Metropolitan Golf Links' Ingram Winner of Environmental Leaders in Golf Award


Gary Ingram, a certified golf course superintendent (CGCS) at Metropolitan Golf Links in Oakland, Calif., is the overall winner of the prestigious 2014 Environmental Leaders in Golf Awards presented jointly by the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA) and Golf Digest. In all, 16 superintendents were recognized at the national and regional levels for a proven commitment to environmental stewardship.

The awards recognize golf course superintendents and their courses for overall course management excellence and best management practices in the areas of water conservation, water quality management, energy conservation, pollution prevention, waste management, wildlife and habitat conservation, communication and outreach, and leadership.

All the winners will be formally recognized February 25 at the Opening Session of the Golf Industry Show in San Antonio. Winners will also be featured in upcoming issues of Golf Digest and GCSAA's official monthly publication, Golf Course Management magazine. The ELGAS are presented in partnership with Syngenta and Rain Bird.

The winner in the national private category is Mike Crawford, CGCS at TPC Sugarloaf in Duluth, Ga.; while the national resort category winner is Rocky Ebelhar, assistant superintendent at TPC Louisiana in Avondale, La.

But, Ingram, the director of agronomy for Metropolitan Golf Links since the course opened 12 years ago and a 34-year member of GCSAA, claimed top overall honors, including the national public listing, for all he has accomplished on a modest budget.

He trimmed annual water usage on the course by more than 17 million gallons by eliminating 18.5 acres of maintained turf and creating target greens on the practice range in lieu of wall-to-wall turf. He also got high marks for adhering to written best management practices in the areas of water pollution prevention and pest management. Ingram has also cut landfill waste at his Course Co. Inc. facility by 30 percent.

"It's nice to know that so many appreciate the work that you do," said Ingram, a native of nearby Berkeley. "I feel lucky. I am blessed to have the opportunity to make a difference and help others in this community enjoy this golf facility.

"Awards like this help confirm that the golf industry is passionate about doing what is right, and it is an honor to be recognized for environmental leadership. We are walking the walk. It's not only good for business, but it's about sustainability and the benefits for our community."

Ingram is president of the Golf Course Superintendents Association of Northern California. He also heads a non-profit Oakland Turfgrass Education Initiative that teaches environmental science to inner-city Oakland high school students and introduces them to the game of golf through free study tours. In addition, he has offered nearly 50 student summer internships, some of which have led to related careers.

Crawford, a 34-year member of GCSAA who has served as superintendent at TPC Sugarloaf for 19 years, has kept his course certified by the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program since 1997. Sugarloaf also has closely followed established best management practices for water conservation and water quality since 2007. In addition, Crawford has adopted strict recycling and composting programs to save on waste.

In contrast to most winners, Ebelhar has had to deal effectively with too much water at TPC Avondale, a course that sits six feet below sea level along the coastal swamplands of Louisiana and gets more than 65 inches of rain annually. Ebelhar walks a fine line in measuring for harmful salt content in the lakes he uses for hand-watering. He also uses best management techniques to closely monitor groundwater runoff and has installed bulkheads along banks and bunkers to prevent erosion and leaching into the delicate ecosystem.

An independent panel of judges representing national environmental groups, turfgrass experts, university researchers, and valued members of the golf industry conducted the award selection.

"Our environmental leaders are the best examples for GCSAA and the profession as a whole," said Keith Ihms, CGCS, president of GCSAA. "When golfers think of superintendents, we want them to think of us in terms of our terrific environmental stewardship, as well as being golf course managers."

In addition to the national winners, 11 chapter winners and two merit winners were chosen from GCSAA's 98 affiliated chapters (listed below with their facilities and chapters).

ELGA chapter winners for private facilities:

Brian J. Stiehler, CGCS, Highlands (N.C.) Country Club, Carolinas GCSA
Marc Weston, CGCS, Indian Hill Country Club, Newington, Conn., Connecticut Association of GCS
Timothy Connolly, TPC Jasna Polona, Princeton, N.J., GCSA of New Jersey
Dale Hahn, CGCS, TPC Summerlin, Las Vegas, Nev., Southern Nevada GCSA
Sean O'Brien, The Ritz-Carlton Member's Golf Club, Bradenton, Fla., Sun Coast GCSA

ELGA chapter winners for public facilities:

Andrew J. Jorgensen, CGCS, Candler Hills Golf Club, Ocala, Fla., Florida GCSA
Jay Neunsinger, Tilden Park Golf Course, Berkeley, Calif., GCSA of Northern California
Alex Stuedemann, TPC Deere Run, Moline, Ill., Northwestern Illinois GCSA
Mark Krick, CGCS, The Homestead Golf Course, Lakewood, Colo., Rocky Mountain GCSA
Jeff Clouthier, CGCS, Golf Courses at Incline Village, Incline Village, Nev., Sierra Nevada GCSA

ELGA chapter winner for resort facility:

Tom Vlach, CGCS, TPC Sawgrass, Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., North Florida GCSA

ELGA merit winner for private facility:

David Davies, CGCS, TPC Stonebrae, Hayward, Calif., GCSA of Northern California

ELGA merit winner for public facility:

Thomas Doyle, Callippe Preserve Golf Course, Pleasanton, Calif., CGSA of Northern California

The above report is courtesy of the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America. For more information, visit www.gcsaa.org.