Georgia GCSA Names Scholarship Recipients

Tommy Hewitt, scholarship committeee chairman announced that nine students received the 2016 Georgia Golf Course Superintendents Association (Georgia GCSA) Legacy Scholarship. The scholarship offers educational aid to children and grandchildren of Georgia GCSA members.

The awards are funded by the Georgia GCSA and presented in partnership with Jerry Pate Turf and Irrigation. This year’s scholarships totaled $7,500 with the Georgia GCSA donating a further $3,000 to the James B. “Monty” Moncrief Scholarships, administered by the Georgia State Golf Association Foundation to support promising students in turfgrass programs.

Karli Durden won the highest Legacy Scholarship for the third year in a row. A biology major at the University of Georgia, Durden is the daughter of Joe Durden now at Savannah Lakes Village in McCormick, SC. He has been a Georgia GCSA member since 1990. The next highest scholarship went to Joshua Abrams, son of Mark Abrams from Wolf Creek Golf Club in Atlanta. Abrams also won a scholarship in 2015.

Hewitt, from Windemere Golf Club in Cumming, GA led scholarship interviews with help from Jamie Pate of Jerry Pate Turf and Irrigation, Mike Crawford, CGCS from PGA Tour agronomy in Atlanta, Chuck Underwood, CGCS from Northwood Country Club in Lawrenceville and Richard Staughton, CGCS from Towne Lake Hills Golf Club in Woodstock.

Applications were reviewed independently by the Georgia GCSA scholarship committee. Criteria for selection included: academic achievement, extracurricular and community involvement, leadership and outside employment. Students were required to submit two essays. One or more of the applicant’s parents or grandparents must have been a Georgia GCSA member for five or more consecutive years and must be a currently active Georgia GCSA member in one of the following classifications: A, SM, C, Retired A, Retired SM or AA Life. Students must be enrolled full-time at an accredited institution for the next academic year.

This year’s recipients were:

Karli Durden – Daughter of Joe Durden, Savannah Lakes Golf Village, McCormick, SC

Joshua Abrams – Son of Mark Abrams, Wolf Creek Golf Club, Atlanta, GA

Bailey Cavender – Daughter of David Cavender, Cobblestone Park Golf Club, Blythewood, SC

Julianna Collett – Daughter of Berry Collett, CGCS, Sea Island Golf Club, St. Simons Island, GA

Caleb Cox – Son of Gerald Cox, Coosa Country Club, Rome, GA

Hannah Kepple – Daughter of Ralph Kepple, CGCS, East Lake Golf Club, Atlanta, GA

Morgan Kepple – Daughter of Ralph Kepple, CGCS, East Lake Golf Club, Atlanta, GA

Ben Murray – Grandson of Buzz Howell, Retired, Bishop, GA

Crystal Scanlon – Daughter of Frank Ivancic, Creekside Golf and Country Club, Hiram, GA