Best Benefit Ever: A New Opportunity For Golf Course Managers

What’s the benefit? The International Golf Course Equipment Managers Association (IGCEMA) may have voted to dissolve  (opens in a new tab), but its members will find a new home in the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA)  (opens in a new tab). The GCSAA will fold former IGCEMA members into its own organization, granting them complimentary introductory membership through 2015 and continuing IGCEMA’s certificate program. “We recognize that equipment managers are an integral part of our membership and a vital part of the successful golf course management team,” John J. O’Keefe, CGCS, GCSAA president, said in a statement  (opens in a new tab). “We hope all facilities will encourage their equipment managers to become a valuable part of the association.”

Why it works for members: The assimilation of IGCEMA into GCSAA is a big shift for members, but both groups hold similar values, and IGCEMA’s former leadership believes members can be better served by their new status. “Our association has continued to grow, and we have reached a point where our growth has outpaced our resources as a volunteer group,” Stephen Tucker, former IGCEMA chief executive officer and the equipment manager at Tranquilo Golf Club at Four Seasons in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, said in a statement  (opens in a new tab). “This is a good day, and we are excited at the possibilities for equipment technicians around the world now to be part of the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America.”

Other perks: Newly enrolled golf course equipment managers will now have access to the GCSAA’s comprehensive set of benefits  (opens in a new tab) for career advancement, networking, facility management, and industry insights.

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