Allan MacCurrach Jr. Award recipient Andi Meadows and her three children. The award recognizes an outstanding nontraditional student seeking a career in the field of golf course and turfgrass management. Photos courtesy of Andi Meadows
When the day of the interview for this story came around, Andi Meadows had just been diagnosed with COVID and was clearly showing symptoms. When given a chance to reschedule, though, she declined, true to her can-do attitude.
“I’m never going to turn down a reasonable request to raise awareness,” says Meadows, first assistant superintendent at TPC San Antonio and four-year GCSAA member. “I'm happy to represent women in the turf industry and show them
this side of what women can bring to the turf industry.”
Indeed, Meadows has been in the spotlight a good deal recently, having participated in a couple of podcast appearances, represented the Women in Turf team at the 2023 U.S. Women's Open and been a member of GCSAA’s inaugural Women’s Leadership
Academy in 2023.
Most recently, Meadows was awarded the Allan MacCurrach Jr. Award of $10,000 from the GCSAA through the GCSAA Foundation. The award recognizes an outstanding nontraditional student seeking a career in the field of golf course and turfgrass management.
Meadows will be honored at the 2025 GCSAA Conference and Trade Show in San Diego.
“It’s almost like I can’t believe it’s happening to me, because I’m so used to the struggle,” Meadows says. “To have something like this happen — it’s pretty life-changing. I feel really grateful and
the need to pay it forward in some way, some day.”
The struggle Meadows refers to is, in part, stems from being a single mom of three who works full time and is taking classes toward a degree in turfgrass science.
“I’m not going to sugarcoat it: It’s not an easy career path,” Meadows says. “One of the biggest challenges I’ve had is having children and a family but still wanting to move up through the ranks, is finding that work/life
balance where my kids aren’t sacrificing for my dream, and yet showing my workplace that I am passionate, and I’m just as good as the next person — so not letting my family get in the way of my career and also not letting my career
get in the way of my family. That’s been one of my biggest struggles, finding that work/life balance.”
Meadows’ children are 11, 14 and 17, so she says she tries to include them in things she’s doing, like applying for the Allan MacCurrach Jr. Award.
“They know I won this award,” Meadows says. “They knew I was applying because I’m always looking for ways to involve them in the process, because I want them to see the journey, like getting told, ‘No,’ or applying
for something and not getting it or working really hard and being told, ‘You’re not ready yet.’ I’m always preaching positive thinking and imagining yourself if you succeed and how happy you’ll be. So when I told them
I got the award, it was a little bit of, ‘I told you so!’ I think they’re proud of me, and even if they don’t really show it, I think there’s little seeds being planted in them.”
Meadows at Pebble Beach during the 2023 U.S. Women's Open.
Meadows says it’s important to her to use her successes as an opportunity to help other women in the industry.
“I feel a deep responsibility and gratitude to pay it forward,” she says of the award. “Women in Turf is a great avenue for that because there will always be new women coming up and into the industry. I really want to show what it has
done for me, because it really has given me so much. It’s so much more than a job.”
To that end, Meadows has already done her part to involve the Women in Turf in her course’s marquee event, the Valero Texas Open at TPC San Antonio.
“Every year, we have volunteers to come help get the course ready, and this last year in April we had 12 of the Women in Turf come out to help get the course ready every morning,” she says. “They participated in all aspects of course
conditioning, mowing greens, mowing fairways, raking bunkers, filling divots — you name it, they were doing it. That was pretty cool to see them representing in all the areas that it takes to put on a PGA Tour event.”
The visiting women also noticed some of the little things TPC San Antonio does to show respect to its female employees. Meadows is one of three women on the 36-person crew.
“The women’s restroom in our shop area is one of the first things when the women came that they noticed and said something about and said how nice it was,” she says with a laugh.
TPC San Antonio also provides women’s style clothes for its female employees — a small thing that means a lot, Meadows says.
“They go out of their way to make sure we’re not wearing men’s clothes. It’s pretty nice,” she says. “I believe that by having women present just on the property and interacting with people, it sets people to a higher
standard, and they have to be more mindful of their language and their dress.”
Logan Behrens, superintendent at TPC San Antonio, says Meadows and the other two women on the grounds crew fit right in because of their solid work ethic.
“They do the job just like anyone else, so they’re treated no differently,” says Behrens, a seven-year GCSAA member. “All any crew member wants is someone next to them who’s willing to do their job and the same work. As long
as they’re going after the same goal and they don't feel like they’re doing more than the other, they’re happy. With any crew, it’s when they feel they’re doing more work than the other … that’s when problems
arise.”
Behrens says Meadows is a solid team leader thanks to her wide overall knowledge and proactive leadership.
“She’s an effective leader, no doubt,” Behrens says. “She’s very hands on with team members. She teaches them how to do a job and doesn’t leave them until they can do it. She keeps a good relationship with them, always
being open for them to come to her in dealing with anything.”
The staff members at TPC San Antonio are aware of the recent attention Meadows has received in the industry, and Behrens says he’s not surprised.
“I know she’s been tested with things she’s experienced in life. As one thing comes, she just handles it and moves on to the next. For what she’s done and being able to make a name for herself in the turf industry, I think it’s
great,” Behrens says. “I think it speaks a lot of her that she’s able to overcome obstacles. I think it makes her a great leader, in being able to relate to a lot of types of people.”
Meadows started in the industry in 2006 working as an equipment operator at Diamondhead (Miss.) Country Club. Since then, she has held various roles at The Oaks Golf Club in Pass Christian, Miss.; Gordon Lakes Golf Course in Augusta, Ga.; and The Patch
in Augusta, Ga. She completed a summer internship in 2018 at the Courses of Clear Creek in Fort Cavazos, Texas, and most recently worked at the University of Texas Golf Club before joining the staff at TPC San Antonio three years ago.
In 2019, Meadows received an associate degree in applied horticulture/horticulture operations from Central Texas College and is on track to graduate in 2025 with a bachelor’s degree in turfgrass science from Penn State University. Meadows is also
working on GCSAA’s Certified Assistant Superintendent Series.
;“I felt like I was born to be a golf course superintendent, but I was never taken seriously in this industry until I had some education under my belt,” Meadows says. “I also discovered that a combination of perseverance and passion
for my work has unveiled numerous opportunities that I never knew existed.”
That includes the Allan MacCurrach Jr. Award, Meadows says.
“Being chosen to embody the principles of this scholarship is a profound honor, and I am committed to not disappointing those who have faith in me,” Meadows says. “My experience has shown me that I will never get rewarded for being mediocre,
and I cannot achieve success without people and some kind of help along the way.”
Phil Cauthon is GCM's managing editor.