Three superintendents for CourseCo, a Northern California-based golf course management firm which operates 39 properties in the western half of the United States, have been honoured by the GCSAA, including the prestigious President’s Award for the second consecutive year.
Gary Ingram, Senior Agronomy Manager at Metropolitan Golf Links in Oakland, CA, is the recipient of the superintendent association’s 2019 President’s Award for Environmental Stewardship. Established in 1991, the award recognizes “an exceptional environmental contribution to the game of golf — a contribution that further exemplifies the golf course superintendent’s image as a steward of the land.”
In 2018, CourseCo became the first management company to win the President’s Award. In addition to the President’s Award, Ingram has been named as the recipient of the 2019 Healthy Land Stewardship Award, recognizing effective strategies for efficient use of pesticides and nutrients as well as pollution prevention.
This is the second consecutive year that he has received national recognition from GCSAA. In 2018, Ingram was awarded the Communications and Outreach Award for effective communication of conservation strategies with facility employees, golfers and other members of the community. Golf Digest was a co-sponsor of the award.
Ingram’s goal is to keep its 120 acres environmentally healthy and manages the course through a Sustainability Action Plan and IPM program. The 39-year GCSAA member and his team consider the environment in every aspect of course management from how they store their products, wash the equipment, make product applications, and focus their overall maintenance practices to benefit the community.
Jay Neunsinger, superintendent at Boundary Oak Golf Course in Walnut Creek, CA., also has been honoured by GCSAA and Golf Digest, selected for the 2019 Innovative Conservation Award. The Innovation Award recognizes unique and innovative strategies for conservation.
This is the third consecutive year that Neunsinger has received a national ELGA award from the GCSAA, having won the 2018 Communications and Outreach award and the National Public Award in 2017. These awards reflect a uniquely strong competency in environmental management and sustainable agronomic methods in the golf industry.
Neunsinger and his staff have implemented many large- and small-scale initiatives focused on energy conservation, including a property-wide switch to LED lights, motion detector lighting throughout the clubhouse and maintenance facility, electric vehicle charging stations, and the installation of 1,080 solar panels.
Carl Thompson, superintendent at Columbia Point Golf Course in Richland, WA, has been honoured as the Runner Up recipient of the 2019 Healthy Land Stewardship Award. The Healthy Land Stewardship Award recognizes effective strategies for efficient use of pesticides and nutrients as well as pollution prevention. This is the second consecutive year that he has earned national environmental leadership recognition. In 2018, he was awarded the National Resources Conservation Award from GCSAA and Golf Digest.
“The Environmental Leadership in Golf Award winners are not only stewards for the environment, but excellent examples of the focus our industry keeps on sustainable efforts,” said Rhett Evans, GCSAA CEO. “They are on the frontline of how superintendents are making great playing conditions and environmental management practices work in tandem.”
Michael Sharp, CourseCo President and CEO, said, “These honours underscore CourseCo values and our unwavering dedication to maintaining industry-leading environmental practices at our golf courses. CourseCo and our superintendents have won 26 awards in the last four years, a record of achievement that is unmatched in the golf management industry.”
CourseCo www.courseco.com
Pictured above: Metropolitan Golf Links, the course responsible for the President’s Award