Sunniland Super Spotlight Sarah Kasper

SunnilandSUPERSpotlight:

Sarah Kasper – Golf Course Superintendent, Summer Glen

Where were you born?

I was born and raised in Gainesville, Florida. Go Gators! I grew up in the country with my twin sister and two older brothers.

What was your major in school?

I majored in business management. To be honest, I didn’t know what I wanted to do when I got older, and figured business management was a degree that could give me more options.

Did you play any sports?

I played soccer for my entire life. I was recruited to a D-1 college, Charleston Southern University, but I was unprepared for the rigors of D-1 sports. I ended up transferring after my freshman year to a small, NAIA school named Lyon College. This is where I finished my collegiate soccer and earned my business management degree.

What got you interested in turf grass?

I had never given the subject a single thought until I began working on a golf course.

How did you get your first job on the golf course?

I was working at a bowling alley and there was a married couple who were regulars there. The husband, Sean, was the superintendent at Summer Glen at the time and offered me a job. He knew I was miserable at the bowling alley and saw that I had the right work ethic. Thanks Sean! 50 Golf Central • Volume 23, Issue 4

Summer Glen is a small course, with a small budget, but I’ve had the privilege of watching it transform during my time here. The course has improved in a lot of ways, and I’ve had the opportunity to form some great relationships with the members and residents over the years.

What do you enjoy most about your job here?

Free golf! Just kidding, but that is a great perk of the job! I love working outside, seeing the sunrise every morning, and working up a good sweat makes me feel like a badass.

When did you start working here?

I’m not sure of the exact date but it was in the summer of 2015. It wasn’t the best timing. My first few months on the job were experienced in this wonderful Florida heat.

How has the experience here helped to develop your career?

My experience here is my whole career in this industry. I started as a maintenance worker, doing all the grunt work. After earning my spray license, I became the spray technician. Not long after that, I was promoted to Assistant Superintendent. After 7 years of learning and growing under 4 different superintendents, I became the superintendent of golf at Summer Glen. Rags to riches!

Who are your mentors and how do you consider them to be your mentors?

All my previous superintendents were mentors for me. Sean gave me my start in this industry and urged me to obtain my spray license so I could continue to grow. Dave, my second boss, was the one who promoted me to Assistant Superintendent and really started to teach me the details of turf management. Until Dave, it was just a job. After Dave, I could see myself doing this for a long time. John, number three, called himself a ‘mad scientist’, and really built up my knowledge of the fertilizer and pesticide side of turf management. Janet, my last boss, was my true Sensei. She urged me strive for more in my career and was the person who convinced me that I had what it takes to be a golf course superintendent. All the knowledge she passed along was invaluable but her belief in my ability to handle this job is what made me believe it. Thanks Janet!

If you were to give advice to someone starting in the field what would that advice be?

Soak up all the knowledge you can. There are many different areas of expertise on a golf course, (mechanics, irrigation, fertilization, and pesticide application) and the more you know in each of these areas, the more valuable you will be to your golf maintenance team.

How did you plan to pay it forward with others that work in golf course maintenance?

I plan to help anyone who has the desire and work ethic to move up in this industry. I started from the bottom and I’m now running a course. I’d love to be able to say that I helped someone else accomplish this too.