GCAA Hall of Fame

In 1980, the GCAA began inducting outstanding college golf coaches into the Golf Coaches Association of America Hall of Fame. Since then, the hall has grown to include more than 160 members. To be selected to the Hall of Fame, a coach must be nominated by their peers and then selected by the GCAA Hall of Fame Committee. Selection criteria not only include a coach's record on the golf course, but also their contributions to the game, student-athletes, and school.

In January 2002, the late Karsten Solheim, founder of PING golf equipment and Karsten Manufacturing became the first non-coach to be accepted into the Hall of Fame. Solheim was honored posthumously with the inaugural GCAA Lifetime Achievement Award for his outstanding contributions to college golf and its student-athletes. Other honorees include Byron Nelson (2004), Arnold Palmer (2007), Jack Nicklaus (2008), Friends of Golf (2010), Jim Awtrey (2015), Jim Nantz (2016), and Jerry Rich (2019).

Until 2012, living members of the Hall of Fame were eligible to receive the GCAA's highest coaching honor, the Honor Award. The Honor Award was presented, in cooperation with the College Golf Foundation as an Associate Presenting Sponsor, to coaches who during their careers, competed at a high level and greatly impacted collegiate golf.