The 2025 GCSAA trade show featured 464 exhibitors over 154,100 square feet. Photos by Darren Carroll
By every measure, the 2025 GCSAA Conference and Trade Show in San Diego put up big numbers.
More than 11,000 attendees flocked to the San Diego Convention Center and surrounding venues, marking the second straight year of improved attendance over Orlando in 2023 and Phoenix in 2024.
More than 600 golfers competed in the GCSAA Golf Championships.
The trade show floor featured 464 exhibitors spread out over 154,100 square feet of exhibit space — not to mention the outdoor Golf’s Sustainability Showcase and Plaza Park areas, where exhibitors could show off their offerings in action.
And more than 6,700 seminar seats were filled, the highest total since 2008.
So, yeah, the 2025 GCSAA Conference and Trade Show was kind of a big deal. Here’s a recap of some of the highlights.
Industry leaders discuss the future of golf
The bad news about golf, according to Jerry Tarde, Golf Digest chairman and editor-in-chief: “Pro golf is broken, and it’s unclear whether it can be repaired. That’s how disruption works, and it lingers a long time.”
Fortunately, recreational golf is stronger than it’s ever been. “The sport you and I play, serviced by GCSAA and the USGA, is the greatest game in the history of the world,” Tarde says, “and today it’s vibrant.”
Tarde moderated a session titled “Working Together for Golf’s Future: Insights from USGA and GCSAA Leadership,” which also featured GCSAA CEO Rhett Evans and USGA CEO Mike Whan. Together, Evans, Whan and Tarde discussed the future of the industry from the GCSAA TV Stage on the trade show floor of the 2025 GCSAA Conference and Trade Show in San Diego. Two issues of particular interest: how to keep golf sustainable, and how to keep attracting and retaining the increasingly diverse audience that’s driving the growth of the sport.
“Ten years ago, if you told anyone this game was going to grow by 50%, we wouldn’t have believed it. If I said that growth was coming from juniors, women and people of color, you’d have thought I was smoking something,” Whan said. “Our customers look different than from even five years ago.”
Another issue for discussion was sustainability — both in the environmental sense and in keeping golf accessible for the next generation of athletic and industry leaders.
Evans said long-term survival for the industry requires collaboration, with each participant lending their skills toward a common goal. That common goal, for Evans, is simple.
“At the end of the day, you’ve got to create playing surfaces that 20 million players can enjoy,” he said. “The people at this show have to figure out how to make that work, and balance the amount of play with increased expectations, and how to use innovations that make their jobs not just easier, but more effective.”
Maintaining those standards, and the future of golf, requires partnership, Evans said, and GCSAA’s partnership with the USGA is a prime example.
“There are strengths and relationships that you have as an organization that we don’t, and some of what we have you don’t. We pieced together our knowledge, and we’re stronger for it,” Evans said. “The importance of this collaboration is to stay in our lane, but let’s all be going the same direction.”
— Abby Olcese, GCMOnline.com editor
GCSAA CEO Rhett Evans recounted his ascent of Mount Everest in an inspiring keynote at the Closing Send-Off Celebration
High school, college students show off their turf skills
Students from across the country competed in both the traditional Collegiate Turf Bowl Competition as well as the first-ever National Turfgrass Science Invitational at the 2025 GCSAA Conference and Trade Show in San Diego.
Penn State University’s Team 1 claimed the top spot among students representing 29 universities from across the U.S. and Canada at the 31st annual Turf Bowl, presented in partnership with John Deere Golf. The winning team was composed of Ryan Daub, Kyler McGowan, Joseph Lofland and Aidan Huedepohl. The adviser was Ben McGraw, Ph.D.
The previous day, a team of high school FFA members from Avery County, N.C., won the top team award in the first-ever National Turfgrass Science Invitational, an FFA Career Development Event. Teams of agricultural science students from across the country showed off their skills in both classroom and field events. Each team had four high school FFA members. The 60 students came from Alabama, Arizona, California, Kansas, Louisiana, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina and Wisconsin.
The first- and second-place individual winners also were from the Avery County FFA team. Aaron King was first, and Eli Church took second.
Alice Powell from Fallbrook Union High School in Fallbrook, Calif., took third in the individual competition. Second place in the team category was captured by the Fallbrook Union High School FFA members, and the Gila Ridge FFA team from Yuma, Ariz., was third.
For the winning team, just being able to participate was in doubt months earlier when their mountain community was hit hard by the September 2024 downpours that devastated western North Carolina in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene.
Not long after the floodwaters receded, though, a flood of support helped the team realize its dream of competing in — and winning — the National Turfgrass Science Invitational.
The FFA event will be hosted every other year at GCSAA’s Conference and Trade Show, alternating with the national meeting of the Sports Field Management Association.
A longstanding GCSAA event, the 2025 Turf Bowl was as competitive as ever, with second place going to the University of Maryland Team 17, with members Luke Murnane, Zachary Onderko, Joseph Poulas and Conner Todd. Adviser was Geoff Rhinehart.
Team 15 from the University of Massachusetts-Amherst placed third with members Jett Giza, David Newsome, Jacob Zeliger and Colby Soltysik. Adviser was Michelle DaCosta, Ph.D.
A total of 76 teams competed with 276 participants — the highest numbers of teams and competitors since 2012. Penn State University last won the competition in 2023, with Purdue taking first place in 2024, 2022 and 2021.
Other results include:
- Fourth: Purdue University Team 10, Jake Tower, Hayden Flick, Broden Piel, Hayden Wilson. Adviser Cale Bigelow, Ph.D.
- Fifth: Ohio State University Team 28, Zachary Beier, Jake Miller, Evan Flory, Trevor Sheets. Adviser David Gardner, Ph.D.
- Sixth (tie): Penn State University Team 3, Ryan Young, Wilson Kreitz, Gideon Foley, Chase Groelle. Adviser Ben McGraw, Ph.D.
- Sixth (tie): Purdue University Team 70, Otto Hoehl, Gavin Kenning, Mason Stephen, Bryce Thompson. Adviser Cale Bigelow, Ph.D.
- Eighth: University of Guelph Team 43, Hayden Gouin, Benjamin Horsburgh, Gavin Harkness, Aaron Brock. Adviser Cameron Shaw.
- Ninth: Cal Poly Pomona Team 63, Joel Torres, Magdaleno Basilio, Helena Novak-Murano, Jeffrey Hoyt. Adviser Sean McLaughlin.
- Tenth: Colorado State University Team 74, Kimberly Meza, Parker Gaudreault, Samantha Bradley, Maxwell Nikkari. Adviser Anthony Koski, Ph.D.
Leah Brilman, Ph.D., director of turfgrass product management and technical services-DLF, and Gwen Stahnke, Ph.D., retired instructor of turfgrass management at Walla Walla (Wash.) Community College facilitated the competition.
Students identified turf, weed and insect samples and turfgrass disease in multiple-choice and sample-identification formats.
Organizers thanked Christian Bowman, Ph.D.; Marcel Derendorf; and Jim Baird, Ph.D.; all at the University of California-Riverside, for growing and collecting most of the samples. Ambika Chandra, Ph.D., of Texas A&M University AgriLife Research & Extension, Dallas, provided zoysiagrass samples.
— Darrell J. Pehr, GCM science editor
The Flyaway Geese goose dogs were a big hit, as usual.
Autonomous equipment on display outside
While the buzz on the trade show room floor made for a constant bustle, just outside on the convention center’s terrace the scene was quite peaceful.
One would never know that half a dozen mowers were running.
The virtually silent, electric autonomous mowers were part of Golf’s Sustainability Showcase and the Plaza Park at the 2025 GCSAA Conference and Trade Show. Three vendors — Toro, Kress and RoboRanger — were set up on the long grassy strips of the terrace. Around the corner, various subject matter experts gave presentations alongside a miniature green constructed outside the convention center just for the conference.
Chris Zugel was among the 30 or so conference attendees watching the autonomous mower demonstrations. Zugel, GCSAA Class A director of agronomy and landscape at Whistling Straights in Kohler, Wis., said he’s been looking into autonomous mowers for about five years now.
“I’m looking pretty seriously. I’m seeing where the technology is and how it could fit into our operation,” said Zugel a 27-year member of GCSAA. “It’s nice to see them in person. You see video ads or something on YouTube and you can get an idea, but here you get to hear it and see the structure and how you’d transport it and how it operates. This is really valuable.”
He said he’s not sure that the technology has arrived to the point he’s ready to take the leap, nor is the cost quite where he’d like it to be yet — but he expects it will be soon.
“I think like with any technology, the cost decreases with time as the technology evolves. With the cost and increases in efficiency — being able to do other things while the mower’s deployed — it’s effectively starting to amplify the workload for somebody,” Zugel said.
Chris Erickson — GCSAA Class A director of agronomy at Rancho La Quinta Country Club in La Quinta, Calif. — has already deployed two autonomous mowers at his club and was looking into adding more autonomous equipment to his fleet.
“We saw a piece of equipment that is able to mow on steep slopes, and that was one of the primary things we came here looking for, as well as a range ball-picker,” said Erickson, a 25-year association member. “So we saw both of those today. We really liked the demo space they have here.”
Erickson deployed his first autonomous mower to attend to some smaller turf areas near club member traffic.
“We could never mow conveniently without disrupting outdoor patrons that were dining or members that were playing tennis or pickleball, so the introduction of an autonomous mower solved that problem overnight as soon as we implemented them,” Erickson said.
“Due to that successful implementation, we purchased a second mower to mow areas around the clubhouse and practice areas. So we’re slowly starting to integrate and learn the capabilities of the equipment and the limitations.”
Damon Soderberg — GCSAA Class A superintendent at Hawk’s View Golf Club in Lake Geneva, Wis. — said he’s not yet looking seriously into implementing autonomous mowers, but he’s keeping an eye on the technology.
“I’m trying to evaluate where the technology is at currently, just to see how feasible it might be within my operation, where it might fit in in the future,” said Soderberg, a 25-year GCSAA member. “We’re just not in a place where we can be an early adopter, but it’s good to know what’s out there. I haven’t run the numbers yet to see if it’s closer to making sense, but it’s getting there. It’s going to be a decision that we’re going to be able to make in the future. It’s exciting.”
— Phil Cauthon, GCM managing editor
Big-wave surfer Paige Alms delivered the keynote at the Sunrise Opening Session.
Sunrise Opening Session welcomes thousands
To kick off the 2025 GCSAA Conference and Trade Show, golf industry professionals from across the country and beyond joined each other for the Sunrise Opening Session, presented in partnership with Syngenta.
Among other things, the event honored Pat Finlen, CGCS, the 2025 GCSAA Col. John Morley Award winner and 40-year association member; Matt Gourlay, CGCS, MG, AGS, the 2025 GCSAA President’s Award for Environmental Stewardship winner and 22-year GCSAA member; Larry Stowell, Ph.D., and Wendy Gelernter, Ph.D., winners of the Outstanding Contribution Award; outgoing GCSAA President Jeff L. White, CGCS. Mike Gianopoulos, CGCS, was also recognized as the winner of the 2025 GCSAA National Championship.
The keynote speaker of the event was Paige Alms, a two-time world champion big-wave surfer who shared her breathtaking feats on some of the world’s most dangerous waves, inspiring attendees to face challenges head-on and ride the waves of life with confidence.
Alms described being hit by a 60-foot wave and the aftermath of a torn hamstring and stretched eardrums from being plunged so deep by the crashing wave — and the importance of preparation in that moment.
“After that wave hit me, my incredible team of people — a safety team driving jet skis with rescue knowledge — came in to rescue me. I don’t know what would have happened without them, truthfully,” Alms said. “I can honestly say I don’t know if I would have survived to be here today. For everything to go well in an uncontrollable situation like this, it goes back to preparation and trust in my team.”
Alms encouraged attendees to embrace fear as a motivator in life and to not be afraid of making mistakes, rather use them as a chance to learn.
“I’ve come to realize that fear is a motivator in my life, and probably why I’m so drawn to big wave surfing. Fear is merely a feeling in your mind,” Alms said. “The reason why I’m so good at what I do is because I’ve made mistakes and I’ve failed many, many times. I’ve learned a lot when I’ve failed. Failure and fear, it’s just fuel. You just have to learn to use that fuel to power you to do better.”
Finlen was recognized as recipient of the 2025 GCSAA Col. John Morley Award, the association’s highest distinction for members.
“This means a lot. I never thought I’d be here,” Finlen said. “If you ever go to headquarters and you walk in, you’ll see on the wall John Morley’s words: ‘No life can be or should be self-existent. We depend upon each other.’ That’s pretty much been my career. My whole career has been dependent on others.”
Through member nominations, Finlen was selected from among a slate of candidates for the 2025 award. His lifelong service to GCSAA, mentoring other members and far-reaching impact on the turfgrass industry are just a few of the reasons he was the recipient. Finlen’s accomplishments include serving as GCSAA’s president in 2013 and being a member on 29 different GCSAA committees. During his career, he also served as the president of three GCSAA-affiliated chapters.
After a long career as a golf course superintendent and club general manager, Finlen is currently the executive vice president of Denehy Club Thinking Partners, a full-service executive search and management consulting firm serving private clubs and boutique resorts.
— P.C.
T.A. Barker, CGCS, takes the podium after being elected GCSAA’s 88th president at the Annual Meeting.
T.A. Barker, CGCS, elected president for 2025
T.A. Barker, CGCS, was a little emotional in his first speech as GCSAA president. “I’ve got this speech here. I can’t get through it. I know that already. I don’t know why I wrote it,” Barker said to the assembly during the 2025 GCSAA Annual Meeting.
Barker, the superintendent at Fore Lakes Golf Course in Taylorsville, Utah, is the organization’s 88th president, taking over from Immediate Past President Jeff White, CGCS.
White expressed gratitude for his time in the position and excitement for what lies ahead during his farewell remarks.
“Serving you and our industry was never about me, it was all about us,” White said. “I hope you feel I’ve served you well and look forward to what the next generation of leadership and our incredible GCSAA staff will accomplish going forward.”
Barker said he looks forward to serving the organization and its members. “Thank you for placing your trust in me,” he told the group. “This organization was my professional home for so many years, and the passion of our members is what makes GCSAA truly exceptional.”
Barker is a 21-year member of GCSAA and a third-generation superintendent at Fore Lakes. He previously served as vice president of GCSAA under White’s tenure. He has been a member of the association’s board of directors since 2018 and is a past president of the Utah GCSA.
Members at the meeting elected Paul L. Carter, CGCS, superintendent at The Bear Trace at Harrison Bay in Harrison, Tenn., as vice president, and Marc E. Weston, CGCS, superintendent at Indian Hill Country Club in Newington, Conn., as secretary/treasurer. Steven J. Hammon, CGCS, superintendent at Traverse City (Mich.) Country Club; H. Scott Griffith, CGCS, director of agronomy at the University of Georgia Golf Course, in Athens, Ga.; and Gregory B. Jones, CGCS, MG, director of agronomy at Champions Run in Omaha, Neb.; were re-elected to serve on the Board of Directors, while Ryan S. Kraushofer, CGCS, superintendent and general manager at Westminster National Golf Course in Westminster, Md., and Brian J. Roth, CGCS, superintendent at Oquirrh Hills Golf Course in Tooele, Utah, were elected to join the Board as directors.
Like his predecessor, Barker said collaboration and innovation are important factors to him as he leads the organization for the next year.
“I look forward to working alongside such a talented team. It’s about working together, listening and striving to create a more innovative future for our profession,” Barker said. “I’m excited to see where our accomplishments can go.”
— A.O.
Baseball Hall of Famer and champion of golf Ozzie Smith gets real with Lauren Thompson.
Closing Send-Off Celebration
The week concluded with the Closing Send-Off Celebration, presented in partnership with John Deere. Ozzie Smith, the Baseball Hall of Famer and champion for the game of golf, was among the highlights. He sat with TV personality Lauren Thompson and talked about his career and life after it, including his many initiatives to promote golf and his local communities.
The celebration also included the presentation of the Emerging Leader Award to Chad Allen, superintendent at The Club at Chatham Hills in Westfield, Ind., and the Edwin Budding Award to Skip Heinz, CTEM, equipment and facilities manager at Royal Poinciana Golf Club in Naples, Fla.
Finally, the event concluded with a keynote address by GCSAA CEO Rhett Evans, who shared powerful life lessons and game-changing insights from his successful summit of Mount Everest in his presentation “Time’s Up! Lead Out!”
The 2026 GCSAA Conference and Trade Show will be held Jan. 31-Feb. 5 in Orlando at the Orange County Convention Center and will feature the kickoff of GCSAA’s Centennial Celebration.