Sylvania, Ohio - The American Junior Golf Association is proud to honor Steve Brown, Superintendent of Sylvania Country Club, with the 2022 Superintendent of the Year award.
Each year, the AJGA presents awards to the tournaments with the best individual hospitality, Junior-Am Fundraising Tournament, charitable giving and volunteer base. Awards are also given to the events with engaged media and social media participation. Finally, the AJGA recognizes the year’s most outstanding golf professional, superintendent and golf course executive, as well as the most game-changing event, best new event, best Neuropeak Pro™ Preview Series tournament, best Ninja Junior All-Star Series tournament, best Invitational and overall tournament of the year.
Steve has been the superintendent of Sylvania Country Club for the AJGA Dana Incorporated Junior Open the last five years. In 2021, Brown was able to oversee two major junior tournaments in one year. He and his team provided top-notch course conditions at the AJGA Dana event and the Junior Solheim Cup. Brown's dedication and hard work shows his commitment to helping the AJGA as well as the juniors. He has proven his overwhelming drive for tournaments and ensuring they run smoothly.
"Each year it is a great experience to work with the AJGA staff and meet so many hard-working passionate people. The events are very professional and year after year run flawlessly. It’s great to be part of such a wonderful event and to be able to see the future of golf."
He continues to provide championship conditions for the AJGA Dana Incorporated Junior Open despite a small staff. Brown never fails to mention the hard work of his staff and credits them any chance he can. The close-knit environment allows for great communication and diligence, and the whole team exceeds expectations. The sense of community and overall effort is recognized and the AJGA acknowledges this diligent strive.
Audrey Ryu of Dublin, Ohio, the 2022 Girls Champion, earned a special exemption into the LPGA Dana Open event through her win. Thanks to Brown and his staff, Ryu was able to experience a championship level course and utilized her experience at the AJGA Dana Incorporated Junior Open at the LPGA event.
“It is a great honor to be recognized by such a wonderful organization as the Superintendent of the Year. This award would not have been possible without my wonderful staff, their hard work and the support of the Sylvania membership. The are a great number of events ran by the AJGA and it’s truly an honor to be selected for this award.”
Through all his time-consuming duties, Steve is always available prior to, during, and after rounds. He is always present and assures the tournament director that he will get things done even after the tournament has finished. Brown's devotion to the process is obvious from the energy he puts into helping others as well as his dependable reliance. He puts in the work for his tournament as well as being a credible source for others. Steve is an asset in the Midwest as an active reference for other venues. He goes the extra mile in every aspect of managing tournaments and displays a genuine eagerness to help.
“We can’t thank Steve and his team enough for the commitment to the AJGA Dana Incorporated Junior Open. His dedication to this tournament contributes to the AJGA’s mission of developing young men and women who aspire to earn college golf scholarships. He represents the importance of a strong tournament team and showcases the value of community and teamwork.”
This isn't the first AJGA tournament award for the AJGA Dana Incorporated Junior Open. The event also earned the 2021 Charitable Giving award . This event consistently gives back and outperforms in every department when it comes to running a tournament.
The AJGA Dana Incorporated Junior Open returns to Sylvania Country Club for the sixth year and runs from July 17th to 20th, 2023. More information on the 2023 event can be found here .