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16 USGA Green Section AwardThe 2012 USGA Green Section AwardThe United States Golf Association selected turfgrass scientistDr. Wayne Hanna, of Chula, Ga., as the recipient of the 2012USGA Green Section Award for his achievements in developingenvironmentally friendly grasses that have made a tremendousimpact on golf courses around the world.Presented annually since 1961, the Green Section Award recognizesindividuals who have made an outstanding contribution tothe game through their work with turfgrass. The USGA GreenSection was created in 1920 to conduct research and to collectand distribute information about the proper maintenance andupkeep of golf courses to member clubs and courses.During his 40-year career, Hanna has produced bermudagrassessuch as TifSport, TifEagle and TifGrand, all of which arehardier and less costly to maintain, while providing excellent fairwayand putting surfaces for the enjoyment of millions of players,including those competing in USGA championships.“I’ve gotten a lot of feedback over the years,” said Hanna, “butwhen an honor like this comes from the USGA Green Section,it’s the icing on the cake. The USGA is the leader in making surethese grasses we develop perform to expectations and beyond.”A native of Texas, Hanna earned multiple degrees, includinga Ph.D. in genetics, from Texas A&M University. He settled inTifton, Ga., in 1971, beginning a long career as a research scientistfor the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the University ofGeorgia.Hanna collaborated with Dr. Glenn Burton, recipient of the 1965USGA Green Section Award, and their breakthroughs overthe years are a big reason Tifton is known as the bermudagrasscapital of the world. Hanna’s innovations have provided idealsurfaces for home lawns, public spaces and sports fields, includingmany college football and NFL stadiums.The Plantation Course at The Landings Club, in Savannah, Ga.,was the first course in the country to install TifEagle greens.Thirteen years later, The Landings was the host club of the 2011USGA Women’s State Team Championship, and it had TifEagleon all six courses.“TifEagle provides a much higher-quality putting surface on ayear-round basis,” said Mike Perham, the director of golf coursemaintenance at The Landings Club. “It allows us to meet thedemands of the modern golfer.”Designed specifically for greens, TifEagle can trace its origins to aGreen Section meeting in 1983, when USGA agronomists madeHanna aware of the need for a high-quality bermudagrass forcourses in the southern United States.“I always felt like we were a team,” said Hanna, 68. “It wasbecause of the USGA that I started on TifEagle, and golf peoplehave used it effectively. When you’re watching a golf tournamenton TV and they say that the greens are TifEagle, you get goosebumps.”Hanna’s legacy in golf is secure, but it is hardly complete.Although he retired two years ago, Hanna is still involved inthe University of Georgia’s turfgrass research program and willcontinue to have an impact on future advancements. He built astrong team of scientists that includes protégés such as Dr. BrianSchwartz, who is developing a bermudagrass that can stay greenlonger without water.“For the future, water is one of the most precious naturalresources we have,” said Hanna. “Anything we can do to use lesswater is a big benefit.”The golf industry has been one of the biggest benefactors ofHanna’s turfgrass advances, and the USGA’s Green Section staffhas worked closely with him for decades, funding his researchand consulting with him. The best example of the successfulrelationship between Hanna and the USGA is the developmentof TifEagle, which was released in 1998 and offered an improvedputting surface for courses in warm climates.