TurfNet Superintendent of the Year 2009
Finalist Profile:
Bob Lively, Flossmoor Country Club, Flossmoor, Ill.
 There are clubs that complete renovation/restoration projects in stages, and then there is Flossmoor Country Club.
The Chicago-area course had agronomic issues when Lively was hired in 2002. And while he strived to improve playing conditions from Day 1, he also played a critical role in a three-plus-year, multi-phase renovation project that was completed last May.
"In my opinion, Bob Lively epitomizes what a modern day superintendent should be," wrote Greg Ohlendorf in his nomination of Lively for TurfNet's 2009 Superintendent of the Year award presented by Syngenta. "He blends common sense with today's agronomy techniques to get the best out of his and his crew's talents."
With the renovation, membership wanted to return Flossmoor to its historic place among the Chicago area's premier layouts. The course was the site of the 1920 PGA Championship, and Bobby Jones held outright or shared the course record for more than 50 years.
Rather than close the course and complete a renovation in one fell swoop, Flossmoor's membership embraced a three-year, multi-step plan that resulted in minimal disruption to play. Despite this drawn out approach, the renovation crafted by project architect Raymond Hearn was extensive, lengthening the course by some 400 yards. It included upgrades to all 18 holes, including designing and building two new holes, reseeding and resodding, new irrigation and drainage systems, extensive bunker work and removal of as many as 2,000 trees.
Thanks in part to recent economic woes, it also included utilizing some of Lively's staff for labor. That helped shave about $250,000 off the project price tag. For Lively, 44, it also meant maintaining parts of the course not under construction while overseeing the renovation. It also meant many long days for Lively as he managed both sides of that equation.
When Lively was brought aboard in 2002, disease pressure from overwatering had been a constant problem at Flossmoor and demanded immediate attention. He responded by solving the issue almost immediately.
"Within four weeks, the golf course was transformed. We were all like 'what did he do?' Ohlendorf said. "In his laid back manner, Bob said 'I turned off the water.' Brown is his favorite color."
With the transformation of Flossmoor under way, membership had realized they had the right man to oversee their renovation project.
"He loves what he does, and he lives it," Gohlendorf said. "Half the golf course is in a floodplain, and he deals with about four floods a year. We felt comfortable giving him a great deal of leeway to do what he needed to do."
"Bob not only had to keep up day-to-day maintenance on the other holes, but he was asked to supervise another set of workers who were concentrating on the six holes that were under construction," wrote Gohlendorf. "He not only handled these tasks beautifully, but managed to keep at least 17 holes open for play during almost all phases of the construction."
Flossmoor's bent/Poa annua greens always have been the club's pride and joy, and other than rebuilding two new holes, the club pretty much left its greens unchanged, other than to reclaim some of the original contours in Herbert Tweedie's 1900 design. To ensure a proper turf match, Liveley's crew cut sod from the club's putting green to fill in the reclaimed areas.
"I watched amazed for hours as they jigsaw puzzled that together," Gohlendorf said.
Always cognizant of budgets and how they affect the club, Lively took a proactive approach to saving even more money for his employer last year when he volunteered to restructure his contract and refused to accept his annual bonus. Those moves came at a time when members were raving about the recently completed renovation and his role in seeing it through to completion.
"Bob took the initiative to restructure his contract, and it was not to his advantage," wrote Mark Egge, the club's green committee chairman.
"Bob worked tremendous hours all with a passion and excitement about the project that was contagious, and he accomplished all of this while minimizing the impact on member play. The results of the renovation speak for themselves, and quite frankly without Bob this project would not have gone nearly as smooth or completed with such success.
The Superintendent of the Year award, sponsored by Syngenta, is presented annually by TurfNet to one outstanding superintendent selected from among those nominated by club officials, course owners, members, casual golfers, or staff members.
The winner will be announced at GIS in San Diego, and will travel with a guest to Ireland for a week-long golf course tour, courtesy of Syngenta.
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