has earned his school’s highest level of academic achievement each year through consistent effort and discipline. Although he hasn’t participated in many formal extracurricular clubs, he has balanced academics with athletics and part-time work, which has taught him time management, responsibility, and perseverance.
Cody Holck, PGA Associate and Assistant Professional at Ankeny Golf & Country Club, “Duncan has been involved in growing the game through various Junior Golf programs at AGCC since he was 16. He is always there to answer questions and give helpful tips for all juniors. He has also been an incredible student of the game during lessons, always asking more questions trying to gain a better understanding of the game. He will use this wealth of knowledge to give back to the game by becoming a PGA Professional through the University of Nebraska.”
The Iowa PGA Congratulates Duncan Beelner as our 2025 $500 Morris Family Scholarship Award Winner.
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Chloe Bolte –
When asked what this means to win, Bolte responded with, “I am honored to be recognized as a Morris Family Scholar. I would like to thank the Morris Family for their generosity in creating this scholarship for aspiring collegiate golfers.”
“Golf has been a major part of my life for the past seven years_ I first learned to play by spending time on the course with my dad and grandma, and I loved every minute of it. Those early rounds are some of my favorite memories, and they’re what made me fall in love with the game,” Bolte’s commented.
When she got to middle school, she started playing more on her own and became determined to improve. She remembers the first time she shot a 50 on our local nine-hole course-Bolte was so excited. She told her dad that by next summer, she wants to break 40. He laughed and said something like, “It’ll be hard, but with enough practice, you might get close.” That was all the motivation she needed. She worked hard that year, and by the next summer, she did it-she broke 40.
That moment sparked something in her–it gave her confidence and a clear sense of direction. She realized that if she was willing to put in the work, she could achieve what she truly wanted: to play college golf. From that point on, everything she did was driven by that goal.
Watching the girls competing at the next level inspired her deeply. She saw them at tournaments throughout the summer and couldn’t help but imagine herself in their shoes. She wanted to be like them-not just because they were great golfers, but because they had achieved something she deeply aspired to.
To stay focused, she created a goal board filled with smaller, specific steps that would bring her closer to playing college golf. Goals like winning an Iowa PGA tournament or shooting under par helped guide her progress. As she began to check them off, she could see her game improving, and her dream felt more within reach.
Bolte also committed to working hard in the classroom, knowing that strong academics would give her more options and help her stand out to college programs. She was determined to give herself every possible chance.
Over the years, that drive never faded. She stayed focused, kept working, and never lost sight of what she wanted most. And in November, it all paid off, she achieved her goal and signed to play college golf at Missouri State.
Beyond golf, she has been involved in a variety of activities that have helped shape her as a leader and teammate. She has participated in National Honor Society, Student Senate, Wellness, Lights in the Park, Strength and Conditioning, Football Managing, and teaching Sunday School at my church. Each experience has helped her grow, but especially .in developing leadership skills.
Bolte’s most rewarding role has been with Lights in the Park, where she has spent the last four years designing Christmas light displays for the community. This year, she took on a leadership role by mentoring freshmen-teaching them how to run the program and guiding them through their own designs. In the National Honor Society, she tutored younger students in math and science during homebase, helping them build confidence in challenging subjects.
Amy Price, High School Science, Project Lead the Way Teacher, and Lights in the Park Advisior, Sumner-Fredericksburg High School, “Chloe is deeply committed to giving back. As a Sunday School teacher for four years, she has taught 1st-3rd graders, fostering a positive learning environment. In Lights in the Park, she mentored freshmen, simplifying complex programming concepts to help them contribute successfully. Her ability to break down difficult topics and invest in others speaks to her exceptional character and leadership.”
Her favorite leadership experience has been working with kids at our high school’s Little Cougar Golf Camp. Teaching them the game that she loves and seeing their faces light up when they hit a great shot has been incredibly fulfilling. It’s a reminder of why she started playing-and why she wants to keep sharing this passion with others.
The Iowa PGA Congratulates Chloe Bolte as our 2025 $500 Morris Family Scholarship Award Winner.
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Macy Button –
When asked what this means to win, Button responded with, “I am honored and grateful by the Morris Family’s generosity to receive their scholarship. This scholarship will help me achieve my aviation dreams while playing collegiate golf. I am excited for the incredible adventures that both will bring into my life!”
This fall, she will attend Morningside University in Sioux City, Iowa, majoring in their Professional Aviation Flight Program with a minor in UAS drone operator. She has also committed to playing collegiate golf for Morningside’s Women’s golf team. She is a high school senior on the Ames High School Varsity Golf Team, a member of The Veenker’s 72 Golf Task Force, and a Junior IPGA member.
She took her first golf lessons in the summer of 2020. Her neighbors, Jan and Jane, knew her summer softball season had been canceled due to COVID-19 social distancing rules. Since her parents did not play golf, they took her under their wings and introduced her to the golf pro at our local golf course. They borrowed K-Mart clubs from her grandma and attended her first junior golf camp. She remembers coming home after her first day with blisters on her hands because she didn’t own a glove. Her shoulders were sunburned and raw since she didn’t have a pushcart or a bag harness. After walking for six hours that day, her feet were also blistered. Button was hooked and she has not looked back since.
Then, in the spring of her eighth-grade year, as a middle schooler, she asked the high school girls’ golf coach if she could be their team manager. She wanted to learn more about golf, get exposed to golf meets, and help them in any way she could. She just wanted to be on the golf course. She started working during the summers at Emerald Hills Golf Course, Arnolds Park, Iowa. Where she managed driving, charging, and cleaning golf carts for customers. Button was trusted for driving the range cart and filling driving range trays. She maintained good customer service with members. She continued her golf lessons on her off hours on the course and competed in the Junior Drive, Chip, and Putt at the regional location.
Playing high school and club golf has taught her respect, communication, patience, accepting the uncontrollable, and the value of golf friendships made on the course. Committing to playing for Morningside University has been a dream of hers, as she wants to play golf at a collegiate level. She has experienced the joy of qualifying as an individual and also competing as a team at the Iowa High School Girls State Golf in 2024. She was honored to be chosen for the Iowa Alliance All-Conference Golf Team and Scholar-Athlete Award. Button has also enjoyed playing and competing in Iowa Junior PGA tournaments for the past 2 years. She has mentored, instructed, and volunteered over 100 hours with an eight-week Junior Golf Camp, the Iowa Masters Golf Tournament, and the Ames High School Boys Golf Tournaments.
She has also been learning to fly at the Ames Municipal Airport and will obtain her private pilot’s license within the next month. She also plans to be a flight instructor while still attending college. This will allow her to help other flight students strive to earn their pilot’s license and also be a mentor as a female flight instructor for other females in this industry. Button plans on having an aviation career, whether flying a commercial airliner, a corporate jet, or a cargo plane. Her path will be a long journey as she attains all the different hours and licenses, but she is determined to be a trailblazer by creating an easier path for other females. She also plans to obtain my agriculture drone endorsement in her first year at Morningside.
Whether lining up an eagle putt or taking off down the runway, both provide the mix of nerves, self-confidence, exhilaration, and the most memorable events in her life. Golf and aviation have taught her how to stay calm under intense situations, the mental and emotional focus, and the joy of seeing different vantage points in life on the ground and in the air. She cannot wait for the adventures both will bring into her life…and she no longer has to borrow her grandma’s golf clubs.
The Iowa PGA Congratulates Macy Button as our 2025 $500 Morris Family Scholarship Award Winner.
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