The USGA Green Section is pleased to announce that M. Ali Harivandi, Ph.D., has been honored as a 2021 Ike Grainger Award recipient, which is awarded to individuals who have served the USGA as a volunteer for 25 years. These dedicated men and women tirelessly give back to the game through a variety of roles. Many serve as Rules officials at USGA qualifiers/championships. Others assist in administrative roles. But they all have one common attribute: they love the game of golf.
An environmental horticulturist who specialized in turf, soil and water for the University of California Cooperative Extension for 33 years, Dr. Harivandi has been an invaluable voice on the USGA’s Turfgrass and Environmental Research Committee since 1998. He is recognized around the world as an expert on recycled water use on golf courses and other landscape sites, and the research program would not have been as effective without his years of service.
The USGA’s Turfgrass and Environmental Research Program has supported more than 700 research projects at universities across the U.S. and internationally, at an investment of more than $45 million in grants since 1983.