Courtesy of GCSAA
TPC San Antonio assistant superintendent Andi Meadows, a four-year GCSAA member, is the winner of the 2024 Allan MacCurrach Jr. Award of $10,000 from the GCSAA through the GCSAA Foundation. Meadows will be honored at the 2025 GCSAA Conference and Trade Show in San Diego.
Previously part of the GCSAA Scholars Competition, the Allan MacCurrach Jr. Award was revamped in 2021 as a standalone award to recognize an outstanding non-traditional student seeking a career in the field of golf course and turfgrass management. Applicants need to be majoring in a field related to golf course management, planning a career as a superintendent or related profession, be 23 years of age or older and be a GCSAA member to be eligible.
The Allan MacCurrach Jr. Award is funded by Allan MacCurrach III and the PGA Tour. It is named in honor of the late Allan MacCurrach Jr., who became the PGA Tour’s first staff agronomist in 1974 and was the GCSAA Distinguished Service Award winner in 1994. He was a member of GCSAA for 31 years and was one of the first to become a certified golf course superintendent.
MacCurrach Jr. found his passion for turf after he had a wife, a child and another degree in accounting, and he lived the struggle of trying to obtain a second degree with a full plate of existing responsibilities. His unconventional professional path ultimately became the driving force behind establishing the Allan MacCurrach Jr. Award to help others on similar career paths.
Meadows started in the industry in 2006 working as an equipment operator at Diamondhead (Mississippi) Country Club. Since then, she’s held various roles at The Oaks Golf Club in Pass Christian, Mississippi, Gordon Lakes Golf Course in Augusta, Georgia, and The Patch in Augusta. She completed a summer internship in 2018 at the Courses of Clear Creek in Fort Hood, Texas, and most recently worked at the University of Texas Golf Club before joining the staff at TPC San Antonio.
In 2019, Meadows received an associate degree in applied horticulture/horticulture operations from Central Texas College and is on track to graduate in 2025 with a bachelor of turfgrass science from Penn State University. Meadows is also working on GCSAA’s Certified Assistant Superintendent Series. She was also a member of GCSAA’s inaugural Women’s Leadership Academy in 2023.
“I felt like I was born to be a golf course superintendent, but I was never taken seriously in this industry until I had some education under my belt,” Meadows said. “I also discovered that a combination of perseverance and passion for my work has unveiled numerous opportunities that I never knew existed.”
While she has already worked in the industry for several years, her professional path has been unique. Meadows stayed home when her three daughters were younger and took college courses as her schedule allowed. Despite many people discouraging her from following her desired career path, Meadows has been steadfast in her studies and has remained focused on accomplishing her professional goals.
“Being chosen to embody the principles of this scholarship is a profound honor, and I am committed to not disappointing those who have faith in me,” Meadows said. “My experience has shown me that I will never get rewarded for being mediocre, and I cannot achieve success without people and some kind of help along the way.”
