Woodward formerly served as GCSAA President and CEO

Whisper Rock Golf Club Director of Agronomy Mark Woodward, CGCS, was recently elected to serve as President of the Cactus & Pine GCSA. Woodward takes over for White Mountain Country Club Superintendent Doug Dykstra, CGCS, who served two very successful years and is now in his first year as a member of the GCSAA Board of Directors. 

For Woodward, serving and giving back to the golf industry is a way of life. A 41-year member of GCSAA, Woodward served as President of the association in 2004 and as its Chief Executive Officer from 2008-2010. 

“It’s in my blood,” said Woodward. “I really enjoy serving and helping others. The Arizona golf industry is facing some very challenging times over the next few years and I think my experience in dealing with “big picture” issues in the past will help the Cactus and Pine GCSAA navigate through these tough times. Working closely with our dedicated Board of Directors and our Executive Director and being at the table on all issues facing golf in Arizona and in some cases nationally will be extremely important.”

A graduate of Arizona State University, Woodward spent 31 years at various facilities in the Valley of the Sun before taking over golf operations for the City of San Diego in 2005.  While in San Diego, Woodward successfully bolstered revenue for the city facilities, hosted three PGA TOUR events and capped off his stay by hosting the 2008 U.S. Open at Torrey Pines. 

Following his time with GCSAA, Woodward served as Senior Vice President with OB Sports before taking over the agronomic operations of the exclusive Whisper Rock Golf Club located in Scottsdale. 

In an unstable and ever-changing environment due to the pandemic, Woodward understands the importance of moving the association forward. “More than ever, the chapters and the GCSAA need to communicate with their members about what the associations have to offer in terms of assistance and resources to get through these challenging times,” stated Woodward. “In many cases, and probably for quite some time, we all need to learn new ways of conducting our business with our members. It sounds strange to say but in-person meetings may be 'old school' for a while. Virtual meeting, conferences calls, webinars and the like are turning out to be the way we continue to conduct our business. The associations are a valuable resource that many members may not take advantage of currently but may more in the future. This is not a new phenomenon but our members need to understand that we may never get 100 percent back to our “old normal” and my guess is many of the practices we implemented during the pandemic will carry over after the pandemic."

Some of the items on his agenda for the next year include:

• Getting an updated Economic Impact Study done showing the impacts and benefits that golf brings to Arizona.
• Growing a legion of supporters for golf in Arizona because it’s a proven fact that a large number of voices speak louder and get more done than individuals when it comes to working with policy makers.
• Working in concert with the Arizona Department of Water Resources on all issues related to water availability, use and allotments for golf courses in Arizona.
• Continue working very closely with the Allied Golf Associations here in the state on all golf industry related issues.
• Implementing the newly created Best Management Practices (BMP’s) for the state of Arizona and for individual golf facilities.
• Building and/or enhancing our already great relationships with Legislators at the State and National level.
• Providing education, special events and golf outings for all of members in some form or another in these challenging times.

“I have been blessed and very fortunate during my career to host major championships and serve the industry by being involved both locally and nationally and I look forward to this next challenge,” said Woodward. 

The Cactus & Pine GCSA is dedicated to enhancing the professional recognition of its members through education, leadership, collaboration, government relations and environmental stewardship. For more information, visit the Cactus & Pine website.