Darren J. Davis awarded FTGA Wreath of Grass

Published September 21, 2011

Florida Turfgrass Association Past President Darren J. Davis received the coveted Wreath of Grass award at the 59th annual FTGA Conference & Show. The award was presented at the Annual Prayer and Awards Breakfast in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., on September 15, 2011. Davis was the 83rd recipient since the award’s inception in 1960. The annual Wreath of Grass award is the FTGA's highest award, presented to recognize both personal and professional dedication to Florida's turfgrass industry.

“I am truly honored to have been presented the Wreath of Grass. While I am extremely grateful, an award was never expected as I already feel rewarded in the friendships developed, the knowledge gained and the feeling of satisfaction I have received in my service to the turfgrass industry. Rarely am I at a loss for words, but as I walked to the stage and thought of the many previous recipients who are mentors and individuals that I look up to, words simply failed me. I truly was, and am, humbled in accepting the Wreath of Grass,” said Davis shortly after receiving the award.

A long-time resident of Fla., Davis has served as golf course superintendent at the Olde Florida Golf Club in Naples, Fla., since 1992. Prior to accepting this position, he served as assistant golf course superintendent at the Loxahatchee Club in Jupiter, Fla. Early in his career, he worked at Augusta National Golf Club as an apprentice superintendent in 1990 and returned as the IPM technician in 1991.

Davis has spent two decades in service to the turfgrass and golf course managements industries. Currently, he serves as president of the Everglades Golf Course Superintendents Association, as a director of the Musser International Turfgrass Foundation and has just concluded his term on the FTGA board of directors and as editor-in-chief of the Florida Turf Digest, the official publication of the FTGA. He has been a member of the Florida Golf Course Superintendents Association since 1991. His name was recently placed into nomination for a position on the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America board of directors. Previously he served as president of the FGCSA.

From 1995–2008, Davis authored, assisted in production and served as host of the Superintendents’ Video Workshop, a series of golf course management training videos. He is a prolific author and has numerous articles published in The Florida Green, the trade journal of the FGCSA, Golf Course Management, the trade journal of the GCSAA and Platinum Coast Golf, a regional golf publication as well as the Florida Turf Digest.

Davis is no stranger to industry and association honors and awards. In 2004, he received the FGCSA Distinguished Service Award, the association’s highest honor. He twice received the Leo Feser Award, presented annually by the GCSAA for the best superintendent-written article published in Golf Course Management in 1997 and 2002. In 1995, Davis received the annual GCSAA National Environmental Stewardship Award in the private course division, for excellence in environmental leadership.

“He’s committed, he’s focused, he’s energetic, he’s persistent and he understands the big picture. His commitment in the past has paved the way for a lot of the positive results that we’re seeing in the FTGA, the FGCSA and the Everglades GCSA,” says fellow FTGA member and Golf Course Superintendent at The Old Collier Golf Club, Tim Hiers.

Past President Matthew R. Taylor said, “Darren is extremely deserving of the Wreath of Grass award. His dedication to the FTGA is without parallel. Not only did he serve on the board of directors for many years, but he also served on the executive committee and as president. If this were not enough, while performing his official duties, he also served as editor-in-chief of the Florida Turfgrass Digest for eight years. That alone, is worthy of the award.

The Florida Turfgrass Association was founded in 1952 and is dedicated to education, research, and the promotion of environmentally-responsible, professional and scientifically-based management practices for turfgrass. Today, the FTGA continues to advocate for and promote the turfgrass industry with extensive research, continuing education and opportunities for turfgrass professionals to network with their colleagues. The association actively provides financial resources to help fund turfgrass research in Florida through the Florida Turfgrass Research Foundation.

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