The history of one of golf's leading organizations

The Early Days

On September 13, 1926, 60 greenkeepers met at the Sylvania Country Club in Toledo, Ohio, to form the National Association of Greenkeepers of America (NAGA). They pledged to build an association to inform and educate its membership and strive for the betterment of the greenkeepers’ future. Today, that organization is the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA), serving more than 20,000 currently active members from more than 70 countries around the world.

Six months after that organizational meeting, 75 NAGA members convened their first annual meeting in Chicago. Also starting in 1927, the privately published National Greenkeeper became the new association’s official magazine. For the 1928 annual meeting, the organization added an educational program with 14 turfgrass experts addressing 350 registrants, and a trade show with 27 exhibitors showing the latest innovations in maintenance equipment of the day.

Great Depression and World War II

The association suffered setbacks, along with the rest of the country, during the Great Depression and World War II. In 1933, NAGA’s Cleveland bank closed its doors, taking with it all of the association’s funds ($16,000). Temporary financial help from several regional chapters sustained the association until it was able to retrieve its money. In 1943, the educational conference, trade show, sectional meetings, golf championship and even the issuance of membership certificates were suspended because of World War II.

Even during hard times, though, the organization moved forward:

• In 1931, the USGA formally recognized the greenkeeper’s status and appointed five greenkeepers and pro-greenkeepers to the Green Section’s advisory committee.
• The first Distinguished Service Award, presented to an individual who has demonstrated dedication and outstanding service to the profession, was issued in 1932. Founder and first president John Morley was the initial recipient.
• In 1933, the association launched its own magazine with loans from various groups. The magazine’s first issue in July appeared as The Greenkeepers’ Bulletin. The next month, the name was changed to The Greenkeepers’ Reporter. During the toughest times of World War II, this magazine was the glue that held the association together.
• In 1938, the association started its tradition of an annual membership tournament and the name was changed to Greenkeeping Superintendents Association (GSA).
• In 1942, GSA created an associate member category for people in fields related to turf management.

Post WWII – Happy Days

Normalcy returned in 1946 as the 17th Conference & Show was conducted and the annual golf championship was revived. The following year, the USGA started awarding medals to winners of the GSA tournament. In 1948, the association became the National Greenkeeping Superintendents Association, and in 1951 members voted to adopt the association’s current name, Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA).

A group life insurance program was introduced as a member benefit in 1952. In 1956, GCSAA created the Leo Feser Award to recognize the author of the best superintendent-written article published in the association’s magazine, then known as The Golf Course Reporter. The award was named in honor of Leo Feser, a charter member of the association. Feser was credited with keeping the magazine alive during the Great Depression.

In 1955, the association created the Scholarship and Research Fund. The fund fostered the further professional development of the association’s members, and made it easier for interested students to bear the financial burden of their studies.

Growth in Golf – Growth in Programs

Since the early 1960s, the dramatic growth in golf has had a positive effect on GCSAA memberships and programs. In 1962, membership climbed to 2,000. By the turn of the decade, membership topped 3,000, and in 1975, GCSAA was 4,000 members strong. Continuing this upward trend, the 1980s saw more growth as the membership base grew to over 5,000 in 1981 and topped 6,000 in 1983. In fact, since 1987, the association’s membership base has steadily grown by about 1,000 new members each year. In 2003, membership topped 22,000 with members in more than 70 different countries.

With the growth in the association’s membership, a new membership requirement was created in 1997, stating that a prospective member would be required to also join his/ her local chapter and vice versa. This element of the 1997 Chapter Re-Affiliation Agreement was designed to help integrate GCSAA and its affiliated chapters more closely. GCSAA also started developing student chapters in 1996.

The hallmark event of the association, the annual conference and show, also experienced steady growth during the post-war era. In 1961, the annual conference drew 1,700 participants, and was renamed the “International Turfgrass Conference and Show.” In 1984, the annual conference was renamed the “International Golf Course Conference and Show.” Since the mid 1990s, the Conference and Show has attracted an average of 20,000 attendees, 700-plus exhibitors, 260,000 square feet of exhibition space and 6,000 education seminar registrants.

The official publication of the association was also privy to the benefits of increased membership, and consequently circulation grew. In 1962, The Golf Course Reporter boasted a circulation of 10,000. Four years later, in 1966, the magazine’s name was changed to Golf Course Superintendent, and in 1979 the magazine again changed
to today’s name, Golf Course Management. Between the late 1980s and 1990s, circulation reached 20,000. In 1996, however, the award-winning publication began delivery to every golf course in the United States. With the new expanded distribution, total circulation reached an astounding 40,000. GCSAA also began publishing a
members-only newsletter in 1961. This publication evolved into Newsline, now a monthly, full-color newsletter. Newsline won awards in 1996, 1997, and 1998 from the American Society of Association Executives. NewsOnline,  a Web-based version of Newsline, was introduced in 2000. Newsweekly, an online industry focused e-newsletter was introduced that same year.

Education has long been the cornerstone of the association since its inception in 1926. Since 1927, the annual conference has always featured educational seminars and sessions. The first regional educational programs appeared in 1939, but only in 1959 did regional educational seminars become a regular association program. Today, GCSAA offers a wide-ranging curriculum of seminars and self-study courses, including courses specifically designed for the Environmental Management Program. In 1999, GCSAA offered the first of several Web-based courses, and in 2000, “The Art and Science of Putting Green Maintenance” was the first live video conference seminar. Further ensuring that GCSAA members have access to affordable information and reflecting the association’s dedication to education, GCSAA has operated a bookstore for many years, and recently the Information Center has been creating topical information packets for distribution to members.

A milestone for the association was reached in 1971 as GCSAA introduced a voluntary professional certification program, leading to the designation of “Certified Golf Course Superintendent.” Since its origination, eligibility and renewal criteria have evolved to make sure that the title continues to designate the highest level of professional excellence. In 2003, the number of active Certified Golf Course Superintendents approaches 1,900, marking the program’s highest ever participation level.

Recognizing as well the continued need to keep pace with the marketplace, GCSAA members in February of 2001 approved a membership standards bylaw amendment that showcases the knowledge, skills, and abilities of the golf course superintendent. Beginning July 1, 2003, GCSAA Class A members became responsible for completing entry-level and ongoing requirements for continuing education and service, meeting tenure as a superintendent and possessing a pesticide license or passing the GCSAA IPM exam. The Professional Development Initiative (PDI) targets the skills required to meet these demands.

Recent Programs

In 1983, GCSAA and the USGA embarked on the joint turfgrass research program and later expanded their cooperation to include environmental impact research. The first matching grants to support local area research were provided through the Chapter Cooperative Research Program in 1995.

GCSAA began a government relations program in 1986, which has working relationships with key decision-makers in both national and state legislative and regulatory bodies. GCSAA representatives have served on federal advisory panels, offered testimony at Congressional committee hearings and provided comments on proposed regulations.

In 1989, GCSAA began publishing Briefing, a government relations newsletter, which became available by fax in 1996, under the name Briefax. In 1998, Briefax changed its name to Greens and Grassroots, and is today available by e-mail and through GCSAA Online.

In 1996, GCSAA became a partner in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Pesticide Environmental Stewardship Program. In 2000, GCSAA further enhanced its national government relations effort by retaining a Washington, D.C., based lobbying firm to represent the association’s interests on Capitol Hill. In 2003, the department name changed to the Department of Information and Public Policy.

One of the highlights of the 1995 GCSAA International Golf Course Conference and Show in San Francisco, Calif., was the display of vintage turfgrass equipment. The GCSAA Historical Preservation program continues to display the association’s donations and vintage turfgrass equipment at the annual show and also facilitates exhibits at chapter and club events. In 2000, a section of the association’s headquarters was converted into a museum where selections from the permanent collection of vintage turfgrass equipment are displayed.

In 1994, the association decided to focus its resources on achieving significant goals in the areas of professional image, golf and the environment and chapter relations. A year later, the focus was expanded to include the area of career development. The career development programs include comprehensive employment assistance for members and significant outreach to employers.

From 1994 through 1999, GCSAA produced “Par for the Course,” a cable television program, that aired first on the Prime Sports Network, then on ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPN International and finally on the Golf Channel, where it became one of that network’s cornerstone programs.

To further the professional image of the superintendent, GCSAA hired a well-respected public relations firm, Mullen. It began work in 1998, conducting research on how superintendents are perceived by employers, golfers and peers, which laid the groundwork for a comprehensive awareness-positioning plan. In 1999, Mullen rolled out a national campaign that utilized magazine, publicity, television and print media and an individual based program that can be executed by members.

Those public relation efforts complemented GCSAA’s more aggressive strategy of creating awareness and appropriately positioning the superintendent, which began in 1996. Since that time, print coverage (newspaper and magazine) of the profession has doubled, and electronic exposure (television, radio, Internet) has increased considerably. In fact, GCSAA leveraged the Internet in 2001 to launch GolfSuper.com, a Web site exclusively dedicated to promoting the role superintendents play in the game of golf.

In 1998, GCSAA became a supporting organization to the World Golf Foundation’s First Tee initiative. The First Tee was created to impact the lives of young people around the world by bringing affordable and accessible golf and its character-building benefits to children who may not be exposed to the game. Through this involvement, GCSAA actively works to promote superintendent participation in local First Tee chapters.

The association merged onto the information superhighway in 1996 with its own Web site at www.gcsaa.org. Today, the site is the golf course industry’s most popular Internet destination, featuring comprehensive association information, the latest industry news, online education and even the industry’s first online mall, the Golf Super-Market. The site also features topical discussion forums, a full range of online tools and calculators, free employment listings, a resume posting service and even a personalized area—Member Central—where members can manage their data and review or update their transcripts. In addition to these services, GCSAA also produces golfcourseshow.com, the official site for GCSAA’s annual conference and show, as well as a new site, GcSA2.com, designed specifically to help industry companies market their products to the golf course superintendent.

GCSAA is dedicated to ensuring the environmental integrity of golf by supporting sound environmental practices by its members and enhancing their image as environmental stewards. An Environmental Stewardship department was formed in 2000 to maintain a consistent and defensible voice in all environmental messages, materials and programs produced or distributed by the association.

In 2003, The GCSAA Foundation was renamed The Environmental Institute for Golf. With a renewed vigor for environmental stewardship and a philosophy of collaboration between The Institute and other organizations, including the Environmental Protection Agency and the USGA Green Section, the goal is to strengthen golf’s relationship with the environment. The direction of The Institute was refined through a number of interviews with individuals throughout all aspects of the golf industry. Respondents indicated GCSAA's development efforts should be directed to the subject of the environment and the entity assigned that task should be easily identifiable with that cause. Through education, research and outreach, a collection of Best Management Practices for golf courses will be assembled, shaped, and communicated to the golf and environmental communities. The immediate charge is to build on The Foundation's success and allow The Institute to develop programs that serve the focus of environmental stewardship.

Part of this change has also seen one of the most recognizable individuals in all of golf join these efforts. PGA Tour professional Greg Norman’s involvement provides instant recognition to The Institute, but is important in environmental endeavors especially when considering his dedication to environmental protection.

The history of the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America has been marked by advocacy and enthusiasm for its members. The Environmental Institute for Golf is built on the principles of love for nature, respect for humanity, and the personal satisfaction that comes from providing enjoyment to others through the game of golf.

GCSAA today is anything but an association resting on its laurels and basking in the glory of how far it has come since 1926. It is an organization determined and dedicated to keep pace with—indeed, stay ahead of—a rapidly changing world.

(Information gathered from GCSAA archives and Golf Course Management Magazine)