November 9, 2015 – Wade Thomas, director of greens and grounds at Idle Hour Club in Macon, will receive the Distinguished Service Award from the Georgia Golf Course Superintendents Association. Thomas will be honored for an extensive record of service at the association’s annual awards banquet at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta later this month.
Thomas served 12 years on the Georgia GCSA board of directors and was president in 2002-03. He was also the first chairman of the Georgia Golf Environmental Foundation and served that organization’s board of trustees for a number of years. Thomas also served on the former Georgia Turfgrass Association board for more than a decade. Along the way he served in numerous committee roles and as a liaison to several other golf industry groups.
While this award recognizes his contributions away from the golf course, Thomas is widely regarded as one of the leading superintendents in the state. Indeed, we was the Georgia GCSA’s Superintendent of the Year in 2007.
Since arriving at Idle Hour in 1994 he has hosted many significant events including three Georgia State Amateur Championships. It speaks to his ability that the Georgia State Golf Association is prepared to take its premier event, at the height of summer, to Idle Hour which has bentgrass greens.
“Wade is uniquely qualified for this award,” said Anthony Williams, CGCS, last year’s Georgia GCSA Superintendent of the Year, who nominated Thomas. “There are few individuals who have done so much at such a high level. Wade is a true southern gentleman, mentor and ambassador for the golf industry.”
