Lawrence, Kansas, United States: Four golf course superintendents have been named winners of the 2021 Environmental Leaders in Golf Awards (ELGA).

The awards are presented annually by the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA) and Golf Digest in partnership with Syngenta, an Executive Member of the Asian Golf Industry Federation.

Eight runners-up also received recognition for their environmental efforts, including Andrew Johnston, General Manager and Director of Agronomy at Singapore’s Sentosa Golf Club.

The awards have recognised superintendents and golf courses around the world for their commitment to environmental stewardship since 1993, but in 2018 the ELGAs were updated to recognise more superintendents in more focused areas of environmental sustainability.

Instead of offering national awards based on facility type, the newer version of the ELGAs is based on the environmental best management practices and honour specific areas of focus.

• The Communications and Outreach Award recognises effective communication of conservation strategies with facility employees, golfers and other members of the community.

• The Innovative Conservation Award recognises unique and innovative strategies for conservation.
• The Natural Resource Conservation Award recognises effective strategies for water conservation, energy conservation, and sound wildlife management.

“The winners of our Environmental Leaders in Golf Awards reflect the industry’s commitment to environmental sustainability,” said GCSAA CEO Rhett Evans.

“Congratulations to all the winners who excel in their roles of providing enjoyable playing conditions while embracing sustainable practices,” he added.

The four 2021 ELGA winners were Jay Randolph, Superintendent, Ben Geren Golf Course (Communications and Outreach Award); Cortland Winkle, Superintendent, Four Seasons Resort and Club (Healthy Land Stewardship Award); Jeff Plotts, Director of Golf Course Operations, TPC Sawgrass (Innovative Conservation Award) and Gary Ingram, Director of Agronomy
at California’s Metropolitan Golf Links (Natural Resource Conservation Award).

The winners will be recognised during the annual GCSAA Conference and Trade Show in San Diego from February 5-10, 2022.