100 Years of GCSAA
Orlando, Florida – Just two weeks after the PGA of America hosted the 73rd PGA Merchandise Show at Orlando’s Orange County Convention Center, the GCSAA Conference and Trade Show celebrated the association’s centennial on Feb. 2-5 in the same building. Attendance for this year’s event grew for the fourth year in a row, with 12,824 attendees (up 15% over 2025). We arrived on Wednesday, February 4th to meet with colleagues and scout out all of the new equipment on display.
According to the GCSAA, a record 8,074 seminar seats were filled, surpassing the previous record set in 2008. In addition to education for superintendents, the event also included specialized education for assistant superintendents and equipment managers. The trade show floor at the Orange County Convention Center featured 523 exhibitors (vs. 464 in 2025) and 178,600 square feet of exhibit space, an increase of 16% over 2025. The total trade show floor was 428,000 square feet and also included areas for education, GCSAA Services, and the GCSAA Merchandise Store.
The display that I appreciated and enjoyed the most was the Centennial Experience, an exhibit that took attendees through 100 years of GCSAA history and equipment. The organization’s centennial on Sept. 13th, 2026. GCSAA’s mission is to serve its members, advancing their profession and improving communities through the enjoyment, growth and vitality of the game of golf.
“As we kick off our Centennial year, it meant a great deal to see our members show up in such strong numbers to learn, connect, and grow.” GCSAA CEO Rhett Evans said. “Our role is to serve them by providing education, resources, and opportunities that help them strengthen their careers and facilities, and this week reflected that shared commitment to the future of the profession.”
GCSAA is dedicated to serving its members, advancing their profession and improving communities through the enjoyment, growth and vitality of the game of golf.
On Monday, the Opening Session, presented in partnership with Syngenta, saw brothers Bob Alonzi, CGCS, a 55-year GCSAA member, and Joe Alonzi, CGCS, a 50-year GCSAA member, honored with the Col. John Morley Award. Jim Pavonetti, CGCS, superintendent at Fairview Country Club in Greenwich, Conn., was presented with the President’s Award for Environmental Stewardship, while researcher and educator Bert McCarty, Ph.D., professor emeritus at Clemson University, won the Outstanding Contribution Award. GCSAA also announced a $1- million donation to the GCSAA Foundation from the Kendrick B. Melrose Family Foundation.
The session concluded with an exclusive panel discussion focused on the future of the game featuring GCSAA CEO Rhett Evans, PGA TOUR Commissioner Jay Monahan and USGA CEO Mike Whan, which was moderated by Golf Digest Editor-in-Chief Jerry Tarde.
On Tuesday, more than 4,000 GCSAA members and industry friends came together for the GCSAA Centennial Celebration at ICON Park. The sold-out gathering provided an evening of connection and celebration to reflect on GCSAA’s past, present and future. Wednesday featured the 2026 GCSAA Collegiate Turf Bowl, presented in partnership with John Deere. Penn State University was the 2026 champion, successfully defending its title from 2025. The Turf Bowl competition included 288 students on 79 teams from 33 universities across North America.
Also on Wednesday, students from high schools across the Sunshine State had the opportunity to compete in the Florida Turfgrass Science Invitational, an FFA-endorsed event designed to stimulate student interest and to promote the turfgrass industry as a career choice. South Fork
High School in Stuart, Fla., won the competition.
Thursday’s closing session included the presentation of the Emerging Leader Award to Steven Spatafore, Director of Agronomy at Los Altos (Calif.) Golf and Country Club, and the Edwin Budding Award to John Patterson, CTEM, the Equipment Director at Atlanta Athletic Club in Johns Creek, Georgia.
The GCSAA Conference and Trade Show is produced by the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA) along with its presenting partners the Golf Course Builders Association of America (GCBAA), United States Golf Association (USGA) and the American
Society of Golf Course Architects (ASGCA).
The 2027 GCSAA Conference and Trade Show will head to New Orleans, La., Jan. 15-21, at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center and will feature the conclusion of GCSAA’s Centennial observation.
