Meet the Class of 2027:
William "Marsh" Benson
One of golf’s most respected superintendents who revolutionized turfgrass management through the invention of the patented SubAir System.
Jack Larkin, Sr.
One of Georgia's most accomplished amateur golfers with a competitive record spanning more than four decades.
Steve Mona
A highly respected golf executive whose leadership has helped shape several of the game's most influential organizations.
Carol Preisinger
A distinguished LPGA Master Professional and accomplished golf instructor with more than four decades serving the golf industry.
The Georgia Golf Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will take place on Saturday, February 13, 2027, at Atlanta Athletic Club in Johns Creek.
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Biographical information on the four inductees:
William "Marsh" Benson
Born in Lincolnton, GA, in 1955, William "Marsh" Benson's experience in the golf industry started in Athens at the University of Georgia. He enrolled in the landscape architecture program in the School of Environmental Design. A few years later, seeking a specialization, he joined the Penn State University Turfgrass Management Program.
After college, Benson interned at Augusta National Golf Club in 1981 under the guidance of superintendent Billy Fuller, a member of the Georgia Golf Hall of Fame. That experience with Fuller solidified his desire to build a career of his own in turfgrass management. In the years following the internship, Benson spent time as superintendent at clubs including The Country Club in Florida and Jennings Mill Country Club in Bogart, GA. He began making a name for himself and earning early recognition. That led to his return to Augusta.
In 1990, Benson became golf course superintendent at Augusta National Golf Club. He quickly made an impact and eventually was elevated to the position of senior director of golf course and grounds. Over a span of 25 years at Augusta National, Benson led efforts in long-range planning and campus development. His leadership helped ensure the club maintained the consistency of championship conditions for the best players in the world.
Perhaps Benson's most significant contribution to the golf industry was the invention and patenting of the SubAir System in 1994. This revolutionary technology was designed to manage moisture and air movement beneath putting greens. It has transformed the way golf courses are now maintained and has been installed at golf courses and sports venues worldwide.
Benson was also instrumental in nurturing the next generation of superintendents with the development of Augusta National's turfgrass student intern program. Students from around the world have participated with some becoming prominent leaders in the field themselves.
He retired in 2015 but remained active through a consulting company he started called WMB IMAGINE, which provides design, construction and project consulting services worldwide.
Over the years Benson has been honored for his dedication to making the game better through agronomy. Recognitions include the Don A. Rossi Award in 2020, the highest honor given from the Golf Course Builders Association of America, and the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America's Leo Feser Award in 2004, presented annually to a GCSAA member in recognition of the best superintendent-written article in Golf Course Management magazine. He was inducted into the Georgia Golf Course Superintendents Association Hall of Fame in 2015.
Jack Larkin, Sr.
Born in Honolulu, HI, in 1961, Jack Larkin, Sr., was introduced to golf by his father. Growing up golf and baseball were his sports of choice, but as his youth years progressed, golf became the focus. Perhaps that was due to him spending time at the course with his dad as often as he did.
His father worked in the trucking industry, so after moving the family to Tennessee, Larkin spent the first two years of high school at Battleground Academy in Franklin. The next move to Georgia allowed him to finish high school at Riverwood Academy in Atlanta. Most of his junior golf days were spent competing in Tennessee Golf Association events, Georgia State Golf Association events, as well as on the American Junior Golf Association circuit.
Larkin credits competing in the 1978 Georgia Junior Championship at Coosa Country Club in Rome as a launching pad for his early golf journey. A year after that he qualified for his first United States Golf Association event - the 1979 U.S. Junior Amateur Championship. He beat Billy Tuten, 1 up, in the final match at Moss Creek Golf Club in Hilton Head Island, S.C., to win the national championship.
A year later he started playing collegiate golf at the University of Georgia, where he served as team captain his senior year (1983). He helped the Bulldogs win a Southeastern Conference (SEC) Championship in 1982 and 1983. After graduating, Larkin took a job in insurance. A couple years later on a trip with his brother to Australia, Larkin decided to give golf a shot. He turned professional shortly thereafter.
He returned to Australia and competed on its professional circuit. After a short stint as a pro golfer, Larkin returned home and went back to work. On the suggestion of his sister, Larkin joined in on the family business in 1994 - the Pacific Southern Wine Company. Family owned by the Larkins since 1989, it provides sales and brand marketing for winery clients.
A return to amateur golf led him to several USGA events, including seven U.S. Amateur Championships, four U.S. Mid-Amateur Championships, three U.S. Amateur Four-Ball Championships. He also won the 1996 and 2001 Georgia Public Links Championships.
Once Larkin became eligible for senior golf, his game went to another level. He has won the Georgia Senior Championship four times (2021, 2023, 2024, 2025). On the national level, Larkin has competed in three U.S. Senior Opens (2015, 2018, 2022) and five U.S. Senior Amateur Championships (2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026). He still competes at a high level to this day.
Steve Mona
Born in Rockaway, NY, in 1957, Steve Mona spent his junior years on the west coast while attending Amador Valley High School in Pleasanton, CA. During college at San Jose State University, he gained experience as a sportswriter for local newspapers before earning a degree in journalism in 1980.
After college he entered the golf industry as a tournament director for the Northern California Golf Association (NCGA) based in Pebble Beach. After a couple of years, he moved back to the east coast for a role as assistant manager of press relations with the United States Golf Association (USGA) in New Jersey.
In 1983, Mona was hired as executive director of the Georgia State Golf Association (GSGA) at age 26. Over the 10 years of leading the GSGA, he ushered in a remarkable period of growth, including growing membership from 30,000 to 75,000 individual members and increasing a full-time staff of one to 10 employees. His leadership helped modernize the association and position it for the long-term success it sees today.
He helped implement the USGA's GHIN Handicap System, formalized the membership structure by adding annual dues and invited public golf courses in the state to join the association as member clubs.
Mona helped establish the GSGA Foundation in 1984, the charitable affiliate of the GSGA, with the Yates and Moncrief Scholarship programs. The Yates Scholarship provides educational opportunities for employees, or their dependents, of GSGA member clubs. The Moncrief Scholarship awards students of turfgrass management or agronomy. These programs have awarded more than $7 million in scholarships to deserving students. Today, the GSGA Foundation continues to enrich the lives of others through the game of golf by supporting these scholarship programs, as well as adaptive golf and junior golf programming.
In 1994, Mona was named chief executive officer of the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA) located in Lawrence, KS. During the 15 years he led the GCSAA, he elevated the visibility of golf course superintendents nationwide. He increased membership and staff size, as well as revenue for the association by launching a corporate partnership program and started the GCSAA Foundation and Environmental Institute for Golf (EIFG).
His next leadership role came as chief executive officer of the World Golf Foundation (WGF) in 2008, where he served until 2019. During this time, he integrated industry organizations and initiatives, including the First Tee, World Golf Hall of Fame and Golf 20/20, all under the WGF umbrella. This leadership helped advance the game's growth and outreach on a global scale.
Over the years Mona has served on boards of the National Golf Foundation, Golf 20/20, World Golf Hall of Fame Advisory Board, the LPGA Commissioner's Advisory Council, the National Minority Golf Foundation, plus several others.
Mona has been recognized for his contributions to the golf industry, including the Don A. Rossi Award in 2022, the highest honor given from the Golf Course Builders Association of America. He has been named to the "Most Powerful People in Golf" list multiple times by Golf Digest. Mona is a member of the Tri-Valley Sports Hall of Fame (San Francisco) and the National Black Golf Hall of Fame.
Currently, Mona serves as the director of governance and leadership for Club Benchmarking, a business-intelligence platform which provides private clubs with financial benchmarking, capital planning tools, member-survey data and other insights.
Carol Preisinger
Born in Atlanta, GA, in 1961, Carol Preisinger grew up around the game of golf and was introduced to it by her father. George Preisinger, Sr., was the head golf professional at Marietta Country Club in Kennesaw and later Bent Tree Golf Club in Jasper. She would often spend time helping out at the club with her siblings while her dad was working.
Preisinger played high school golf on the boys' team alongside her brother, before walking on to the University of Georgia women's golf team in 1981. After competing for four years, she graduated in 1984 with a degree in psychology and moved to Orlando, FL, to begin a career in the golf industry.
While working as an assistant golf professional, Preisinger competed in mini-tour events throughout the Sunshine State. A few years later she realized a career in golf instruction would be a better fit than perhaps as a player.
She returned to Georgia to be assistant golf professional at City Club Marietta in 1991. In 1995, she was promoted to director of golf instruction. During her thirteen-year tenure at the club, Preisinger developed innovative programming while expanding offerings for juniors and women. In 2004, she became director of golf instruction at Kiawah Island Club in South Carolina, where she would spend the next 18 years developing one of the top golf instruction programs in the country.
She earned LPGA Master Professional status in 2010 while leading instruction efforts at Kiawah Island. In 2011, she published Golf Abundant Elements, a memoir based on her father's life in golf and the values he developed through his journey in the sport.
Preisinger returned to Georgia in 2022 as the lead teaching professional at The Landings Golf and Athletic Club in Savannah, a role she currently holds.
Over the years she has served numerous roles within the LPGA Professionals leadership, including the Southeast Section president and LPGA executive committee from 2011 to 2016.
Preisinger has been recognized for her dedication to golf instruction and to the advancement of the game throughout her career. She is a two-time LPGA National Teacher of the Year and LPGA Section Teacher of the Year (1998, 2017). She annually is named to GOLF Magazine's Top 100 Teachers in America, as well as other 'top teachers' lists in various publications. In 2022, Preisinger received the Ellen Griffin Rolex Award by the LPGA Professionals, which recognizes an individual who made a major contribution to the teaching of golf and emulates Griffin's spirit, love and dedication to students and teachers. In 2023, she was inducted into the LPGA Professionals Hall of Fame.
As a way to give back to the game, Preisinger is involved with PGA HOPE veterans programming, charitable fundraising and junior golf development. The Preisinger GRIT Scholarship was established in 2017 by the Kiawah Island Club's women's golf committee, which awards a scholarship to a Charleston County (SC) female high school golfer nominated by their coach.
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These four inductees will bring the total number of Georgia Golf Hall of Fame members to 147.
The Georgia Golf Hall of Fame is dedicated to the preservation of Georgia’s golf traditions, heritage, achievements, and excellence.
The Georgia Golf Hall of Fame was created by an act of the Georgia General Assembly in 1982. Headquartered in Augusta, the Georgia Golf Hall of Fame began inducting members in 1989 and held an induction ceremony in Augusta annually through 2009. During the 2010 legislative session, the Georgia Golf Hall of Fame Authority and Commission was abolished. The Georgia State Golf Association then entered into an agreement with the Georgia Department of Economic Development to manage the ongoing activities associated with the Georgia Golf Hall of Fame. The GSGA is authorized to host the annual induction ceremony and store and display Hall of Fame members’ memorabilia in the Georgia Golf Hall of Fame Room inside Murray Golf House at Bobby Jones Golf Course in Atlanta. The induction ceremony was revived in 2011 at the Atlanta Athletic Club in Johns Creek and is now held annually.
