Outgoing GCSAA President Discusses 35-Year Career in Golf


Keith Ihms, a certified golf course superintendent, will soon be concluding his term as president of GCSAA and ending nearly a decade of volunteer service on the board of directors. The association has 17,000 members and is a leading advocacy association for the profession and the golf industry.

Founded by a group of 60 greenkeepers in September 1926 at Sylvania Country Club in Toledo, Ohio, the professional association also directs the large annual Golf Industry Show and each year recognizes a leading golf figure with its Old Tom Morris Award.

Here's the Q&A with Ihms:

How is the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America important to the golf course management profession and meaningful to the sport as a whole?

The Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA) represents hard-working and dedicated professionals who make our industry and golf better. We've been around for 88 years, with the mission to serve our 17,000-plus members, advance their profession, and enhance the growth and vitality of the game.

The national association is important because it provides tools, resources and a collective voice to our members, who manage the largest asset at a golf facility - the golf course. Our role is paramount, and we think we are getting it right, primarily through our efforts in professional development, and environmental and advocacy programs.

Arnold Palmer is on record as having said, "The Golf Course Superintendents Association of America and golf course superintendents are probably the most important single entity that we have in golf." We work hard to live up to his high praise every day.

By educating and advocating for the managers of golf's playing fields, GCSAA is helping to ensure the health and vitality of the game for the future.

How is the golf course management profession different now than when you started?

When I first got into the profession 35 years ago, we had a smaller voice for promoting the profession to legislators and government officials. Water conservation wasn't something we thought about like we do today. Drought-conservation plans weren't on the radar in most areas, but they are part of industry-wide best management practices today.

The one thing that has stayed constant, however, is that this profession and GCSAA work together in a sense of community.

When I was first starting out, GCSAA gave me a comfort level for what I was doing and gave me the chance to learn from more seasoned professionals. The association gave me a network where I could go to ask questions and find answers. The camaraderie of the association has always been there, and in fact has gotten stronger with each season.

Did you become a golf course superintendent by design?

I grew up on a Texas farm and I attended Texas A&M thinking I was going to major in wildlife or biology. I thought I wanted to be a park ranger or game warden.

One of my first classes as a sophomore was an overview of courses and degree options. I remember my eyes lit up when they talked about how you could get a degree in turf studies.

I played golf, but it never really occurred to me that I might earn a living in turf management. The next day I went to my adviser and asked to be moved over to that program. Most students change majors five or six times. I was lucky; I only changed once.

Playing golf and being on the golf course is something I like to do, and I have been lucky enough to do this for a living for 35 years. I have raised a family by doing this. And I have been lucky enough to meet some of the best people in the world. What more could you ask for?

What do you want to say to the membership as you prepare to step down as president of the association next month?

Anything I say as president would not be complete without my thanks to those I've been fortunate enough to work with and those who have supported me along the way.

Especially over the past decade, I have found myself at crossroads more times than I care to remember. But as challenging as each of those personal situations has been, they have proved to be opportunities.

Some of the things that I have been through during my time on the board, from changing jobs to losing my wife, Nita, in 2013, were all very difficult. I received heartwarming encouragement and reassurance from people within this association, and I can't say I was surprised. I know that I couldn't have made it without my friends in this association.

There have been ups and downs, as well, in our association. I am proud that we met the challenge of bringing on a full field staff in the midst of some tough economic times. It was a total team effort, and it was the right thing to do. They serve as our eyes and ears in the marketplace. We made a major investment in our future there, and we continue to do so many good things.

Going forward we have to continue to invest as much as we can in advocacy for the good of this profession. It's critically important.

If you had a crystal ball, what does being a golf course superintendent look like in 10 years?

In some ways technology will grow and change how we do our jobs. But the one thing that won't change is that we still will be managing a living and growing turf.

I think I was among a small percentage of our profession who had college degrees in the mid-1970s. We now have more respect and recognition than ever for being professional land managers and businessmen and women, and I know that it is because of the professional education that GCSAA offers. We use science everyday to deliver a good product - one that is a total benefit to the environment and individuals.

Industry surveys show that superintendents are most responsible for giving golfers that good experience they are looking for. There are many other people involved, but superintendents are key to their enjoyment.

Superintendents, however, are being asked to do more with less - less money, less staff, less water and less inputs. There are high costs directly related to golf course management. But golfers' high expectations have not changed. They still want their courses to be impeccable. Despite the challenges, superintendents also want their courses to offer exceptional play on healthy turf. Every day, we strive to provide the best possible conditions to customers while being sensitive to the environment.

Going forward, we will continue to face challenges from rising costs for labor, water and turf products. There are also increased regulations and responsibilities. In addition, superintendents face challenges from Mother Nature, whether it's a rough winter or summer drought conditions. But, superintendents are problem solvers - that I know - and they know the best ways possible to deal with whatever challenges arise.

The above report is courtesy of the GCSAA. For more information, visit www.gcsaa.org.