#ThankASuper Spotlight Series: Nick Yackle

In honor of international “Thank a Golf Course Superintendent Day,” we’re highlighting some of the outstanding superintendents within the KemperSports family.

Nick Yackle

Superintendent

Deerpath Golf Course (Lake Forest, Ill.)

Nick Yackle has been at Deerpath Golf Course for two years and has been in the industry for a decade. Since high school, Nick has seen the game of golf from a multitude of angles. Though he spent time working on a grounds crew, he never considered that it could be a full-time career until his first “real” job out of college, where he realized being in an office wasn’t for him.

Now 10 years into his career in golf course maintenance, Nick has found that no two days are the same. “There are always new challenges to overcome and problems to solve.”

In July, Deerpath celebrated the opening of The Lawn, a 30,000-square foot putting and chipping experience that will serve to introduce new players to the game while helping more experienced players perfect their short game. Nick and his team oversaw the grow-in of this open-to-the-public short game experiences, one of the first of its kind at a municipal facility and what’s sure to be a great community asset for Chicagoland golfers young and old for years to come.

Looking toward the future of the industry, Nick is looking for new and innovative ways to attract the younger generation to the profession, such as incorporating more flexible schedules.

His advice to younger individuals just starting in the field: “Whenever the chance may arise, listen and ask questions to the people in our profession that have done it successfully for 10, 20, 30+ years. There is a reason why they have stuck around in this industry for so long and you never know what you might learn.”

See below for the full series of #ThankASuper spotlights:

• Will Bell, Forest Creek Golf Club (Round Rock, Texas)
• Heather Schapals, Chambers Bay (University Place, Wash.)
• Ryan Howard, The Links at Perry Cabin, (St. Michaels, Md.)