Lawrence, Kansas, United States: The Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA) has announced changes to its Colonel John Morley Award, which will elevate it to the status of one of two Pinnacle Awards exemplified by service to the industry.

The Colonel John Morley Award, named for GCSAA’s founder, will be presented annually to an individual who is or has been a GCSAA Class A or B superintendent member and has made a significant contribution to the advancement of the golf course superintendent’s profession.

The contribution must be significant in both substance and duration.

Nominations for the Morley Award are open through October 25. The Morley Award will be determined by the GCSAA Board of Directors.

The Morley Award joins the status of the other GCSAA Pinnacle Award, the Old Tom Morris Award, which will now be limited to those outside of the GCSAA membership who have helped mould the welfare of the game.

“We are very excited to introduce the new Morley Award as one of our two highest honours and to recognise our superintendent members who have advanced the profession and the game,” said Mark Jordan, GCSAA President and natural resources leader at Westfield Country Club in Ohio.

“As is the case with our Old Tom Morris Award, we look forward to the Morley Award becoming a widely recognised accolade in the golf and sports industries,” added Jordan.

With the rise to the Pinnacle Award level, the annual winner of the new Morley Award will be honoured in the same ways as the Old Tom Award with on-stage recognition at the GCSAA Conference and Trade Show, media promotion including gracing the cover of the January issue of GCSAA’s GCM magazine.

The first Morley Award will be bestowed at the 2022 GCSAA Conference and Trade Show in San Diego in February.

The Colonel John Morley Award is different than the now retired Colonel John Morley Distinguished Service Award, which was open to anyone in the golf industry who had shown lifetime achievement.

In addition to the revamped Morley Award, GCSAA is also introducing two new awards to honour specific golf industry achievement – the Emerging Leader Award and the Outstanding Contribution Award.