Good things for a good guy

Wayne Kappelman tells Golfdom Summit attendees about the challenges he has faced at Sharp Park. Photo: Golfdom Staff

Yesterday, the Golf Course Superintendents Association of Northern California (GCSANC) announced their annual award winners. One of their winners was Wayne Kappelman, superintendent at Sharp Park Golf Course, Pacifica, Calif. He will receive the Course Superintendent of the Year award from the GCSANC at their annual meeting on January 13.

We featured Kappelman on our cover last February as the winner of our Herb Graffis Businessperson of the Year. This award goes to someone in the industry who is thinking outside of the box to the benefit of their organization. Kappelman showed these traits while his course was being pressured by environmentalists over the presence of endangered animals on the course. Thinking outside of the box became second nature for him as Kappelman had to come up with new ways to treat his turf without harming any of their endangered critters.

I met Kappelman at the Golfdom Summit, where he was speaking to the invited superintendents as our Herb Graffis award winner. He was a genuinely cool guy. Speaking of the places he had been, the experiences he has had, Kappelman was also humble. Which was great, because his experiences are the kind that could easily intimidate anyone. One example: he spent six weeks in Laos, where he taught English to a group of Buddhist monks. Talking with him though, he doesn’t brag about what he’s done. Instead, he tells you about the people who have helped him along the way.

We’re pumped to hear that Wayne Kappelman was being honored by the GCSANC. It is always great to see good things happen to a good guy. Congratulations Wayne!

Of course, there were others honored by the GCSANC that deserve recognition as well. Randal Gai received the George Santana Distinguished Service award, Jim Ferrin the Turfgrass Excellence within the Public Category award, Jason Goss the Turfgrass Excellence Award in the Private Category award, Adrian Bertens and Mike Ligon both received the Bert Graves Affiliate Merit Award and Ali Harivandi, Ph.D was named for the GCSANC Presidents Award. Congratulations to everyone!