Gary Ingram, the certified golf course superintendent and director of agronomy at Metropolitan Golf Links https://www.playmetro.com in Oakland, has been selected winner of the 2020 President’s Award for Environmental Stewardship by the Board of Directors of the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America announced in Lawrence, Kan.
The GCSAA President’s Award for Environmental Stewardship was established in 1991 to recognize “an exceptional environmental contribution to the game of golf; a contribution that further exemplifies the golf course superintendent’s image as a steward of the land.”
Ingram will receive the award on Jan. 29 during the Opening Session of the 2020 Golf Industry Show in Orlando, Fla.
“Gary Ingram’s career is a shining example of how superintendents are making the golf industry more environmentally sustainable,” GCSAA President Rafael Barajas said. “In addition, he has brought the message of the many benefits golf courses to his community through tireless outreach efforts. He is true steward of the land and champion for the industry.”
The Metropolitan Golf Links is an 18-hole golf course that sits on a former landfill next to the Oakland International Airport and affords the golfer spectacular views of the San Francisco skyline and the Oakland Hills.
Ingram works closely with numerous community organizations, including the Police Athletics League, Spanish Unity Council, Oakland Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and the Oakland City Council.
Ingram, a 39-year GCSAA member, also serves on the local water district’s landscape advisory committee.
In addition, he is involved with outreach to the next generation of golfers through Metropolitan Golf Links’ nonprofit organization, the Oakland Turfgrass Educational Initiative, which provides STEAM field trips to 200 area students each year.
“My parents were both teachers and I was always proud of how they positively affected the youth in our community,” Ingram said. “Through Metropolitan Golf Links, I facilitate the Oakland Turfgrass Education Initiative. OTEI is a nonprofit organization dedicated to teaching environmental science, agronomy, and using the course as a living lab for Oakland students.
“We have hosted over 2,000 students and had dozens of high school interns, some of whom have become employees at Metro. This has proven to be a great opportunity to both teach and maintain my core values of environmental stewardship and community involvement while also doing a job that I enjoy.
“ … After 50 years and being involved with numerous areas of the golf business, I still feel blessed to be involved with the creation of beautiful recreation facilities for our communities while enjoying the wonders of Mother Nature.”
Ingram grew up in Berkeley near Tilden Park Golf Course, where he worked various jobs while he was in high school. His work with Tilden Park’s maintenance staff led him to earn a degree in ornamental horticulture from Merritt College in Oakland.
Ingram has received numerous other awards through the years, including the national GCSAA/Golf Digest Environmental Leaders in Golf Awards in 2014 and 2018, CourseCo Superintendent of the Year, and GCSA of Northern California Superintendent of the Year.
In his 15 years at Metropolitan Golf Links, Ingram has employed an integrated pest management plan, chemical application management plan, and water conservation practices such as hand watering, reduction of irrigated turf, and use of an enclosed wastewater treatment recycling system.
Ingram is also working to make Metropolitan Links a zero-waste facility. He recently served on the steering committee to create a best management practices guide for California golf courses.
“(The President’s Award) is special because it shows how golf courses and our industry can be more than recreational facilities and how they are truly community assets,” Ingram said. “But my colleagues, co-workers, and of course my family, deserve much of the credit, as they have shaped who I am and supported what I have done at Metropolitan, with OTEI, and through my career.”
For a full list of past GSAA awards winners, visit https://www.gcsaa.org/about-gcsaa/awards.
