National Parks Service recognizes golf industry volunteers

A coalition of golf’s leading associations and industry partners will be presented the group award for “Outstanding Volunteer Service” for their April service project, which achieved in just one day the equivalent of 800 hours of work and four months of labor from one National Park Service (NPS) employee.

National Golf Day is an annual time during which the golf industry joins together to raise awareness of its economic and societal impact on the U.S. with lawmakers in Washington, D.C., and in local communities.

On April 30, the golf industry came together for the third-annual Community Service Project, which was part of the 12th annual National Golf Day. More than 200 participants demonstrated the industry’s commitment to collaboration on beautifying and preserving historical landmarks at the Lincoln Memorial, Korean War Memorial, Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial and the U.S. Capitol building. Golf industry leaders, led by Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA), volunteered to lay sod, rake, edge, over seed, aerate, mow, mulch, plant flowers and prune shrubs across 18 projects along the National Mall.
 
“The work accomplished annually by our industry partners during National Golf Day’s Community Service Project serves as a prime example of collaboration for a purpose that is bigger than the sport itself,” said Greg McLaughlin, CEO of the World Golf Foundation. “Congratulations to everyone involved for a very deserving recognition.”
 
The 2019 National Golf Day Community Service Project will be recognized during a ceremony at the NPS volunteer appreciation event held at Arlington National Cemetery on Nov. 16. Chava McKeel, director of government affairs for GCSAA, leads the community service project effort and will accept the award on behalf of the industry.
 
“The golf industry has been coming to Washington annually since 2007, so we wanted to find a way to give back to our Nation’s Capital,” McKeel said. “Being able to have 200-plus volunteers help beautify and preserve the National Mall has been a personal dream come true and is a great example of golf’s dedication to the environment.”
 
“Golf course superintendents and other golf facility professionals have such a high attention to detail, operations and logistics that it makes the half-day of work so productive,” says Michael Stachowicz, manager of preservation maintenance for NPS. “The work completed is not only essential, the entire effort results in mentorship and training for both the volunteers and staff.”
 
Planning is now underway for the 2020 Community Service Project on the National Mall on May 5, which will lead into National Golf Day on May 6.
 
Under the banner of WE ARE GOLF, an initiative of the World Golf Foundation, this year’s National Golf Day produced a record-high 244 meetings with members of Congress representing 41 states to discuss the game’s $84.1 billion economy, nearly $4 billion annual charitable impact, 15,000 diverse businesses and two million jobs impacted across the United States.
 
Throughout National Golf Day, data-driven metrics and trends reinforce the importance of the sport — from how it supports the U.S. economy, to ways in which innovation is driving important topics around the environment, accessibility and inclusivity, and positively impacting the lives of Americans every day.