Election took place as part of the virtual 2021 Golf Industry Show
Lawrence, Kan. – Mark F. Jordan, the certified golf course superintendent (CGCS) and natural resource leader at Westfield Country Club in Westfield Center, Ohio, was elected to a one-year term as president of the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA) at the association’s annual meeting Feb. 4, held in conjunction with the Golf Industry Show. He is the 85th president in the association’s history.
Jordan served as vice president of the association in 2020 and has been a member of the association’s board of directors since 2014. A 34-year member of GCSAA, Jordan is also a member and past president of the Northern Ohio GCSA.
Jordan has served as the natural resource leader at Westfield CC since 2007, but has been with the club since 1988, previously serving as general manager, club manager, superintendent and assistant superintendent. Prior to Westfield CC, Jordan had stints as an assistant superintendent at Winding Hollow Golf Club in New Albany, Ohio, and Hyde Park Golf and Country Club in Cincinnati.
“As Col. John Morley was establishing GCSAA in 1926, he used the altruistic principles of justice, faithful brotherhood and generous benevolence as foundational elements. These timeless principles continue to guide the association today,” Jordan said. “I am humbled and honored to lead this same organization that Col. Morley and every single president before me has led.”
He graduated from the Ohio State University – ATI in Wooster, Ohio, with an associate of science degree in turfgrass management; and the Ohio State University in Columbus with a Bachelor of Science degree in agronomy.
Other elected officers were Kevin P. Breen, CGCS and golf course superintendent at La Rinconada Country Club in Los Gatos, Calif., as vice president, and Kevin P. Sunderman, CGCS, director of grounds at Isla Del Sol Yacht and Country Club in St. Petersburg, Fla., as secretary/treasurer.
Board members Jeff L. White, CGCS and superintendent at Indian Hills Country Club in Mission Hills, Kan.; T.A. Barker, CGCS and superintendent at Fore Lakes Golf Course in Taylorsville, Utah; and Paul L. Carter, CGCS and superintendent at Bear Trace at Harrison Bay in Harrison, Tenn., were elected to serve again, while Marc E. Weston, CGCS and superintendent at Indian Hill Country Club in Newington, Conn. , was newly elected to the board.
Douglas D. Dykstra, CGCS, golf course superintendent at White Mountain Country Club in Pinetop, Ariz., continues his service on the board. John R. Fulling Jr., CGCS, grounds and facilities manager at Kalamazoo (Mich.) Country Club, will serve as immediate past president, while past president Rafael Barajas, CGCS and the director of golf course operations at Boca Grove Golf and Tennis Club in Boca Raton, Fla., retired from board service.
2021 Golf Industry Show highlights
The Golf Industry Show, the largest educational conference and trade show in the turfgrass management industry, transitioned to a virtual event in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. While on a virtual platform, the 2021 event continued the GIS’s long tradition of connecting attendees, exhibitors and industry experts through a progressive week of unparalleled education opportunities and access to golf facility solutions for those in the golf industry.
Attendance for the virtual GIS was strong with more than 9,300 attendees from around the world during the live event. The event also provides attendees with up to 30 days of on-demand access, so final attendance and education numbers will not be known until the conclusion of the on-demand portion on March 6. The education component of the event featured 88 sessions, with preliminary numbers for those presentations currently at 9,197 participants total. More than 200 exhibitors are part of the trade show, and so far, have recorded 213,299 in total booth visits. The 24-hour-a-day virtual trade show will be open through March 6 as well.
“Like so many organizations this year, a virtual show was unchartered territory for us, and frankly it was difficult to project how our traditional attendance would translate to the virtual world, so we are extremely pleased with the very enthusiastic response,” GCSAA CEO Rhett Evans said. “I was particularly excited to see that many facilities that took advantage of our All-Access package for everyone on the team. It really shows the desire for education for every member of the facility, and we hope our curriculum helps enhance their careers and facilities.”
The Golf Industry Show is produced by GCSAA along with its presenting partners the Golf Course Builders Association of America (GCBAA) and American Society of Golf Course Architects (ASGCA.)
The 2022 Golf Industry Show is currently scheduled to be an in-person event and will be in San Diego Feb. 5-10, 2022, at the San Diego Convention Center.
In other news from the Golf Industry Show:
- A team from Purdue University won the annual GCSAA Collegiate Turf Bowl Competition, which was presented in partnership with John Deere Golf. It was the Boilermakers’ first win since 2009.
- Jim Nantz, three-time Emmy winner and lead anchor of CBS Sports’ golf team, received GCSAA’s 2021 Old Tom Morris award. He joined the GIS live from his home in California during the Opening Session on Feb. 2, which was presented in partnership with Syngenta.
- The General Session: Managing the Challenges of Disruptive Change on Feb. 3, which was sponsored in partnership with Bayer, featured Evans, PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan, LPGA Commissioner Michael Whan, USGA CEO Mike Davis and PGA of America CEO Seth Waugh in a live discussion of golf’s reaction to the pandemic and how the golf industry is moving forward.
- On Feb. 4, the key players of the PGA Frisco gathered virtually for a live discussion on the project during the General Session: Behind the Scenes at PGA Frisco, which was presented in partnership with the Toro Company.
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 19,000 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. Visit our industry-leading magazine at GCMonline.com.
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.
