Innovative Golf Course Agronomist Rodney Lingle Honored with 2025 USGA Green Section Award

LIBERTY CORNER, N.J. (Feb. 5, 2025) – Celebrating a game-changing career in golf course management, the United States Golf Association (USGA) today announced Rodney Lingle, CGCS, as the winner of the 2025 USGA Green Section Award. Presented annually since 1961, the Green Section Award honors distinguished service to golf through an individual’s work with turfgrass.

An innovator, turfgrass field expert and mentor to countless golf course superintendents, Lingle began his career in 1974 at Hattiesburg Country Club in Mississippi. He joined Memphis Country Club as superintendent five years later and would ply his trade there for the next 37 years, during which time he invented products, advanced the science and art of quality putting surfaces and influenced the entire golf course maintenance industry with his curious mind and innovative tactics. 

“Everyone in golf needs to know the name of Rod Lingle – and follow his example,” said USGA CEO Mike Whan. “Rod has shaped careers, changed the way we think about golf course maintenance, and has never been satisfied with the status quo. But there isn’t a greater legacy you can leave than to be counted as a revered teacher and friend. Golf is better because Rod cares, and that’s why he’s deserving of this award.”

Lingle’s lifelong dedication to experimenting with and perfecting the use of ultradwarf bermudagrass spurred an industry-wide movement, improving the putting and playing experience for countless golfers and golf courses across the country. That seminal work took root on greens at Streamsong, Atlanta Athletic Club, the RTJ Trail, Pinehurst Resort & Country Club and others in Arizona and Hawaii. It led to Lingle’s development of Mach 1, an advanced turfgrass he eventually patented and is now available around the world.

An innovator at heart, Lingle also created the new greens mowing brush system after a golf course equipment manufacturer stopped making a previous model for walking mowers. Tinkering with various brushes at Memphis Country Club, Lingle eventually developed and patented the Greens Perfection Brush, Toro purchased the rights to use on mowers for the first four years – kickstarting a new era of innovation.

However, Lingle’s greatest contributions to the game stem from his lifetime work as a mentor and collaborator – earning the respect of countless superintendents over four decades of work in golf. He held 10 on-site ultradwarf surface management workshops while at Memphis Country Club, hosting hundreds of superintendents to share his novel maintenance practices and turfgrass management techniques. Superintendents under his tutelage tout his generosity, ingenuity, drive, care and passion – a “North Star” among his peers, university researchers and colleagues in golf.

“I am very honored to be named the 2025 USGA Green Section Award winner, as working with the USGA Green Section through the years has been the most rewarding experience of my career,” said Lingle. “A special thank you to the great staff in Memphis and Texas, you made all this possible by the hard work and dedication you provided. Your effort provided much of the foundation for the popularity and growth of ultradwarf greens in the South.”

After 37 years at Memphis Country Club, Lingle moved on to Escondido Golf and Lake Club in Horseshoe Bay, Texas. He is a graduate of the University of Mississippi, where he received a B.S. in agronomy and golf course management.

Categories

Articles
Dream Destinations
Africa
Alaska
Alberta
Anguilla
Antigua
Argentina
Arizona
Aruba
Australia
Austria
Bahamas
Baja
Bali
Banda Islands
Banff
Barbados
Barbuda
Belgium
Belize
Bonaire
Boston
Botswana
British Virgin Islands
Cabo San Lucas
California
Canada
Canary Islands
Cancun
Canmore
Capri
Chicago
Chile
Colorado
Columbia
Connecticutt
Costa Rica
Cozumel
Crete
Croatia
Curacao
Denmark
Dominica
Dominican Republic
Ecuador
England
Fiji
finland
Florida
Florida Keys
France
Galapagos
Georgia
Germany
Granada
Grand Cayman
Greece
Grenada
Hawaii
Hilton Head
Holland
Hungary
Ibiza
Iceland
Idaho
Illinois
India
Indonesia
Ireland
Isla Mujeres
Italy
Jamaica
Japan
Kauai
Kentuck
Kenya
Key West
Lake Como
Lake Tahoe
Las Vegas
London
Los Cabos
Louisiana
Mackinac Island
Maine
Malaysia
Maldives
Mallorca
Manzanillo
Marrakech
Martinique
Massachusetts
Maui
Mazatlan
Mexico
Michigan
Minneapolis
Minnesota
Mississippi
Missouri
Monaco
Montana
Morroco
Mykonos
Napa Valley
Nashville
Nevada
New Hampshire
New York
New York City
New Zealand
North Carolina
Norway
Ohio
Oregon
Palm Springs
Panama
Paris
Patagonia
Pennsylvania
Peru
Phuket
Portland
portugal
Prague
Puerto Rico
Puerto Vallarta
Punta Cana
Punta Mita
Qatar
Rhode Island
Rhodes
Riviera Maya
Riviera Nayarit
Saba
Saint Lucia
San Jose
Santorini
Scotland
Seattle
Seychelles
Shanhai
Sicily
Singapore
South Carolina
Spain
Sri Lanka
St. Augustine
St. Barths
St. Croix
St. Eustatius
St. John
St. Kitts
St. Lucia
St. Maarten
St. Thomas
Sweden
Switzerland
Syros
Tenerife
Tennessee
Texas
Thailand
Toronto
Tulum
Turkey
Turks and Caicos
Tuscany
US Virgin Islands
USVI
Utah
Vancouver
Venice
Vermont
Viet Nam
Virginia
Washington
Washington DC
Wisconsin
Wyoming
Dream Golf
Alabama
Anguilla
Arizona
Bahamas
Baja
Barbados
Bermuda
Britain
Cabo San Lucas
California
Cambodia
Cancun
China
Colorado
Costa Rica
Cyprus
Dominican Republic
Dubai
England
Finland
Florida
France
Georgia
Hawaii
Hilton Head
Iceland
Idaho
Illinois
Indiana
Ireland
Italy Golf
Jamaica
Japan
Kauai
Kentucky
Lake Tahoe
Las Vegas
Los Cabos
Malaysia
Maldives
Maui
Mauritius
Mazatlan
Mexico
Michigan
Minneapolis
Minnesota
Mississippi
Missouri
Napa Valley
Nayarit
Nebraska
Neuvo Vallarta
Nevada
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New York
North Carolina
Norway
Nova Scotia
Ohio
Oklahoma
Oman
Oregon
Palm Springs
Panama
Pennsylvania
Portugal
Puerto Rico
Puerto Vallarta
Qatar
Rhode Island
Riviera Maya
Riviera Nayarit
Scotland
South Carolina
Spain
St. Augustine
St. Barths
Switzerland
Tennessee
Texas
Tokyo
Turkey
Tuscany
USVI
Utah
Vermont
Virginia
Washington
Wisconsin
Dream Jobs
Anguilla
Argentina
Arizona
Barbados
California
Dominica
Dominican Republic
England
Florida
France
Georgia
Grand Cayman
Grenada
Illinois
Italy
Londo
Los Cabos
Maldives
Morocco
North Carolina
Oklahoma
Pennsylvania
Peru
South Carolina
St. Barths
Texas
Turks and Caicos
USVI
Virginia
Zimbabwe
Dream Specials
Featured
Jamaica
St. Barths

Sandals New Over Water Bungalows

Authentic Watches

Sandals Summer Savings

Check out Orbitz Best Travel Deals

Kiwi.com – Book Cheap Flights!