PACE Turf founders will be formally recognized at the 2025 GCSAA Conference and Trade Show

Lawrence, Kan. (Oct. 1, 2024) – Wendy Gelernter, Ph.D., and Larry Stowell, Ph.D., turfgrass researchers and founders of PACE Turf, have been selected to receive the 2025 Outstanding Contribution Award from the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA).

The Outstanding Contribution Award is given to an individual who has or individuals who have made a significant contribution to the membership, through outstanding contributions for the golf course industry. The outstanding contribution must be significant in both substance and duration, and it may be or have been regional in nature. 

Together Gelernter and Stowell have greatly impacted GCSAA and the advancement of the turfgrass industry via contributing to GCM Magazine and other scientific publications, teaching seminars at the GCSAA Conference and Trade Show, providing innovative solutions for golf course care, mentoring countless turfgrass management professionals over the years and more.

From developing tools such as the temperature-based growth potential to their contributions in pest identification and control, Gelernter and Stowell have benefitted many golf course management professionals and provided turfgrass management resources around the world.

Stowell founded PACE Consulting in 1986, and in 1993, Gelernter and Stowell combined their complimentary backgrounds in entomology, plant pathology, agronomy and crop science with their interest in translating turfgrass research into practical management solutions to form the PACE Turfgrass Research Institute. In 2008, the research and consulting businesses merged and became PACE Turf; Stowell and Gelernter currently serve as visiting research directors.

“When we founded PACE Turf, our vision was to create a company dedicated to supporting turfgrass managers by offering agronomic and pest management solutions, diagnostic services, research findings and educational resources,” Stowell said. “Collaborating with the national GCSAA team and regional organizations across the U.S. has allowed us to share our insights and innovations broadly.”

Gelernter and Stowell were responsible for much of the second phase of GCSAA’s Golf Course Environmental Profile, adjusting survey questions, analyzing data from the survey, writing reports for distribution to superintendents, writing articles for GCM and outlining the results. The project was extensive, spanning three years until its completion.

Additionally, Gelernter and Stowell were instrumental in developing an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) program for GCSAA. This program, which was released in 2010, serves as the basis of many IPM programs used at golf courses across the country today. The IPM program is continually updated and required several years of focus and attention to create.

“From advancing soil test interpretations to identifying emerging turf diseases and insect life cycles, the GCSAA has been instrumental in disseminating this information to superintendents nationwide,” Stowell said. “We are deeply honored to receive the GCSAA Outstanding Contribution Award and will cherish this recognition.”

Gelernter and Stowell will formally receive the award as part of the 2025 GCSAA Conference and Trade Show in San Diego.

To learn more about the Outstanding Contribution Award, visit gcsaa.org/awards.