Washington, United States: A coalition of golf’s leading associations and industry partners will be presented the group award for ‘Outstanding Volunteer Service’ for their service project, which achieved in just one day the equivalent of 800 hours of work and four months of labour from one National Park Service (NPS) employee.

On April 30, the golf industry came together for the third annual Community Service Project, which was part of the 12th annual National Golf Day. More than 200 participants demonstrated the industry’s commitment to collaboration on beautifying and preserving historical landmarks at the Lincoln Memorial, Korean War Memorial, Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Martin Luther King Jr Memorial and the US Capitol building.

Golf industry leaders, led by the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA), volunteered to lay sod, rake, edge, over seed, aerate, mow, mulch, plant flowers and prune shrubs across 18 projects along the National Mall.

“The work accomplished annually by our industry partners during National Golf Day’s Community Service Project serves as a prime example of collaboration for a purpose that is bigger than the sport itself,” says Greg McLaughlin, CEO of the World Golf Foundation. “Congratulations to everyone involved for a very deserving recognition.”

The 2019 National Golf Day Community Service Project were recognised during a ceremony at the NPS volunteer appreciation event at Arlington National Cemetery on November 16.

Chava McKeel, Director of Government Affairs for the GCSAA, accepted the award on behalf of the industry.

“The golf industry has been coming to Washington annually since 2007, so we wanted to find a way to give back to our nation’s capital,” said McKeel, who leads the community service project effort. “Being able to have 200+ volunteers help beautify and preserve the National Mall has been a personal dream come true and is a great example of golf’s dedication to the environment.”

Michael Stachowicz, Manager of Preservation Maintenance for NPS, said: “Golf course superintendents and other golf facility professionals have such a high attention to detail, operations and logistics that it makes the half day of work so productive. The work completed is not only essential, the entire effort results in mentorship and training for both the volunteers and staff.”

Planning is now underway for the 2020 Community Service Project on the National Mall on May 5, which will lead into National Golf Day on May 6.

Under the banner of WE ARE GOLF, an initiative of the World Golf Foundation, this year’s National Golf Day produced a record-high 244 meetings with members of Congress representing 41 States to discuss the game’s US$84.1 billion economy, nearly US$4 billion annual charitable impact, 15,000 diverse businesses and two million jobs impacted across the United States.

Throughout National Golf Day, data-driven metrics and trends reinforce the importance of the sport – from how it supports the US economy to ways in which innovation is driving important topics around the environment, accessibility and inclusivity, and positively impacting the lives of Americans every day.

National Golf Day is an annual time in which the golf industry comes together to raise awareness of its economic and societal impact on the US with lawmakers in Washington DC and in local communities.