We are proud to bring the golf community together to celebrate the extraordinary work of each of our Service Award winners. - Thomas J. O’Toole Jr., USGA president
Village of Pinehurst, NC (PRWEB) February 08, 2014
In celebration of the individuals who have given back to the game in extraordinary ways, the United States Golf Association (USGA) today presented its annual Service Awards during a gala dinner at the Pinehurst Resort & Country Club.
Hosted by Golf World senior writer and Golf Channel/NBC contributor Tim Rosaforte, this year’s USGA Service Awards celebrate the leadership, dedication and outstanding contributions of 21 individuals who have used their time and talents to serve and promote the game in many ways.
“We are proud to bring the golf community together to celebrate the extraordinary work of each of our Service Award winners,” said Thomas J. O’Toole Jr., USGA president. “Their selfless dedication and contributions have made a significant impact on the USGA and our mission to serve the game. They have inspired us all to continue our work to sustain golf for future generations and we hope their efforts encourage many more people to participate in and serve this wonderful game.”
As part of the USGA Service Awards, the following individuals were recognized:
Joe Dey Award
Presented annually since 1996, the USGA's Joe Dey Award recognizes an individual’s meritorious service to the game as a volunteer. The award is named for the late Joseph C. Dey Jr., who served as USGA executive director for 35 years, from 1934-69, and was later the first commissioner of the PGA Tour.
The USGA is proud to honor Michael Cumberpatch, of Annapolis, Md., a tireless contributor to the game on local and national levels for 20 years, with the 2014 Joe Dey Award. Affiliated with the USGA since 1993, when he joined the Association’s Regional Affairs Committee, he has worked at 20 USGA championships, including the U.S. Open, U.S. Senior Open, U.S. Mid-Amateur and Men’s State Team Championships. He currently serves as the official-in-charge of U.S. Open Sectional Qualifying for the Washington, D.C. region.
“To be honored like this is pretty special, and to be honest I was floored when I heard the news,” said Cumberpatch. “It has been a lot of fun over the years to work alongside all the volunteers throughout the USGA who do so much for the game of golf. They are just really good, solid people and to be associated with them and be part of so many great championships has meant a lot to me.”
Beyond his dedication to the USGA and regional golf activities, Cumberpatch has provided extraordinary volunteer service to other organizations, including the Special Olympics and the U.S. Armed Forces. He is a past president of the Middle Atlantic Golf Association, where he earned recognition for his efforts to bring together neighboring golf associations and for instilling a sense of community among USGA committee members in the region. The Middle Atlantic PGA Section presented him with the David Wortman Citizen of the Year Award in 2009.
Herbert Warren Wind Book Award
Established in 1987, the Herbert Warren Wind Book Award recognizes and honors outstanding contributions to golf literature while seeking to broaden the public’s interest in, and knowledge of, the game of golf. Wind, who died in 2005, was the famed writer for The New Yorker and Sports Illustrated who coined the phrase “Amen Corner” at Augusta National. He is the only writer to win the Bob Jones Award, the USGA’s highest honor.
Author Jeff Silverman’s “Merion: The Championship Story” is the 2013 recipient of the USGA’s Herbert Warren Wind Book Award. This extensively researched and carefully crafted book explores every aspect of one of the most respected and beloved clubs in the game. Merion’s successful hosting of the 2013 U.S. Open, 32 years after it last hosted the championship, was the final chapter in Silverman’s work. The club has hosted more USGA championships (18) than any other, making it a rich subject for a work of this magnitude.
“It’s an honor beyond belief to win an award that is named after Herbert Warren Wind,” said Silverman. ”For anyone who writes about golf, this is one of the ultimate achievements.”
Added Silverman: “Golf truly is the greatest crucible for testing character. All of the champions at Merion – from Jones to Hogan to Trevino to Rose – prevailed because they were able to pull from their inner strength.”
Green Section Award
Presented annually since 1961, the USGA Green Section Award recognizes an individual’s distinguished service to the game of golf through his or her work with turfgrass, including research, maintenance and other areas that positively impact the arena upon which golf is played.
The 2014 recipient is Dr. Peter Dernoeden, of Milton, Del., a nationally recognized turfgrass researcher and educator and professor emeritus of plant science and landscape architecture at the University of Maryland’s College of Agriculture and Natural Resources. Over an extensive career, he led the design and management of turfgrass research programs focusing on weed and disease control, integrated pest management and sustainable fescue species.
In 1999, he was responsible for the discovery of a new pathogen and disease that affects creeping bentgrass. His work is widely recognized as having contributed significantly to the quality of turf on golf courses both regionally and nationally.
Ike Grainger Award
Established in 1995 as part of the USGA’s Centennial Celebration, the Ike Grainger Award recognizes those volunteers who reach 25 years of service to the Association. Grainger served on the USGA Executive Committee and rose to become president from 1954-55.
This year 18 individuals earned the award for their distinguished service to the USGA:
Dr. Joseph Beditz; Jupiter, Fla., Bob Jones Award Committee
Donnie Bowers; Wilmington, N.C., Regional Affairs Committee
Steven M. Brinton; Salt Lake City, Utah, Mid-Amateur Championship Committee
Nancy Chaffee; Warren, R.I., Regional Affairs Committee
David Chalmers; Bryan, Texas, Green Section Committee
James Cissell; Cincinnati, Ohio, Public Links Championship Committee
J. Richard Dosek; Advance, N.C, Regional Affairs Committee
Michael Hughes; Daniel Island, S.C., Regional Associations Committee
Pasquale “Pat” LaRocca; Phoenix, Ariz, Regional Affairs Committee
Adele Lebow; Royersford, Pa., Regional Affairs Committee
Cathy Mant; McDonough, Ga., Girls' Junior Championship Committee
George Marucci Jr.; Villanova, Pa., Mid-Amateur Championship Committee
Louis Miller; Louisville, Ky., Green Section Committee
John Nakamura; Sacramento, Calif., Public Links & Regional Affairs Committees
Matt Pekarek; Glen Ellyn, Ill., Regional Affairs Committee
Randal Reed; Gaithersburg, Md., Regional Associations Committee
Douglas Smith; San Antonio, Texas, Mid-Amateur Championship Committee
Richard Woulfe; Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Mid-Amateur Championship Committee
“This year’s class of Ike Grainger Award honorees comes from all walks of life and from every region of the country,” said USGA Executive Director Mike Davis. “For a quarter century, each has served the USGA and the game purely for the privilege of giving back. Our mission and the game are stronger because of their service, and we are proud to honor them in this way.”
About the USGA
The USGA conducts the U.S. Open, U.S. Women’s Open and U.S. Senior Open, as well as 10 national amateur championships, two state team championships and international matches, attracting players and fans from more than 160 countries. Together with The R&A, the USGA governs the game worldwide, jointly administering the Rules of Golf, Rules of Amateur Status, equipment standards and World Amateur Golf Rankings. The USGA’s reach is global with a working jurisdiction in the United States, its territories and Mexico, serving more than 25 million golfers and actively engaging 150 golf associations.
The USGA is one of the world’s foremost authorities on research, development and support of sustainable golf course management practices. It serves as a primary steward for the game’s history and invests in the development of the game through the delivery of its services and its ongoing “For the Good of the Game” grants program. Additionally, the USGA’s Course Rating and Handicap systems are used on six continents in more than 50 countries.
For more information about the USGA, visit http://www.usga.org.