Hall of Fame Award

Alan Nielsen, CGCS

Alan was born in Wisconsin in 1955 and raised on a family dairy farm homesteaded by the Nielsen family in the 1860s. Growing up on the land instilled a strong work ethic and a lifelong respect for stewardship of natural resources.

After graduating from high school, Alan joined the United States Air Force, where he served for four years, including two years stationed at Hahn Air Force Base in West Germany. Assigned to the civil engineering squadron, his duties included maintaining the base’s nine-hole golf course. Although he had no formal training at the time, this experience sparked his initial interest in turf management and the golf industry.

Following his military service, Alan pursued formal education in turfgrass science, enrolling in the Turfgrass Management Program at Michigan State University in 1977. Upon completing the program, he accepted a position as assistant golf course superintendent at Riverside Golf and Country Club in Portland, Oregon, working under superintendent Dick Malpass from 1979 to 1981.

Alan became golf course superintendent at Club Green Meadows, a privately owned golf course in Vancouver, Washington. In 1985, he accepted the superintendent position at Royal Oaks Country Club, where he would spend the next 34 years until his retirement in 2019. During his tenure, Royal Oaks achieved full certification as an Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary for Golf Courses, a program sponsored by the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA), reflecting Alan’s commitment to environmental stewardship and sustainable practices.

Over more than 40 years in the golf industry, Alan served in numerous leadership roles at the local, regional, and national levels. He was a long-serving board director for the Oregon Chapter Golf Course Superintendents Association (OGCSA) and served as its president from 2001 to 2002. His professional service also included board membership with the Northwest Turfgrass Association, the Oregon Turfgrass Association, and the Oregon Golf Association. After earning his Certified Golf Course Superintendent (CGCS) designation in 1987, Alan served as a chapter delegate to the GCSAA and as an attestor and coordinator for the golf course superintendent certification program, supporting many superintendents with their professional development.

Alan’s contributions to the profession have been recognized with various awards. His honors include the Richard Malpas Distinguished Service Award from the OGCSA in 2003, the GCSAA’s Environmental Leaders in Golf Award (Merit Category for Private Country Clubs), and the Michael Hindahl Environmental Stewardship Award from the OGCSA in 2009. In 2019, he was inducted into the OGCSA Hall of Fame, a much-appreciated recognition of lifetime commitment to the golf course industry.

Randy Shults, CGCS

Randy is a second generation Golf Course Superintendent.  He began his 54 year journey in the golf course industry by walk-mowing greens for his dad, Jack Shults at Forest Hills Golf Course in Cornelius, Oregon in 1969 at the age of 14.  Jack started his career at Eugene Country Club in 1957 under Superintendent John Zoller.  Jack was hired as Superintendent at Reames CC in Klamath Falls, Oregon from 1958 – 1961, Forest Hills GC from 1961 – 1979, Salishan Golf Links from 1979 – 1982.  After a short stay at Lakeside Golf Course in Lincoln City, Oregon he was on the crew at Summerfield Golf Course in Tigard under Rick Sullivan until he finally hung it up in 2001.

Randy worked for Jack all through high school until he enrolled in Clackamas Community College studying Ornamental Horticulture.  After he graduated from CCC he enrolled in the Turf Program at Portland Community College.  The program was taught by Bill Griffith who later moved to Walla Walla Community College’s turf program.  In 1974, Randy received a $200 OGCSA scholarship from then Scholarship Chairman, Richard Schwabauer. While at PCC, Randy was hired as the Assistant Superintendent at Tualatin Country Club, working under Rich Scholes.  Rich was also very active in the OGCSA and was President in 1981 – 1982. Randy was the Assistant at Tualatin from 1976 – 1978, he was then hired as the Superintendent at Summerfield Golf Course in Tigard where he served until 1984.  In 1984 he returned to Tualatin Country Club as the  Superintendent.

Randy was active in the OGCSA since 1976.  He served on the Board of Directors from 1980 – 1986, was President of the Association from 1982 – 1984.  Randy served on many committees over the years, but was instrumental in chairing the OGCSA Pesticide Applicators Seminar from 1990 – 2005.  He took over the seminar from Bill Griffith, who had organized the original seminar with Dick Fluter and Rich Scholes.

Randy also served on the Northwest Turfgrass Association Board from 1988 – 1991 and the GCSAA Certification Committee from 1995 – 1998.

Randy retired April, 2023 from Tualatin Country Club, serving 39 successful years as Golf Course Superintendent.

Tom Cook, OSU

Tom Cook’s career at Oregon State University spanned over 30 years culminating in his retirement in September 2008. During that time he taught turf grass management to hundreds of students, many of whom have gone on to become very successful Golf Course Superintendents and industry leaders. Tom received his BS in Agronomy from WSU in 1972 and his MS in Plant and Soil Science from the University of Rhode Island in 1975. He then spent 2 years as a research associate at WSU Puyallup where among other things, he figured out selective ways to kill Poa annua. But in my opinion one of Tom’s great strengths was that he also knew how to grow Poa annua, and grow it very well. Tom joined the faculty at OSU in 1977. During his tenure at OSU Tom was devoted to teaching, but also conducted many turf trials which gave us incredibly valuable information and programs which guided us in the use of fertilizers, fungicides, herbicides and insecticides in the Pacific Northwest. Part of Tom’s responsibilities at OSU was extension. He solved turf grass problems which ran the gamut from inane homeowner questions, to visiting golf courses and sports turf fields in the Pacific Northwest and for that matter all around the globe. During the course of his career Tom received many awards for his skillful teaching abilities. Among the awards; Who’s Who Among Teachers 1998, Teaching Award of Merit 1985, RM Wade Award for Excellence in Teaching 1985, Registry of Distinguished Teachers 1982 and 1985 and Outstanding Teacher Award and Distinguished Service Award from GCSAA in 2006. That year he also received OGCSA’s Distinguished Service Award. To put it in a nut shell Tom did a wonderful job of teaching academic theory and blending that with real world practical education. Tom resides in Corvallis with his lovely wife Marilyn.

Frank Zook

Frank literally spent his lifetime in service to the golf industry. His earliest years were spent watching his father, Sam Zook, a previous Hall of Fame inductee; manage the greens at Pendleton and Eugene Country Clubs. In 1953, at age 12, Frank joined the staff working for his dad at Waverley Country Club experiencing first hand all aspects of the profession. He was hooked, and after serving four years in the Navy, Frank took on his first job as Superintendent of Michelbook Country Club in 1964. Over the next 8 years, he continued his career at Green Meadows, Willamette Valley CC, and High Cedars serving as Superintendent at each. In 1972, he decided to enter the turf equipment sales field by joining Baltz and Son in Portland, selling Jacobsen. Out of this experience came the founding and ownership of Northwest Outdoor Equipment in 1979, starting a relationship with John Deere that lasts to this day.

As a member of the Oregon GCSAA since 1964, Frank regarded service to the association and its members as a high priority. He served a term as President in the 1960’s, and Industry Representative on the Board in later years. Frank always had the desire to help where needed on committees as well, most recently on the Hall of Fame committee. His company became a strong supporter of selected events and tournaments throughout the years, including the Superintendents Invitational, and Mechanics Seminars. Over his long career, Frank Zook clearly displayed a love of the game, and the people within the golf industry. His service will always be remembered.

Dick Fluter

A veteran superintendent, Dick began his working life at the age of 12 at Glendoveer Golf Course in Portland, working for his dad Edward Fluter, a previous Hall of Fame Award recipient. At Glendoveer, he learned a deep appreciation for the game, hard work, and the value of serving others. He was the first undergraduate in Turf Management at Oregon State University in 1966, and began a career of service to the industry that has spanned 40 years. During that time he worked at Oswego Lake Country Club for 28 years, and most recently as President of Pacific Sports Turf, all the while being willing to give advice and help anyone in need. An Oregon GCSAA member since 1966, he served as President from 1974 to 1977. During his term on the Board he helped organize the first official superintendent’s pesticide exam sessions in Oregon, the Pro/Superintendent/ Manager/Director Tournament, and organized local efforts involved in the 1977 GCSAA Conference and Show held in Portland. In the years since, Dick has served in advisory roles with local college programs and state agriculture committees. He has been a strong supporter of Oregon State University through Board service with Trysting Tree Golf Club, and the Guistina Foundation, and was instrumental in helping to acquire the recent one million dollar endowment for the OSU Turf Program. Through these many years of service, Dick Fluter has had an opportunity to contribute to our industry, but most importantly his impact on people through his efforts will always be appreciated.

Norm Goetze

Norm is a native Oregonian, growing up on a farm in the Forest Grove area. After completing his undergraduate degree from then Oregon State College, he attended Purdue University with fellow student James Beard. Norm received his Phd in Turfgrass Studies at Purdue in 1959. A short time later, he was hired at Oregon State with the enticement that he would be able to develop a Turfgrass Program. It wasn’t quite that easy; turf issues had to often be integrated into traditional Farm Crop classes since he also served as the State Farm Crops Specialist. During these early years of the “Turf” Program his first graduates, Richard Schwabauer, CGCS Retired and Richard Fluter, went on to become Green Superintendents. Throughout the 1960’s and early 1970’s, Norm worked very closely with Dr. Roy Goss from WSU, often setting up trials to further study the WSU test observations and confirm their results. Most notably the tests on the role of Sulfur on putting green turf, a very important study at that time. He worked closely with the then Oregon Turf Managers Association; dealing with Byron Reed, Harvey Junor, George Harvey, Homer Gray, Harry Schoath, Dick Malpass, and many others to provide education programs/seminars and serve the Golf industry. During this time, Norm worked hard with Dick Malpass to try and get the Turf Program at OSU funded through the state legislature. The Seed Industry joined in the attempt as well, but funds were not appropriated. As stated previously, Norm also had full responsibilities as a Farm Crops Specialist. He was very active with the Crop Science Society of America Division C5, which was Turfgrass Science. He headed this division for 2 years, then served for many additional years coordinating and editing all articles on turfgrass research. Norm was also responsible for educating all county extension agents in turfgrass management. As future Turf Program leader Tom Cook arrived at OSU, Norm shifted his full time emphasis into the Oregon Wheat Commission and the Oregon Wheat Growers League. He was heavily involved in International agriculture development in 15 countries, including Jordan, Turkey, and Peru, by helping organize research and training educators and scientists. According to those who know him, Norm had unlimited ability and enthusiasm to do what he loved. He helped lay the ground work for what has become a first rate Turfgrass Program at Oregon State University. Those who worked closely with him recognize him as a very busy man that “always had time for his students and those who needed help”.