The San Diego Convention Center will host the Golf Industry Show from February 2-7. The Powell family of Canton, Ohio, who were pioneers in breaking down racial barriers in the golf industry, will receive the 2019 Old Tom Morris Award.

The Golf Industry Show (GIS), presented by the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA) and the National Golf Course Owners Association (NGCOA), will return to the San Diego, Calif., Convention Center February 2-7. This year’s GIS will continue the theme of “Connect. Discover. Elevate.” that was established in 2018. 

The GIS currently follows a three-year rotation of an East Coast, West Coast and non-coastal location. Orlando and San Diego remain consistently popular coastal anchors for the show’s three-year rotation. The upcoming rotation of shows will be Orlando in 2020 and Las Vegas in 2021. Because GCSAA members have expressed a desire to also attend shows in more varied, non-coastal locales, sites up for future consideration include New Orleans, Phoenix and San Antonio, according to Rhett Evans, GCSAA CEO.

The 2019 GIS in San Diego will kick off February 3 with the GCSAA Golf Championships, which takes place over three days. The GCSAA Opening Reception (February 5) will be highlighted by the presentation of the 2019 Old Tom Morris Award—this year going to the Powell family of Canton, Ohio, who were pioneers in breaking down racial barriers in the golf industry. 

The family includes the late Bill and Marcella Powell and their children, Lawrence and Renee. Bill Powell, a member of GCSAA for 37 years prior to his death in 2009, was an entrepreneur and pioneering golf course owner who opened Clearview Golf Club in Canton in 1948. The integrated course was the first, and remains the only, U.S. course to be designed, constructed and owned by an African-American. 

Following in his father’s footsteps, Lawrence Powell, a 44-year member of GCSAA, currently serves as Clearview’s Golf Course Superintendent. Renee Powell was the second African-American woman to join the LPGA Tour, which she was part of from 1967 to 1980. Today, she is the teaching professional at Clearview. 

The GIS Trade Show will be conducted February 6 and 7 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., featuring hundreds of exhibitors across thousands of square feet of exhibit space. The show floor will also include special features such as “Inside the Shop”—a full, interactive replica of a maintenance facility that will showcase an efficient, cost-effective and safe work environment.