We are happy to announce that Heather Schapals has joined the Green Section as an agronomist in our West Region, where she will be working closely with courses in California and the western U.S. Heather brings a tremendous amount of knowledge and experience to her new role with over 25 years of turfgrass maintenance experience under her belt, many of which were spent as a golf course superintendent. Most recently, Heather was the superintendent at Deerpath Golf Course in Illinois.

Originally from Wisconsin, Heather obtained a bachelor’s degree in geoscience with a concentration in soil and water, and a chemistry minor from the University of Wisconsin – Parkside. She spent the first part of her golf course maintenance career in her home state where she worked for her longtime friend and mentor, superintendent Ric Lange at Meadowbrook Country Club. She credits him with helping her to understand the importance of hard work, perseverance and attention to detail.

An interest in learning about golf course maintenance at a diverse range of facilities led Heather to work in California and Washington, including a stop at Chambers Bay where she worked for one of her mentors, director of agronomy Eric Johnson. She notes that working for Johnson during the 2022 U.S. Women’s Amateur exposed her to a high level of professionalism and calm under pressure that she truly admired. She is a GCSAA Class A Superintendent and received Superintendent of the Year in 2023 from the Monterey Bay Area Chapter of the Northern California PGA while at Seascape Golf Course. Heather’s considerable experience and strong work ethic will make her a great addition to our team of expert agronomists.

Heather and her husband Michael recently made the move back to California from Illinois and when she’s not working with golf courses she looks forward to spending time outdoors, camping, and hiking in California and throughout the West.