Jim Moore to retire from the United States Golf Association

Jim Moore will retire June 1 from his position as director of the United States Golf Association Green Section’s Education Program. Over the last 32 years, Moore has worked in multiple roles with the USGA.

The organization announced Adam Moeller, an agronomist for the Green Section’s Northeast Region, will replace Moore.

“It’s been a great organization—good people—and I think they have the game’s best interest in heart, and environmentally, I’ve been very pleased with the environmental efforts of the USGA,” Moore says.

Moore served as director of the USGA's Construction Education program for 16 years. He worked to refine golf course construction practices and standards. He was instrumental in leading and coordinating the collaboration of the 2004 revision of the “USGA Recommendations For a Method of Putting Green Construction.” Moore also provided years of dedicated service as a member of the USGA Green Section Turfgrass and Environmental Research Committee, a role he will continue after retiring. Earlier this year at the Golf Industry Show in San Diego, the Golf Course Builders Association of America awarded Moore with the Don A. Rossi Award, which honors individuals who have significantly contributed to the game of golf and its growth and have lead others by example.

“He has had a long career with the USGA, but he certainly is one who has added a great deal of expertise and passion about the golf industry and golf course maintenance," says Dr. Kimberly Erusha, managing director of the USGA Green Section. "I think because of that experience and passion, he made the projects that we have and the education products we developed and the information that we were able to provide to golf facilities, he made that better.”

Moore is retiring with his wife, Kay Moore, who works as office coordinator of USGA Green Section Education. Together, Jim and Kay have made lasting impressions on the USGA and the golf industry through their combined 64 years of service. Both of them joined the USGA Green Section in 1984; Jim as director of the Green Section’s former Mid-Continent Region, and Kay as administrative assistant for the region.

Upon retiring, Jim said he plans to fish and play golf. “Kay and I raise honeybees,” he says. “We’ve got our own little honeybee farm. We’ve got six hives, and getting ready to split it and go to seven. We live out in the country on a little place that kind of keeps us both busy. Kay’s degree is in horticulture, mine’s in agronomy, so we try to get a live plant in here or there.”

Before he joined the USGA, Moore worked as a golf course superintendent for seven years, completing his superintendent career at Ridgewood Country Club in Waco, Texas, where his son, Travis Moore, now works as superintendent. “Hopefully I won’t completely lose touch with the industry thanks to him,” Jim says. 

Jim also served as president of the Texas Turfgrass Association. A veteran of the United States Air Force, he graduated from Texas A&M University with a bachelor’s degree in agronomy and turfgrass management.

His replacement, Moeller, has served as an agronomist in the Northeast Region since 2008. Moeller has worked with the USGA Course Consulting Service and as an agronomist at multiple USGA championships. He graduated from the University of Wisconsin with a bachelor’s degree in horticulture.

“Adam is definitely very excited about the position, and I look forward to seeing how he’s going to advance our education and outreach products to the industry,” Erusha says.

Williams is a GCI contributing editor.