My sympathies on your loss. If you have not seen www.petloss.com and the rainbow bridge story it may bring a little comfort.
I would start with the local dog club. There is a Golden club right in Columbus
http://www.grcco.org/
read through the article on getting a golden on this site
http://www.grcco.org/Puppy%20Frame.htm
and then check out the breeder list.
Being a club member does not guarantee the person is doing the best job of breeding but it gives you a head start in winnowing down the breeders to investigate.
Once you get past the person health testing their dogs before breeding and being sure the parents are of good quality and look like goldens etc then there are more things to consider.
My preference is for dogs raised in the home with the family and socialized with humans a lot to ensure the pups will be happy and comfortable in a home environment. You can overcome a young kennel pup not being in the house from birth, but if you can find a litter where they were raised in the home that can be better. If you have kids a home where the pups are handled by kids and around kids from birth is a plus too. Similarly if you have cats a pup that comes already respecting cats can make transitions easier.
This site has a puppy aptitude test
http://www.workingdogs.com/testing_volhard.htm
A good breeder should know the individual pup's temperaments and which one might suit you best. Someone who sells only based on sex and color and not on the fact all pups are not just alike in temperament might not be as good a choice for you to buy from.
Many offer guarantees - some of them are good breeders and some not. A guarantee that says you have to give up your puppy is about like no guarantee at all as people do not hand their loved pup back to a breeder to be euthanized to get another puppy to replace it most cases.
A good breeder will be there for you when you have questions, cares about how you do with your pup, actually wants to hear if health problems show up etc.
I'm not in favor of the breeders who want to control every hair on the dog after a sale. So if you run into a breeder who wants to tell you how to feed, train, house etc your pup and wants you to sign an agreement that you will only do things their way might not be a good choice.
Hope this helps you!
Dog Expert:Rescue, Train,Breed,Care
30+ yrs dog home vet care & nursing, rescue, behavior&training, responsible show breeding, genetics