The Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA) Foundation has exceeded its goal of $5 million for the ‘Investing in the Beauty of Golf’ endowment campaign thanks to a contribution from Dr Michael Smurfit, chairman and CEO of the Jefferson Smurfit Group in Dublin.
Launched in July 1997 with a $3.5 million goal, “Investing in the Beauty of Golf” was created to support projects that help meet challenges facing superintendents specifically and the game in general. It is intended that funding for the campaign will provide the golf world with long-lasting benefits by supporting turfgrass research and continued education for golf course superintendents.
In 1999 the campaign’s goal was increased to $5 million by The Foundation’s board of trustees. That mark was exceeded in December 2001 with a contribution from Dr Smurfit, earning him status as a member of the Old Tom Morris Society.
The Jefferson Smurfit Group is the owner of the K Club in Ireland which will host the Ryder Cup in 2006. The Group has total managed sales, including associate companies, in excess of £20 billion and some 68,000 employees.
The GCSAA Foundation enhances the game of golf through funding applied research and advanced education in golf course management. Since its inception in 1955, the Foundation has provided more than $2 million in support of numerous research studies and more than 1,200 student scholarships.
GCSAA www.GCSAA.org
The K Club www.kclub.ie