Robert Trent Jones Invitational raises $30,000
The Golf Course Superintendents Association of New Jersey (GCSANJ) Foundation and the Robert Trent Jones Endowment Fund (administered by The Environmental Institute for Golf) received more than $30,000 from the 17th annual Robert Trent Jones Invitational at Metedeconk National Golf Club in Jackson, N.J.
The event, conducted each fall, brings together superintendents and representatives from golf courses along the East Coast to raise funds for scholarships, turf research programs and education initiatives. This event also serves to recognize the critical role played by superintendents in developing the vision of the golf course architect and ensuring the integrity of that vision. It was famed architect Robert Trent Jones who worked with Institute leaders to establish the fund in 1987.
"Metedeconk National Golf Club is blazing a new trail among golf course facilities as a leader in The Environmental Institute for Golf," said GCSAA CEO Stephen F. Mona, CAE. "Its dedication to raising money for both the GCSANJ Foundation and the Robert Trent Jones Endowment Fund has been a remarkable and commendable achievement. We are very proud to see Metedeconk National listed among the elite groups that make up The Institute’s Star Club."
Metedeconk National Golf Club is recognized at the Star Club level by The Environmental Institute for Golf for donors who have contributed $500,000-$999,999 to The Institute since 1987. Metedeconk National is one of the only three donors to achieve that level of giving. Ryan Oliver, GCSAA golf course superintendent at Metedeconk National recently presented checks for $15,000 to both the GCSANJ Foundation and the Robert Trent Jones Endowment Fund.
Inspired by the varied topography of the preserve, Jones and his chief designer and top aide, Roger Rulewich, created a 27-hole masterpiece of tree-lined fairways, well-placed bunkers to maximize accuracy and the subtly contoured greens for which Jones is internationally known. A golf course of world-class prominence was created at Metedeconk National, while preserving the natural beauty of the rolling terrain, thick forests, quiet marshes and abundant wildlife. Among a small number of elite golf courses across the country to earn certification from the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary System for its environmental stewardship, Metedeconk National has demonstrated that it maintains a high degree of environmental quality in a number of areas.
The Environmental Institute for Golf, the philanthropic organization of the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA), is a collaborative effort of the environmental and golf communities, dedicated to strengthening the compatibility of golf with the natural environment. The Institute concentrates on delivering programs and services involving research, education and outreach that communicate the best management practices of environmental stewardship on the golf course. For more on The Institute, visit www.eifg.org.
Celebrating its 80th anniversary, GCSAA is a leading golf organization, which has as its focus golf course management. Since 1926, GCSAA has been the top professional association for the men and women who manage golf courses in the United States and worldwide. From its headquarters in Lawrence, Kan., the association provides education, information and representation to more than 21,000 members in more than 72 countries. GCSAA’s mission is to serve its members, advance their profession and enhance the enjoyment, growth and vitality of the game of golf. Visit GCSAA at www.gcsaa.org.
Contact:
Jeff Bollig, GCSAA Director of Communications
(800) 472-7878, ext. 4430
jbollig@gcsaa.org
