The Virginia Golf Course Superintendents Association will honor three industry members at the VGCSA Annual Meeting Jan. 14 at the Fredericksburg Expo Center.
Longtime golf course superintendent Mike Burkholder of Star Tannery, Va., has been named winner of the President's Award for Lifetime Service for 2008. Veteran golf course superintendent Bob Ruff, CGCS, of Williamsburg, Va., has been named winner of the prestigious Distinguished Service Award for 2008. Lastly, Virginia Tech Senior Derik Cataldi of Gordonsville, Va., has been named recipient of the 2008 Turfgrass Scholarship by the Virginia Golf Course Superintendents Association. The award is given annually to the top student in turf, who also upholds the high ideals of character representative of the profession of golf course superintendent.
Burkholder logged some 63 years in the profession, mostly in northern Virginia and the Shenandoah Valley. Burkholder was a leader in association affairs, including helping found the Shenandoah Valley Turfgrass Association 26 years ago and serving as its president. He was recognized by the SVTA for outstanding leadership in 1983-85, and in 2003 he received the SVTA's Lewis A. Lamp Jr. Achievement Award, in recognition of dedication and service. He also received the Virginia Turfgrass Council Award for dedication to the improvement to the turf industry, and the VTC and VGCSA honored him as a life member.
" I am honored to receive these awards and appreciate the acknowledgement from my peers and friendships I have developed over the years," says Burkholder.
Ruff, a 1973 graduate of Virginia Tech, worked a several facilities during his career. His longest tenure was 21 years at Wintergreen Resort, where he helped build a name for the resort, attracting the State Amateur, USGA qualifying rounds and other major events. In 1999 Ruff accepted the superintendent position at Two Rivers Country Club near Williamsburg, where today he serves as director of maintenance: golf, grounds and clubhouse. In 1981 Ruff earned his certification from GCSAA, and in 1983 he served as President of the Virginia Turfgrass Association (VTA) based in southwest Virginia. He was elected president of the Virginia Turfgrass Council (VTC) in 1984-85, later earning the VTC's Presidents Award in 1986. That same year, he served as president of the Virginia Turfgrass Foundation. Over the years, he served on many committees for GCSAA.
"In some small way, I hope I have helped instilled my passion for the golf maintenance profession over my 34 years to the greatest bunch of assistants, peers, cohorts and friends,” Ruff says. “Virginia has been a great place to work and my colleagues have offered the support and caring required to survive in this sometimes difficult profession."
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