06/01/2026
Tune in this week for an all-new episode of the Max Loves Midland Show with Wendy Traschen!
Read a preview of her story, in her own words:
“I’m Wendy Traschen, and I serve as the tournament director for the Dow Championship, a Ladies Professional Golf Association tournament held at Midland Country Club. This year’s event will take place June 8-14, 2026.
I grew up in Midland. My father worked for Dow Corning, and our family came here when I was about four years old. I went to Plymouth Elementary, Northeast, Jefferson, and I was part of the second graduating class from Dow High. Midland has always been home for me, and while I have had opportunities to experience other places, most of my adult life has been spent here.
After high school, I went to Central Michigan University. From there, I worked for Midland Public Schools and later for Bolger + Battle, where I eventually became one of the owners. Through that work, I had the chance to be part of so many projects in this community and region. I also spent a couple of years working every other week in Atlanta as a marketing and communications professional for Dow Aksa, which gave me a taste of big-city life. I loved that energy and the warmer winter weather, but Midland has always had something special.
We are fortunate to live in a community with amenities that many larger cities would be proud to have. We have the Greater Midland Tennis Center, Midland Center for the Arts, Dow Diamond, a beautiful Downtown a strong nonprofit community, and now a Ladies Professional Golf Association tournament at Midland Country Club. We have big-city amenities on a smaller, more accessible scale. You can get around easily, know your neighbors, and be part of something. That matters.
The first year of the tournament in 2019, Bolger + Battle was hired to help with admissions, the SOAR Summit, and the sustainability summit. After that first tournament, I was asked to step into the role of tournament director. It was a hard decision because I was not sure I was ready to retire from Bolger + Battle, but I also knew I had never seen anything like this tournament. I had spent a lot of time trying to help the counties in our region work together, and with the Dow Championship, I saw that happen in a remarkable way.
People understand the value this tournament brings. It is easy to do business for this event because people appreciate what it does for Midland and the Great Lakes Bay Region. The tournament is more than golf. It is a year-round effort that brings together volunteers, sponsors, nonprofits, businesses, schools, veterans, young professionals, families, and visitors from across the region and beyond.
One of the things I am most proud of is the way the Dow Championship creates connections. Through Team Up and our charitable giving, nonprofits throughout the region benefit in both direct and lasting ways. Sometimes sponsors see that work and want to contribute even more. They ask who needs help, and we connect the dots between businesses and nonprofits. That ripple effect is one of the most meaningful parts of the tournament.
We want everyone who wants to be here to have a place here. That includes veterans, Special Olympics athletes, young golfers, college students, families, and people who may not otherwise feel like a country club or professional golf tournament is accessible to them. We always look for ways to say, “yes.” If a group needs an opportunity, we look for a way to partner. That spirit of inclusion is central to who we are.
The players feel it, too. Midland is welcoming. Our host families open their homes. Volunteers greet people with kindness. Fans show up and support the athletes. These women are incredible competitors, but they are also generous with their time. They stop to talk to fans, sign autographs, and make people feel seen. I love that they come here and experience the best of Midland.
The tournament also gives people a chance to learn. Our daily givebacks highlight nonprofits and causes people may not know much about, whether that is the Great Lakes Bay Conservancy teaching people about sturgeon and walleye or Little Forks Conservancy providing educational opportunities around monarch butterflies and migration. It is more than a walk around a golf course. People leave having learned something about the place they live.
When I think about the future of Midland, I hope we continue to work together. I would love to see nonprofits collaborate more deeply, especially around shared resources and reducing duplication. We have always had people in this community who step forward, raise their hands, and help move Midland forward. My hope is that the next generation continues that tradition.
The Dow Championship is one way we show what this region can do when people work together. It brings the world to Midland, but it also reminds us who we are. We are welcoming. We are collaborative. We are generous. And we are capable of doing remarkable things when we believe in the value of this place.”
