GCSAA names Grassroots Ambassador Leadership Award winners

JD Boyce, director of agronomy at Tupelo Country Club in Mississippi, and Wayne Lagasse, superintendent at Stonington Country Club in Connecticut, have been named Grassroots Ambassador Leadership Award winners from the GCSAA.

The Grassroots Ambassador Leadership Award, in partnership with The Toro Company, recognizes and honors individuals who have demonstrated growth in advocacy and advancement of the GCSAA Priority Issues Agenda through congressional outreach and relationship development with a member of Congress. Through Toro, the winners receive a trip to take part in the annual National Golf Day event in Washington, D.C.

The GAL Award is part of the Grassroots Ambassador program, which matches superintendents with members of Congress to build strong relationships between them. More than 500 GCSAA members currently serve as ambassadors.

Boyce, a 19-year GCSAA member, began working at a golf course at the age of 16. He attended Clemson University and graduated in 2007 with a degree in turfgrass management. He has been working in golf course maintenance and management ever since.

He became a Grassroots Ambassador in 2019 and is partnered with U.S. Rep. Trent Kelly. Once a Grassroots Ambassador, Boyce quickly lined up a meeting at Rep. Kelly’s office, where he met Darren Herring, the district office manager. Boyce was able to discuss GCSAA, the association’s goals, the industry, what it stands for environmentally and how it benefits the economy. Thanks to his advocacy efforts and time spent engaging with his representative, Boyce has created an open line of communication between his facility, his community and Kelly.

“Advocacy is important because of the negative preconceptions that most people hold about golf. It’s our job to speak up and tell them what we actually do and who we are,” Boyce said. “It’s important to advocate as environmental stewards who preserve wildlife habitat and responsible water managers who care for nutrient runoff and buffer zones.”

 Lagasse’s introduction to the industry also started when he was a teenager; he worked for five years at the Fox Hopyard Golf Club in East Haddam, Connecticut, before attending the University of Connecticut. He earned a bachelor’s degree in turfgrass management and soil science in 2013.

After attending National Golf Day in 2023, Lagasse, a 12-year GCSAA member, joined the Grassroots Ambassador Program. He is paired with Sen. Chris Murphy and has established a strong rapport with Murphy’s legislative aide, Jake Ecke. Lagasse recently hosted Ecke for a course visit to discuss the Connecticut Best Management Practices for golf courses, unique challenges he faces on the golf course and additional practices that he has incorporated to promote sustainability.

“As an industry, we all need to be advocates and continue to be vocal about educating our legislators on the many ways golf courses are beneficial to our environment,” Lagasse said. “Our legislators have the power to impact our profession, and it’s our job to continue to demonstrate that as turf managers we are stewards of the land.”