MORGANTOWN — Mountaineer Golf Course is under new ownership and honoring its previous owner.
In its earliest days, members from Mountaineer Country Club relocated to a new course after the club was acquired by WVU to construct the College of Law building on what is now known as Law Hill. The course itself was located where Milan Puskar Stadium currently stands.
The course was last purchased by the late Paul Kapnicky in 1969. At the time, it only had nine holes but was later expanded by Kapnicky to a full 18-hole course, using his own back-9 design, around 1991.
The course was recently purchased by the Golden family and they plan to continue the course’s heritage and traditions.
“Paul’s work ethic and drive to succeed was second to none and I greatly appreciate him,” Mark Golden Sr. said.
A part of the Golden ownership is Golden Sr., who has a deep history with the course and the Kapnicky family.
“I have a passion for golf, and I was born and raised within a half of a mile from the golf course. I did the majority of my golfing here so you could say it’s my home course,” he said.
Golden met Kapnicky in junior high school and developed a professional and personal relationship with him and his wife, Carol Kapnicky.
“Paul developed Mountaineer Gardens and I was a big part of that, doing a lot of infrastructure there,” Golden said. “That’s how I really got to know Paul. I worked with him for probably six or seven years as a contractor and built a nice relationship with him.”
“Carol and I got to talking and that’s how I came across the opportunity.”
Kapnicky was very involved in several communities on the west side of the Monongahela River.
“A lot of other local charities are benefiting from the sale of the golf course. [Paul] was very passionate about everything on this side of the river, including Scott’s Run Settlement, St. Ursula Food Pantry and the Shack Neighborhood house,” Carol Kapnicky said.
The Golden family will also continue Kapnicky’s support of WVU athletics, including an arrangement with the school’s football program.
“Paul was known to be a huge supporter of WVU sports, especially football. You will still see Mountaineer Golf Course golf carts at every home game,” Carol Kapnicky said.
Moving forward under new ownership, the Golden family plans to take Kapnicky’s work with treasure as they continue to improve and strengthen the course. Golden also mentioned new lighting to be added to the on-site driving range in the spring of 2022.
In honor of Kapnicky’s love for charity work, the two benefactors of the event will be the WVU Medicine Children’s and Tidewell Hospice, the center where he passed away at age 92 in March 2019 in Florida.
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