Pat Finlen selected to receive GCSAA’s Col. John Morley Award

Pat Finlen, CGCS and a 40-year GCSAA member, has been named the recipient of the association’s 2025 Col. John Morley Award. He will be formally recognized Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2025, during the Sunrise Celebration at the GCSAA Conference and Trade Show in San Diego.

Through member nominations, Finlen was selected from among a slate of outstanding candidates for the 2025 award. His lifelong service to GCSAA, mentoring other members and far-reaching impact on the turfgrass industry are just a few of the many reasons he is the 2025 recipient.

Finlen’s accomplishments include serving as GCSAA’s President in 2013 and being a valuable member on 29 different GCSAA committees. He also served as the president of three different GCSAA-affiliated chapters and was named a chapter superintendent of the year twice, including in 1996 by the Heart of America GCSA and in 2004 by the GCSA of Northern California.

“On behalf of the GCSAA Board, it is my distinct honor to congratulate Pat on receiving the 2025 Col. John Morley Award. Pat’s unwavering dedication and exemplary service to the GCSAA have set a high standard for all of us,” said Jeff White, CGCS, GCSAA President and director of agronomy at Indian Hills Country Club in Mission Hills, Kansas. “Personally, I have learned immensely from Pat’s leadership and commitment during his tenure on the board and as GCSAA President. His approach has profoundly influenced the way I serve and guide our association.”

The award, named after GCSAA’s founder, was elevated to GCSAA’s pinnacle level alongside the Old Tom Morris Award in 2021 and is presented annually to an individual who is, or has been, a GCSAA Class A or B superintendent member and has made a significant contribution to the advancement of the golf course superintendent’s profession. The Old Tom Morris Award is presented to those outside GCSAA membership who have helped mold the welfare of the game.

“Pat’s unwavering dedication to GCSAA, the turfgrass industry and his selfless service to others have made a profound and lasting impact on the lives of many,” GCSAA CEO Rhett Evans said. “His strategic thinking and visionary leadership have been invaluable to our success. We are fortunate to have him as a member of our GCSAA community.”

After a long career as a golf course superintendent and club general manager, Finlen is currently the executive vice president of Denehy Club Thinking Partners, a full-service executive search and management consulting firm serving private clubs and boutique resorts.

“The Golf Course Superintendents Association of America means a lot to me, and I credit the association with getting me to where I have been,” Finlen said. “I have met so many people, developed many friendships, and learned from many superintendents and general managers.”

Finlen acknowledged Morley’s belief that “no life is, or can be, self-existent. We depend on each other.”

“Every time I go to GCSAA headquarters I see those words on the wall,” he said. “That quote is certainly true for me as I have always relied on others.”

Finlen’s start in the golf course maintenance business included stops in the Kansas City area, Virginia Beach, Virginia, and Monterey, California. Finlen served in various capacities at The Olympic Club in San Francisco from 2002 to 2019, including director of golf course maintenance operations, director of golf and general manager. During his tenure guiding the maintenance team at The Olympic Club, he hosted the 2012 U.S. Open, a U.S. Amateur, U.S. Junior Amateur and the inaugural U.S. Four-Ball Championship.

He later negotiated contracts for The Olympic Club to host the 2021 U.S. Women’s Open, the 2028 PGA Championship and the 2033 Ryder Cup.

After leaving the Olympic Club, he served as the general manager of the Winchester Country Club near Auburn, California, before joining Denehy Club, where he continues to impact the golf industry by recruiting and placing superintendents and general managers in jobs throughout the country.

Born in Washington, D.C., he spent his childhood in Omaha, Chicago and Kansas City before earning a degree in business administration at Rockhurst College in Kansas City.