Carolina Golf Course Superintendents Association

What Carolina Golf Course Superintendents Association does

The Carolina Golf Course Superintendents Association (Carolinas GCSA), founded in 1954 and headquartered in Liberty, South Carolina, is a nonprofit professional association serving approximately 1,800 golf course superintendents and allied professionals across North and South Carolina, and is the largest affiliated chapter of the national Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA). The organization is run by a small professional staff of nine, including an Executive Director, Office Manager, Local Association Coordinator, Membership Coordinator, Marketing Coordinator, and Magazine Editor, and operates through a network of 13 local associations covering sub-regions of the Carolinas.

Carolinas GCSA's core offerings are member services rather than a technology platform: an annual Conference and Trade Show in Myrtle Beach that draws over 2,000 attendees across 100,000+ square feet of exhibits and 100+ hours of formal education, the award-winning bi-monthly Carolinas Green magazine and E-Carolinas Green electronic newsletter, regional seminars, a job board and employment referral service, an annual membership directory, the Carolinas BMP Manual, and scholarships and benevolence funds. Its most distinctive product is Rounds4Research.com, an online auction of donated tee times that Carolinas GCSA devised in 2008 to fund turfgrass research and that has since been adopted and administered nationally by GCSAA, generating more than $850,000 in cumulative research funding to Clemson and NC State universities.

The association's business model is a hybrid of annual membership dues across seven tiers priced from $0 (Educators) to $250 (Class A/B/Af), supplemented by conference registration and exhibitor booth sales, magazine advertising, and job posting fees. Government relations advocacy in NC and SC state legislatures, a Hurricane Disaster Relief Fund, and a Store marked "COMING SOON" round out the operating portfolio. Members are classified by role (Superintendent, Assistant, Associate, Affiliate, Student, Educator), and the value proposition combines professional development, peer networking, regulatory representation, and research funding rather than any proprietary software product.

Name

Carolina Golf Course Superintendents Association

Legal name

Carolinas Golf Course Superintendents Association

Website

https://carolinasgcsa.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1954

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Carolina Golf Course Superintendents Association (Carolinas GCSA) is a 1954-founded nonprofit professional association serving roughly 1,800 golf course superintendents and allied professionals across North and South Carolina as the largest GCSAA-affiliated chapter. It delivers the annual Myrtle Beach Conference and Trade Show, the award-winning Carolinas Green magazine, the Rounds4Research.com turfgrass research auction, advocacy, and education services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Association Services

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)

akta.pro primary industry

Collegiate Athletic Conferences & Associations (MPAKACAA)

Keywords

• Golf course superintendents
• Turfgrass management association
• Professional member services
• Turfgrass research funding
• Golf industry education

Headquarters

HQ city

Liberty

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership dues from approximately 1,800 members across multiple classes (Class A, B, C, AS, Af, S, ED) with pricing ranging from $0 to $250 per year based on classification and experience level.
2. Conference and Trade Show: Annual three-day Conference and Trade Show in Myrtle Beach, SC featuring exhibitor booth sales, attendee registration, and sponsorship opportunities. The nation's largest regional conference for golf course superintendents.
3. Carolinas Green Magazine Advertising: Advertising opportunities in the award-winning bi-monthly Carolinas Green magazine reaching golf course superintendents throughout North and South Carolina and beyond.
4. Job Posting Fees: Employment referral service providing job listings posted on the website with fees for advertising job openings and summer internship positions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

The Carolinas Golf Course Superintendents Association is a nonprofit professional association that delivers member services for approximately 1,800 golf course superintendents and allied professionals across North and South Carolina. Its core offerings include tiered annual memberships (Classes A, B, C, AS, Af, S, ED), the annual Conference and Trade Show in Myrtle Beach, the award-winning Carolinas Green magazine, the Rounds4Research.com online auction funding turfgrass research at Clemson and NC State, regional seminars, a job board, a membership directory, and a Best Management Practices Manual for Carolinas golf courses.

Product overview

The Carolinas GCSA is a professional association (not a technology company) offering a portfolio of member services including Carolinas Green magazine (bi-monthly award-winning publication), Rounds4Research.com (annual online auction platform for turfgrass research funding), the annual Conference and Trade Show in Myrtle Beach (the nation's largest regional superintendent event), regional seminars program, employment referral service/job board, annual membership directory, BMP Manual for golf courses, and E-Carolinas Green electronic newsletter. The association coordinates education, networking, government relations, and research funding for golf course superintendents across North and South Carolina.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Annual Carolinas GCSA Conference and Trade Show The annual three-day Conference and Trade Show in Myrtle Beach, SC, offering more than 100 hours of formal education and more than 100,000 gross sq. ft. of trade show exhibits for golf course superintendents, vendors, and industry partners.
• Carolinas Green Magazine Award-winning bi-monthly print and digital magazine featuring research, association news, industry updates, and member profiles for golf course superintendents across North and South Carolina.
• Rounds4Research.com Online Auction Annual online auction platform that sells donated tee-times to raise funds for turfgrass research at Clemson University and North Carolina State University, having channeled over $850,000 since 2008.
• Best Management Practices (BMP) Manual for Carolinas Golf Courses Best Management Practices Manual for Carolinas golf courses, used by members and presented to lawmakers, regulators, and decision-makers affecting the golf industry.
• Regional Seminars Program Series of low-cost, easy-access day-long seminars across the Carolinas supplemented by larger association meetings, providing high-quality education and networking for members.
• Employment Referral Service / Job Board Online job board and employment referral service that lists job openings and summer internship postings for the golf industry, accessible via the Carolinas GCSA member portal.
• Annual Membership Directory Annually updated listing of names and contact details for every member of the Carolinas GCSA, covering approximately 1,800 allied professionals across North and South Carolina.
• Carolinas GCSA Membership Program Tiered annual membership program with classes A, B, C, AS, Af, S, and ED priced from $0 to $250 per year, granting access to education, advocacy, publications, networking, and member benefits for golf course superintendents, assistants, associates, affiliates, students, and educators.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over $850,000 in turfgrass research funded to Clemson and NC State universities
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and flagship.

• John DeerecoreOthersLogo displayed as a partner on the Carolinas GCSA website. John Deere provides golf course equipment and is a key industry partner supporting the association and its members.
• TorocoreOthersLogo displayed as a partner on the Carolinas GCSA website. Toro provides golf course irrigation and maintenance equipment as a key industry partner.
• JacobsencoreOthersLogo displayed as a partner on the Carolinas GCSA website. Jacobsen provides golf course mowing and maintenance equipment.
• RevelsminorOthersLogo displayed as a partner on the Carolinas GCSA website. Revels is a tractor and equipment provider for the golf industry.
• Beard Equipment CompanyminorOthersLogo displayed as a partner on the Carolinas GCSA website. Beard Equipment Company provides golf course equipment sales and service.
• TSPminorOthersLogo displayed as a partner on the Carolinas GCSA website. TSP provides turfgrass management products and services.
• STI (Smith Turf & Irrigation)minorOthersLogo displayed as a partner on the Carolinas GCSA website. STI provides turf and irrigation equipment and supplies.
• SyngentacoreOthersLogo displayed as a partner on the Carolinas GCSA website. Syngenta provides turfgrass protection products including pesticides and herbicides through GreenCast Online.
• Clemson UniversityflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch funding recipient through Rounds4Research program. Carolinas GCSA has funded over $850,000 in turfgrass research at Clemson and NC State combined since 2008. Provides grants for turfgrass research projects.
• North Carolina State UniversityflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch funding recipient through Rounds4Research program. NC State is home to leading turfgrass research programs. Dr. Jim Kerns describes Rounds 4 Research as essential to program success.
• Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational parent organization. Carolinas GCSA is the largest affiliated chapter of GCSAA. GCSAA now administers Rounds4Research nationally, which was devised and implemented by Carolinas GCSA.
• Pinehurst ResortminorOthersHost venue for conference events and research announcements. Location for the 2025 conference where $286,000+ in research grants were announced.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• United States Golf Association (USGA): National governing body for the sport of golf in the U.S. Operates more broadly across the game but interfaces with superintendents through agronomy, turf research, and Rules of Golf. Relevant broader-incumbent peer in the same Carolinas golf ecosystem.
• Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA): National trade association for golf course superintendents and Carolinas GCSA's parent affiliate body. GCSAA now administers Rounds4Research nationally after Carolinas GCSA originated it, making it the closest structural peer operating at a national scale.

Others

• Turfgrass Producers International (TPI): International trade association for turfgrass sod producers. Adjacent/ecosystem participant in the same turfgrass industry that Carolinas GCSA funds research for; comparable association model but different constituent base.
• American Sports Builders Association (ASBA): Trade association for designers, builders, and suppliers of sports facilities including golf courses. Ecosystem-level peer serving the same Carolinas sports construction and maintenance market through a related association model.

Regional players

• Carolinas Golf Association: Regional amateur golf association covering North and South Carolina. Comparable as a Carolinas-based golf association, but focused on amateur play and tournament administration rather than superintendent professionals; useful peer for ecosystem context.

Direct peers

• National Golf Course Owners Association (NGCOA): Trade association representing golf course owners and operators. Directly comparable as a peer golf-industry association serving a related constituent set within the same Carolinas/national golf ecosystem.
• Sports Turf Managers Association (STMA): International professional association for sports turf managers (stadiums, athletic fields). Highly comparable model: membership dues, regional chapters, annual conference/trade show, education, and advocacy for turfgrass professionals.
• Florida Golf Course Superintendents Association: Another large GCSAA-affiliated regional chapter serving a high-density golf market. Directly comparable in mission (member services, advocacy, education, conference/trade show) and overlap in vendor and member ecosystem with Carolinas GCSA.
• Midwest Association of Golf Course Superintendents: Another GCSAA-affiliated regional chapter operating the same member-services playbook (dues, magazine, conference, advocacy) in a different but analogous geography. Direct structural peer to Carolinas GCSA.
• Club Management Association of America (CMAA): Professional association for managers of private clubs, including many golf clubs in the Carolinas. Comparable membership-driven model with chapters, education, conferences, and advocacy that intersects with Carolinas GCSA's member base.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CarolinasGCSA
• Facebookfacebook.com/Carolinasgcsa1954
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/carolina-golf-course-superintendents-association

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles19 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Carolina Golf Course Superintendents Association