by
Shane Conroy
| Aug 03, 2022
Ok, we’re back for the second edition of our weekly posts where I highlight a specific GCSAA member benefit or program over the course of 50 weeks. If you missed the last week’s post, feel free to go back and give it a read here. For the second post, I’m focusing on the GCSAA Foundation.
2. GCSAA Foundation
I wanted to highlight the GCSAA Foundation early as many of the forthcoming programs/benefits I’ll feature stem from the GCSAA Foundation — scholarships, leadership programs, research, etc.
First of all, what is the GCSAA Foundation?
The GCSAA Foundation is the philanthropic organization of GCSAA.
The GCSAA Foundation secures funding and support to strengthen advocacy, education and research that advances the work of golf course management professionals. It was originally founded in 1955 as the GCSAA Scholarship & Research Fund for the GCSAA, it was later renamed to the Environmental Institute for Golf, and recently it was rebranded as the GCSAA Foundation to directly coincide with the strong GCSAA brand. The foundation relies upon the support of many individuals and organizations to fund programs to advance its mission.
Supporters range from individuals to large corporations, but all have a dedication to raising the understanding and awareness of the concept of sustainability for the golf industry. As many our supporters have established decades-long relationships with the foundation, it’s clear that their dedication is not a fad or trend.
The foundation highlights supporters through key recognition programs, such as the Golden Tee Club, Platinum Tee Club and Cumulative Giving Program. Each individual, group and corporate sponsor continues to make a positive impact on ensuring the game of golf’s long-term viability, and the foundation salutes their generous efforts with our continued thanks.
The results from these activities — conducted by GCSAA — are used to position golf courses as professionally managed environments that positively benefit their surrounding communities.
The GCSAA Foundation supports many aspects of the game, but primarily focuses on education, advocacy, research, endowments and heads the Rounds 4 Research program.
I won’t go into detail here — as I will highlight many of these in future blog posts — but some of the education programs the foundation supports include:
If you weren’t exactly aware of the role of the GCSAA Foundation in the association and industry, I hope this gives you a clearer picture. Thanks for reading this second edition, and I look forward to seeing you next week for take three.