Ernesto Martínez (right) with his wife Carolina. Photos courtesy of Ernesto Martínez
Ernesto Martínez started playing golf when he was 4. Born in Caracas, Venezuela, he was a member of the country’s national golf team from 2014 to 2022. The South American country has had only about 18 golf courses, give or take, over that time. When Martínez was 20 years old he started becoming frustrated with the courses’ lack of maintenance.
“From around the early 2000s the golf clubs in Venezuela started deteriorating,” says Martínez, a one-year GCSAA student member. “I was complaining back then, but I was 20 years old, and nobody was taking into account my opinions. I was too young at the time.”
Martínez continues, “A few years ago, the courses started to go really bad. I decided I had to take action or they’re not going to get better if nobody studies turf science. I decided I’m going to be the first Venezuelan to graduate from a turf program in the U.S. and return home to restore our golf courses,” he says. “I came to the States to help me prepare to help all of the courses back home in Venezuela.”
Now a 45-year-old student at Penn State University’s turf program, Martínez has won the 2025 Allan MacCurrach Jr. Award of $10,000 from the GCSAA Foundation. The award recognizes an outstanding non-traditional student seeking a career in the field of golf course and turfgrass management.
The $10,000 prize will help Martínez and his wife, Carolina, travel back to Venezuela this winter. “We’re going back to get away from the cold and get a little warm weather between the semesters. I’m going to scout the courses while we’re there,” Martínez says. “I’m going to visit six of the courses — there are only 18 in the country so six is a big deal for us. It’s going to be a busy time.”
Laying the groundwork
Prior to attending Penn State, Martínez completed a one-year online course offered at a university in Malaga, Spain. He then traveled there for an internship at Real Club Valderrama after being encouraged by John Kaminski, Ph.D., a 28-year GCSAA member, to build a foundation in golf course maintenance before applying to Penn State’s two-year program.
While in school, Martínez has worked at The Alotian Club in Little Rock, Ark., as well as visiting as many courses as he can.
Martínez says attending the GCSAA Trade Show this year was a big part of helping him lay the groundwork for returning to Venezuela.
“I was able to see all the new equipment — it just opened my mind a lot. To see what things can be done on a golf course. It’s been a long time since we’ve had technology back home,” he says.
“Imports in Venezuela do not happen as easy as in other countries. You have to ask permission to the government. It’s a little easier now but for about 15 or 20 years it was very difficult to get something imported because you had to demonstrate to the government that what you were importing was useful for the country and where you got the funding,” Martínez explains. “They wouldn’t give dollars to just anybody. So, it was pretty difficult to get machinery and all our equipment is pretty old. My home course has a couple of newer machines. The newest one we have is around five years old, but it’s not the whole fleet.
“Right now we have a little bit more freedom with that. That’s why I’ve travelled and tried to see some of the top courses in the world so that when I go back, they will know that this guy knows what he’s talking about. He’s seen the top courses in the world, he’s studied with the best, so now we can listen to him. I want to be a leading voice on where we should go and how should we do it,” he says.
Martínez playing in the Venezuelan Amateur held at Guataparo Country Club in Valencia, Venezuela in July 2021.
Golf gave him everything
In 2020, a lesion on Martínez’s right eye impaired his depth perception, causing him to leave Venezuela’s national golf team. But he still felt compelled to do something about the country’s struggling golf courses.
“We have good golf courses. My home course is a Charles Banks design. There are a couple Dick Wilson designs that we need to restore,” Martínez says. “It’s just that the maintenance practices are not doing any good right now. Our greens sadly are rolling around an average speed of six or seven at tops when they’re really rolling good.
“So, I want to give back,” he says. “Golf has given me everything. My longtime friends have come from golf. I think all my jobs have come from golf. I live and breathe golf every day. I want to give back and I know what can improve the courses so that the young guys right now will have the opportunity to play in good conditions like I had when I was first growing up.”
“Now, it is my turn to give back to the game,” Martinez said. “It is a great honor to be selected for the Allan MacCurrach Jr. Award. Coming from a small country and leaving everything behind at 45 years old to pursue this career, this award is a tremendous validation.”
Martínez will be honored at the 2026 GCSAA Conference and Trade Show in Orlando.
Phil Cauthon is GCM’s managing editor.