Rees Jones has been awarded The Golf Course Builders Association of America’s (GCBAA) prestigious Don A. Rossi award.

The Don A. Rossi award is presented to individuals who are deemed to have made significant contributions to the game of golf, help the sport’s growth, and inspire others by example.

“Rees has a unique opinion when it comes to building golf courses and believes courses don’t have to be long to be challenging or hard to be fun,” said Justin Apel, GCBAA executive director. “He was ahead of his time as this way of thinking has essentially become the mantra of the golf industry.”

Since beginning as a principal at his father Robert Trent Jones’ design firm, Rees Jones has remodelled seven US Open courses, four Ryder Cup courses and one President’s Cup site. Jones has travelled widely, participating in design or redesign projects in China, Japan, Canada, Mexico, Spain, England and Africa, as well as his native US.

Previously a recipient of the Old Tom Morris Award in 2004, given by the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America, and the Donald Ross Award, given by the American Society of Golf Course Architects in 2013, Jones will be presented the Don A. Rossi Award at the 2014 Golf Industry Show, to be held next February in Orlando, Florida.