Legendary lesson in humility

I learned one of my greatest lessons in humility nearly 17 years ago. But what made this lesson truly great was the person exemplifying it.

Looking for a place to sit early on the morning of Feb. 9, 2006, I clutched a Diet Coke and a muffin while walking around a GCSAA Education Conference and Golf Industry Show room in Atlanta. This wasn’t my first conference. I attended the event as a graduate student and became a regular in 2003 after joining the golf course superintendent ranks.

In those days, the education conference offered a two-day event called Innovative Superintendent Sessions. Superintendents conducted 15-minute presentations sharing helpful hints and tips to a large room filled with peers. The sessions were popular, with an early start time and a continental breakfast offered prior to the first speaker.

I quickly spied a roundtable with three men sitting to one side. I approached the trio and asked to take a seat. They politely said yes and I sat opposite them, initially keeping to myself. I was less than nine months into my job as superintendent at Carolina Golf Club, a position I still hold. We had been busy with Phase I of an ambitious four-phase renovation and restoration project. The workload didn’t allow time to meet my Charlotte peers and neighbors.

One of the guys seated at the table spotted the words Charlotte, North Carolina, on my name badge and said, “Hey, all three of us work in your area.” That man was Jim Gerber, the superintendent at River Falls Plantation in Spartanburg, South Carolina. Jim quickly introduced the guy seated next to him, whose name I’m afraid I can’t recall today. He then introduced the man seated directly across from me, “And this is Bill Anderson from Charlotte.” I looked at Bill and said, “Cool, what club?”

Bill Anderson was director of greens and grounds at Carmel Country Club for 32 years at the time. He was a legend locally, regionally and even nationally. Heck, he was featured on the cover of the January/February 1998 issue of the USGA Green Section Record, which I still have. And my literature review for my master’s thesis contained an article from the September/October issue of that same year written by Patrick O’Brien. The article featured Bill along with a cost worksheet for fairway overseeding at Carmel Country Club.

Bill looked at me and simply stated, “Carmel.” I was immediately mortified and embarrassed for asking. But Bill never batted an eye. In fact, Bill never said or did anything to make me feel inferior then — or ever. From that first awkward meeting was born a professional relationship and a friendship I could never have imagined and will cherish for the rest of my days.

Sadly, Bill died on Dec. 5, 2022. He was 71.

A few years after my initial encounter with him, the Carolinas GCSA launched Rounds 4 Research and Bill invited me to join him, Gerber and Todd Armstrong of Smith Turf and Irrigation. Bill said we want to support the program, so we’re thinking of bidding on something somewhere nice. We won two rounds of golf and two nights’ accommodations at Belfair Plantation near Hilton Head Island, South Carolina.

We played numerous rounds of golf together over the years, both at each other’s courses and other facilities too. Those rounds were always fun, competitive and educational. In April of last year, my former teacher and mentor Dr. David Chalmers was coming to visit for a couple days, so I invited Bill to join us for golf because I knew they were both Michigan State Spartans. It was fun to listen to two industry giants who knew a lot about each other’s careers get to know each other personally and compare all the people and places they shared.

Gerber, Bill’s closest friend, died in 2013 following a battle with brain cancer. Bill organized a golf event at River Falls Plantation to help raise money. It’s still one of the best-attended industry events I have witnessed. Bill was always one to share his knowledge and experience with anyone interested and his seminars at the Carolinas GCSA Conference were always well attended.

But the greatest lesson he ever shared with me was a simple gesture I try to emulate every day.

Stay humble.