Mike Harmon is the latest PGA professional to be voted into the Carolinas PGA Hall of Fame.

Harmon, who grew up in Atlanta and is now the director of golf at Secession Golf Club in Beaufort, S.C., will be the 41st inductee into the hall when ceremonies are held in the Myrtle Beach Convention Center Feb. 20, 2011.

Harmon began playing golf with his grandfather at a young age. A good athlete, he had his choice of college baseball and golf scholarships, but heeded the words of his father, Jack, and chose golf.

“You can play golf competitively for your entire life,” his father said. “You may only be able to play baseball until you’re 30 or 35.” And so he chose Middle Tennessee State University, where he graduated with degrees in international relations and history.

Harmon followed his dream of playing on the PGA Tour, which started with him earning his Tour card at Pinehurst in 1980. Though he found ­limited success on the Tour, saying he “bottomed out quickly,” he credits his experiences there with giving him the insight and opportunities to become a PGA Golf Professional.

After his PGA Tour career ended, he took a job as an assistant at Palmetto Dunes. Later he moved to an assistant position under Carolinas PGA past president Tim Moss, at Moss Creek, and in 1986 moved on to the position of director of golf at Secession Golf Club, where he remains today.

“I’ve had such a blessed career,” said Harmon. “The joy of my professional life has been my work at Secession. I always wanted to play, but it didn’t turn out that way and I think the Lord put me right where I needed to be.”

In the past 24 years, he has served as a contributing force on the CPGA board of directors as both an area director and at large representative. He has spoken at numerous CPGA and National PGA functions and has served on the National PGA Awards Selection Committee. His service contributions to the CPGA Board of Directors, support of tournament programs, guest speaking appearances at chapter, area and section meetings and his continued involvement with the National PGA Business School have allowed him to show his support for the PGA of America on many levels.

Previous awards include the Carolinas PGA Private Merchandiser of the Year Award in 2000 and 2004, the Horton Smith Trophy in 2003, the National PGA Private Merchandiser of the Year in 2004, the Carolinas PGA Bill Strausbaugh Award in 2005 and the National PGA Bill Strausbaugh Award in 2006. Most recently, he was named the Carolinas PGA Golf Pro-fessional of the Year in 2007.