The Georgia State Golf Association selects annual Players of the Year in the following categories: Men, Women, Junior, Girls, Senior Men, Super Senior Men and Senior Women. Players of the Year are determined by a point system based on participation and finish in GSGA and USGA events throughout the year.
The Georgia State Golf Association's Tommy Barnes Award signifies the GSGA's overall player of the year. It was established in 1998 and named after legendary amateur Tommy Barnes of Atlanta. Among his many accomplishments, Barnes won the 1941 Georgia Amateur Championship and qualified for 16 consecutive U.S. Amateur Championships. The Tommy Barnes Award winner is selected each year by the GSGA's Championship Committee.