Speaking of Bob Lively, he's another guy from Chicago who should be considered one of the best superintendents around. He has done just a spectacular job at FCC. Before he came, the old superintendent never let the greens get faster than 9. They looked good, if you're looking for green on a green. When Lively was interviewed, they asked him about his "philosophy on greens". He said, "First of all, I don't like the word green if you're talking about greens. I like to see a little brown, a little purple and a lot of shiny turf." The interview, for all practical purposes, was over!
His other great philosophical stance on maintenance has to do with tough weather conditions. In the Midwest, the poa annua grass will die overnight if there's a combination of high heat and humidity. Bob's always said, "if something's gonna die, I'm gonna watch it die." Which means that he doesn't go home if that kind of weather is a real threat. He's a terrific superintendent and a great guy and clearly the key employee at FCC.