2026 Excellence in Mentorship Awards: Collier Miller

Collier Miller never defined the work he did throughout his more than 30 years at the PGA Tour as mentorship. Sure, he worked with turf pros at TPC clubs across the country, helped them develop professionally — and, in turn, personally — helped them move into the best position for success. But mentorship?

“I never thought of it as mentorship at the time I was doing it,” Miller says. “I guess looking back, yeah, that’s mentorship. Taking individuals, working with them on expanding themselves and preparing for a higher position, I guess that’s mentorship.”

Miller retired in November 2025, just shy of 32 years with the PGA Tour and well over 40 years in golf. Given the scope of his old job — he succeeded Cal Roth as TPC agronomy director, who established the position — he worked with hundreds of superintendents and assistant superintendents, equipment managers and crew members as the PGA Tour expanded the TPC network.

Those decades of sharing his experience earned Miller a 2026 Excellence in Mentorship Award presented by Golf Course Industry and The Aquatrols Company.

Miller and the other 2026 Excellence in Mentorship Award recipients will be honored at 2:30 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 4 at The Aquatrols Company booth #2341 during the GCSAA Conference & Trade Show in Orlando. Every mentor and mentee — and anybody who wants to share a story or a laugh — is encouraged to attend.

Following a brief ceremony for the 2026 honorees, we’ll hold an educational panel discussion with John Zimmers of Inverness Club, Courtney Young of Ansley Golf Club and Tim Moraghan of Aspire Golf from about 2:40 to 3:05 p.m.

Ahead of the roundtable and the ceremony, we’re sharing insight gleaned from conversations with Miller and Kevin Malloy, the TPC superintendent who nominated Miller for the honor.

Malloy has worked with Miller throughout his seven years in the TPC network, most recently during prep work for The Ascendant, a Korn Ferry Tour event at TPC Colorado, each of the last three summers.

“He’s been my tournament agronomist, so I’ve gotten to spend two complete weeks with him every year on top of a couple of other site visits,” Malloy says. “Those tournament weeks, spending two weeks with someone, especially when I came back to the TPC Network … I’ve been lucky to spend a lot of time with him.”

So have so many others. 

Collier Miller, The PGA Tour / TPC

You worked for decades to develop and promote from within the TPC network. What did that mean for you and for the rising turf pros?

“When we’re able to promote some guys in our network, it always feels good. We feel like we’ve done something right, we’ve done something good for somebody. One of the things we provide that many clubs in our industry don’t is confidence and support from their employer. … They’re not walking around on eggshells with their job on the line every time there’s a little mistake. I think giving these guys that kind of comfort makes their lives a whole hell of a lot better. And it keeps them motivated and wanting to work with us for a long time.

“From a business aspect, it’s a smart thing to do. Because it does help identify people and grow individuals to fill holes and gaps in your organization. It makes for fewer mistakes and gaps. … Mentorship is not just for ourselves. It’s for that individual to grow and build a career. And it’s good for our industry.”

Who do you consider to be your mentors?

“I was at Palm Springs for 12 years and worked for a developer there right out of college, Sunrise Company. We built maybe a dozen clubs in the Palm Springs market. I was hired by an individual named Dennis Orsborn. He was their director of agronomy. I was fortunate to get hired by him as an assistant at one of their clubs, Monterey Country Club. He’s the one who spent a lot of time with me and moved me up very quickly. Within two years, I was a golf course superintendent and a construction superintendent at the same time, overseeing the construction of a golf course. ‘Hell, I’m only 23, 24 years old!’

“And then, of course, when I went to work for the PGA Tour, it would be Cal Roth. I came onboard in ’94 and Cal taught me a lot and he guided and developed a lot of our foundation. He took me under his wing and within four years I was working out of headquarters. Dennis and Cal were definitely my two biggest mentors.”

Kevin Malloy, TPC Colorado

How have you implemented the mentorship lessons you’ve learned from Collier?

“A lot of what Collier has supported over the years is growing people and being invested in people. We’ve had five AITs since I’ve been here [starting in 2022] become assistant superintendents. Unfortunately, because I have quality assistants and they were all basically new when I got here, we’ve had to see those guys go elsewhere. But they’ve grown as interns into AITs and now assistant superintendents. We’ve started an equipment manager training program. Trying to grow people, Collier was very adamant about that.

“I think I’ve taken our back and forth and used that format to elicit discussion with my assistants and help grow them and get them prepared. All these conversations I’ve had with Collier and all the times that he’s pushed me or challenged me have ultimately made me think things out a little more intelligently. I’m trying to give others that same lesson.”

How would you describe yourself as a mentor at this point in your career?

“I want to be an important part of putting a lot of good people in this industry, because this is the only thing I’ve ever done and I wouldn’t give it up for the world. It’s important that we show that passion.

“You have to listen. You can’t know what people are thinking unless you’re willing to listen. And sometimes you listen to words, and sometimes it’s nonverbal, in actions. You need to be listening and you need to be connected, because the second you’re not, now you’re making decisions that might not help someone the way you think it will. People will tell you what they need as long as you’re willing to listen to them.”

Matt LaWell is Golf Course Industry’s senior editor.