Golf Course Superintendents Association of America honors best superintendent-written article in GCM magazine
Lawrence, Kan. (Nov. 17, 2015) – Tom Elliott, the certified golf course superintendent (CGCS) at Monarch Dunes Golf Course in Nipomo, Calif., has been selected as the recipient of the 2015 Leo Feser Award from the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA). The award is presented annually to the author of the best superintendent-written article published in Golf Course Management magazine, the association’s flagship publication, during the previous year.
Elliott, a 28-year member of the association, authored the story “Rx for Recovery,” which was published in the May 2015 issue. The story chronicled the development and success of a program that was initiated by Elliott and his wife, Liz, an oncology nurse, to use the golf course and the game of golf as a part of support programs for cancer patients.
“It’s been very gratifying to see just how well this program has worked out, and it’s inspiring to see the golf course used in a way that can help out the community in this manner,” Elliott says. “To have the article in GCM recognized the way it has been with this award is just icing on the cake. It’s been a very exciting, very rewarding experience for me.”
“Giving back and contributing to their communities is something that is second nature to most superintendents,” says GCSAA President John J. O’Keefe, CGCS. “Tom is to be commended for not only the program he started at Monarch Dunes but also for the GCM story that so eloquently describes that program and the benefits that it brought to countless people in his community.”
As a part of winning the Leo Feser Award, Elliott receives an all-expenses-paid trip to the 2016 Golf Industry Show in San Diego, where he will officially receive the award at the Opening Session, presented in partnership with Syngenta, on Tuesday, Feb. 9. He will also have his name engraved on a plaque that is permanently displayed at GCSAA headquarters in Lawrence, Kan.
The Feser Award honors the late Leo Feser, a pioneer golf course superintendent and a charter member of GCSAA. Feser is credited with keeping the association’s official publication alive during the Great Depression. For three years, 1933-36, he wrote, edited, assembled and published each issue of The Greenkeepers’ Report, as the association’s magazine was called then, from his home in Wayzata, Minn. The award was first presented in 1956 and has been given annually since 1977. Members of GCSAA’s GCM Editorial Board Task Group select the winner of the award each year.
About GCSAA and the EIFG
The Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA) is a leading golf organization in the United States. Its focus is on golf course management, and since 1926 GCSAA has been the top professional association for the men and women who manage golf courses in the U.S. and worldwide. From its headquarters in Lawrence, Kan., the association provides education, information and representation to nearly 18,000 members in more than 78 countries. The association’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 or find us on Facebook or Twitter.
The Environmental Institute for Golf is the philanthropic organization of the GCSAA. Its mission is to foster sustainability through research, awareness, education, programs and scholarships for the benefit of golf course management professionals, golf facilities and the game. Visit EIFG at www.eifg.org or find us on Facebook or Twitter.
Contact:
Craig Smith, Director, Communications and Media Relations
Phone: 800-472-7878, ext. 4431 or 785-691-9197 (cell)
csmith@gcsaa.org
