Butler National Golf Club superintendent Michael Sauls didn’t always know that he wanted to work in the Green Industry. Saul spent two years studying engineering at another university  before he decided to change his focus, “having worked on a golf course during high school, it became apparent this was something that I loved to do…the decision to change my major to turfgrass management became obvious”.

Saul decided to join Penn State’s 2-year program after “observing the success of several Penn State graduates as superintendents in the Chicago area”. Saul recalls the 2-year program as “outstanding”. At Penn State, Saul learned “the fundamental science of turfgrass management and the importance of proper communication skills”, skills still emphasized in the two year program today.

Saul graduated in the class of 1980. Since then, he has hosted three PGA events, the 1988 and 1989 AT&T Pro Am at Spyglass Hill and the 1990 Western Open at Butler National as well as the 2005 Women’s Open, the 2012 U.S. Amateur Championship, the 2009 Palmer Cup, and the 2014 BMW Championship. But Saul’s thinks that the best thing about his job is “having the responsibility for the condition of a beautiful 200 acre golf course”.