• by Tanya Gazdik , April 26, 2016

The Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA) is hosting a sweepstakes in connection with a campaign that encourages appreciation for those who run golf courses.

The effort includes a commercial running on the Golf Channel that features golf-loving celebrities such as Charles Barkley, Justin Timberlake and John Elway. They share the message, “If you love golf like I do, thank a golf course superintendent.” 

The sweepstakes winner will receive a trip to the 2016 American Century Celebrity Golf Championship, July 21-24, at Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course in South Lake Tahoe, Calif. Consumers can enter online by thanking a superintendent on the website or by tweeting a thank you message using the hashtags #thankasuper or #contestentry.  

The superintendents thanked also will be entered to win a prize. The sweepstakes runs from May 1 to May 31. it is being promoted on the GCSAA website at www.gcsaa.org and on Facebook and Twitter.

“Superintendents do their best to provide great playing conditions within the realm of keen environmental stewardship,” said Rhett Evans, GCSAA CEO. “We want to give golfers the chance to recognize and thank a superintendent for contributing so much to the game.”

Superintendents have also won the heart of golf legend Arnold Palmer, whose father and brother were both golf course superintendents. Palmer has said that the GCSAA is “the single most important entity in golf today.

“We as golfers also owe our gratitude to these professionals who have pushed themselves to higher standards of education, training and performance that have resulted in making golf a more enjoyable game. Those who derive income, either as a competitor or as a businessman, are equally indebted to the superintendents for their contributions,” Palmer says in a statement

Headquartered in Lawrence, Kan., the GCSAA 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.

Photo provided by Conrad Buedel/Media West Group