The GCSAA Conference and Trade Show is returning to Orlando and so is #GCITweetUp23.
After a couple virtual years on Zoom, where pretty much everybody was just a face in a rectangle, Golf Course Industry (@GCIMagazine) and Aquatrols (@Aquatrols) are bringing the 12th annual #GCITweetUp and Super Social Media Awards ceremony back to the show floor. We’re excited. We hope you’re excited. It’ll be a blast. See you at the Aquatrols booth #2373 at 3 pm Wednesday, Feb. 8 at the Orange County Convention Center.
And you can setting follow along online, too. Because what is a Super Social Media Awards campaign without some social media element? We’ll recognize and honor winners, shared on our Twitter and Facebook accounts Jan. 17-Jan. 26 and beamed to your screens in short videos before bringing together 2021, ’22 spirit ’23 winners for a special celebration of the last three years in the Theme Park Capital of the World. Hosted by Golf Course Industry managing editor Matt LaWell, the festivities will include live music, drinks and 2023-style camaraderie. The Happy Hour portion of the event begins at 2 pm
Want to nominate a colleague, a friend, or even yourself? Go for it, especially if you think they (or you) use social media to demonstrate leadership, inspire those you work with, share ideas to enhance operations, provide course updates, share messages in creative ways, and, above all else, tell the story of the golf industry in a positive manner.
We’ll honor folks in the following categories: The John Kaminski Award for Social Media Leadership, Best Overall Use of Social Media, Best Twitter Feed, Best Use of Video, Best Idea Shared and the Conservation Award. And if you want to nominate somebody for some other category, like Rookie of the Year, or Top Drone Operator, or whatever else you can dream up, go right ahead! We’re never locked in to just six awards. (Evidence of that is below in the full list of winners.) Industry professionals who benefit from using social media for work purposes will determine the direction of some awards.
Multiple nominations in the same or different categories are acceptable. The Golf Course Industry editorial staff and a panel of industry experts and educators will make the final selections. Please include the category and appropriate links in emails or DMs sent to the editor-in-chief Guy Cipriano at [email protected] or @GCIMagazineGuy, or LaWell at [email protected] or @MattLaWell. Email, tweet or call Cipriano at 216-393-0230 with questions.
The deadline for nominations is Friday, Dec. 28.
Past winners
2022
Kaminski Award: Paul Larsen, Royal St. George’s Golf Club, Sandwich, Kent, England,
Best Overall Use of Social Media: Jennifer Torres, Westlake Golf and Country Club, Jackson Township, New Jersey; NC State Turf Pathology Team, Raleigh North Carolina
Best Twitter Feeds: John ReillyLongboat Key Club, Longboat Key, Florida; Jeremy BooneSpringdale at Cold Mountain, Canton, North Carolina
Best Use of Video: Mike RollinsSIP, In the van, Everywhere USA
Best Idea Shared: David JonesClub at Indian Springs, Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, “Value of playing other golf courses”
Conservation Award: Isaac BreuerAL Gustin Golf Course, Columbia, Missouri
2021
Kaminski Award: Drew Miller and the Brentsville District High School Turfgrass Management ProgramNokesville, Virginia
Best Overall Use of Social Media: James BledgeRoyal Cinque Ports Golf Club, Deal, Kent, England; Ryan CummingsElcona Country Club, Bristol, Indiana
Best Twitter Feeds: Dan GroganThe Sagamore Club, Noblesville, Indiana; Jeff SextonEvansville Country Club, Evansville, Indiana; Thad ThompsonTerry Hills Golf Course, Batavia, New York
Best New Program: Morgan CreightonWomen in Turfgrass Management, Alberta, Canada
Best Idea Shared: Trey KempKimley-Horn and Associates, Dallas-Fort Worth, #GolfCourseAerialoftheDay
Rookie of the Year: Matt Shafferhappily retired
Conservation Award: W. Craig WeyandtThe Moorings at Hawks Nest Golf Course, Vero Beach, Florida
2020
Kaminski Award: Tyler BloomSparrows Point Country Club, Baltimore
Best Overall Use of Social Media: Carolinas GCSA Assistants, Liberty, South Carolina; Bill Bergin, Bergin Golf Designs, Atlanta
Best Twitter Feeds: Maggie ReiterUniversity of California Cooperative Extension, Fresno, California; Michael VessleyCulver Academies Golf Course, Culver, Indiana
Best Video: Rush Creek Turf, Maple Grove, Minnesota, “Maintenance Monday”
Best Idea Shared on Social Media: Trent ManningAnsley Golf Club, Ansley, Georgia, “Dew Roller”
Conservation Award: Lesley ThomasScarboro Golf & Country Club, Toronto, Ontario
2019
Kaminski Award: Jason HainesPender Harbor Golf Club, Pender Harbour, British Columbia
Best Overall Use of Social Media: Craig BoathCarnoustie Golf Links, Carnoustie, Scotland; Jessica LenihanHayden Lake Country Club, Coeur d’Alene, Idaho
Best Twitter Feeds: Paul Van BurenKanawha Club, Manakin-Sabot, Virginia; Scott RamsayThe Course at Yale, New Haven, Connecticut
Best Blog: Tyler BloomSparrows Point Country Club, Baltimore, Maryland; Kevin KomerStowe Mountain Resort, Stowe, Vermont
Best Use of Video: Ontario GCSA, “Today in Ontario”
Conservation Award: Matthew GourlayColbert Hills, Manhattan, Kansas
2018
Kaminski Award: Matthew WhartonCarolina Golf Club, Charlotte, North Carolina
Best Overall Use of Social Media: Ian Andrew, Ian Andrew Golf Design, Brantford, Ontario; St Andrews Turf Team, St Andrews, Scotland
Best Twitter Feeds: Steve HammonTraverse City Golf & Country Club, Traverse City, Michigan; Steve WrightPine Tree Golf Club, Boynton Beach, Florida
Best Blog: Chris HarrimanCattail Creek Country Club, Glenwood, Maryland; Richard JohnstoneNairn Dunbar Golf Links, Nairn, Scotland
Best Use of Video: Atlantic Golf Course Superintendents Association, “Deep Roots”
Megaphone Award for Hurricane Recovery: South Texas Superintendents
Conservation Award: Paul CarterThe Bear Trace at Harrison Bay, Tennessee
2017
Kaminski Award: Chris TritabaughHazeltine National Golf Club, Chaska, Minnesota
Best Overall Use of Social Media: Kyle CallahanVictoria National, Newburgh, Indiana; Steffie SafritTPC Piper Glen, Charlotte, North Carolina
Best Twitter Feeds: Matthew MarshSanta Ana Country Club, Santa Ana, California; Sean McCueThe Country Club at Castle Pines, Castle Rock, Colorado; Mike RichardsonUniversity of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Arkansas; Jesse ShaverGull Lake Country Club, Richland, Michigan
Best Blog: Brian Stiehler, Highlands Country Club, Highlands, North Carolina; East Lake Golf Club Agronomy Team, East Lake Golf Club, Atlanta
Best Video: Phil Scully, Granite Golf Club, Stouffville, Ontario, “It’s Your Course!”; Georgia GCSA, “Golf is Greenspace”
2016
Kaminski Award: Paul CarterThe Bear Trace at Harrison Bay, Harrison, Tennessee
Best Overall Use of Social Media: Rick TegtmeierDes Moines Golf and Country Club, West Des Moines, Iowa; Joe Wachter, Glen Echo Country Club, St. Louis
Best Twitter Feeds: Eric BauerBluejack National, Montgomery, Texas; Paul KochUniversity of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin; Patrick ReinhardtGeorgia Southern University Golf Course, Statesboro, Georgia
Best Blog: Joel KachmarekTacoma Country & Golf Club, Lakewood, Washington; Brad NovotnyHillendale Country Club, Phoenix, Maryland
Best Video: Graeme RobertsCamberley Heath Golf Club, Surrey, United Kingdom
Megaphone Award for Outstanding Advocacy: Mike HuckIrrigation and Turfgrass Services, Orange County, California
2015
Kaminski Award: Steve CookOakland Hills Country Club, Bloomfield Hills, Michigan
Best Overall Use of Social Media: Matthew WhartonCarolina Golf Club, Charlotte, North Carolina; Pat O’BrienHyde Park Golf and Country Club, Cincinnati
Best Twitter Feed: Scot Dey, Mission Viejo Country Club, Mission Viejo, California; Kevin Hicks, Coeur d’Alene Resort Golf Club, Coeur D’Alene, Idaho; Jason Hooper, Quilchena Golf & Country Club, Richmond, British Columbia
Best Blog: Joey FrancoBrookstone Golf & Country Club, Acworth, Georgia; Adam GarrPlum Hollow Country Club, Southfield, Michigan
Best Video: Georgia GCSA, “Stewards of the Land”
2014
Kaminski Award: Micah WoodsAsian Turfgrass Center
Overall Social Media Program: Nick ChristianIowa State University; Adam IkamasMiGCSA
Best Uses of Facebook: Gary GriggIdaho/Florida; Jason ChennaultTurfgrass World
Best Blog: Jason HainesPender Harbor Golf Club, Madeira Park, British Columbia; Jason VanBuskirkStow Acres Country Club, Stow, Massachusetts; Tom VlachTPC Sawgrass, Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida
Best Uses of Twitter: Randy SamoffChampions Golf Club, Houston Texas; Ellie Parry, TurfJobs, Loughborough, Leicestershire, England; Justin VanLanduit, Briarwood Country Club, Deerfield, Ill.; Cale BigelowPurdue University
Best Multimedia: Adam GarrPlum Hollow Country Club, Southfield, Michigan; Rick BrandenburgNC State
2013
Kaminski Award: Bill BrownHartefeld National Golf Club, Avondale, Pennsylvania
Outstanding Bloggers: Andrew Hardy, Pheasant Run Golf Course, Sharon, Ontario; Dan Meersman, Philadelphia Cricket Club, Philadelphia; Brian BoyerCinnabar Hills Golf Club, San Jose, California
Outstanding Use of Twitter: Chris Tritabaugh, Hazeltine National Golf Club, Chaska, Minnesota; Matthew GourlayColbert Hills, Manhattan, Kansas
Special Achievement in Video/Other: PACE Turf LLC, San Diego, PACE Turf YouTube Videos; Steve Biehl, Naperville Country Club, Naperville, Illinois; GCM Blogging World
2012
Kaminski Award: Darren DavisOlde Florida Golf Club, Naples, Florida
Best of Blogs: Chris TritabaughNorthland Country Club, Duluth, Minnesota; Steve CookOakland Hills Country Club, Bloomfield Hills, Michigan; Bill BrownHartefeld National Golf Club, Avondale, Pennsylvania
Innovative Use of Twitter: Greg ShafferElcona Country Club, Bristol, Indiana; David PhippsStone Creek Country Club, Oregon City, Oregon
Excellence in Video: Justin RuizIndian Summer Golf & Country Club, Olympia, Washington