Cole Thompson, Ph.D

Director, Turfgrass and Environmental Research United States Golf Association

Dr. Cole Thompson oversees the USGA Turfgrass and Environmental Research Program, which supports and conducts research to improve sustainability and advance turfgrass science principles that enhance management practices for golf courses. With input from a volunteer committee of university and industry scientists, Cole determines short- and long-term research priorities, solicits and evaluates research proposals, supports cooperative research funding opportunities with federal agencies and industry, and coordinates with USGA-supported scientists to monitor the progress of current research.

Cole has earned a B.S. in agriculture and M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in horticulture from Kansas State University. He was a USGA Green Section intern and worked as an assistant golf course superintendent before entering graduate school. Before joining the USGA in 2018, Cole held faculty positions at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and at Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo.