Ron Bivins: a humanitarian and top-notch golf course superintendent

By Karen Kistler

The Salisbury Post

SALISBURY – It’s been a busy year for Ron Bivins of Cooleemee.

In March, he was awarded the E.C. Tatum Humanitarian Award from the Davie County Chamber of Commerce.

And now, he’s working towards retirement.

The love of agronomy began at an early age for Bivins as he started mowing lawns at approximately 8 to 10, and in time made this his life-long career.

Bivins has served as the superintendent of the golf course at The Country Club of Salisbury for 40 years and is working toward making the transition from full time to part time and eventually retirement.

While the ‘R’ word has been mentioned, Bivins said he wouldn’t be leaving yet, as he said the summer season is a tough, busy time at the club with lots of things to be done and he would not be making an exit during this time of year.

After September has passed, he anticipates meeting with those in leadership and working out a part-time schedule until the time he can draw full benefits.

Bivins will continue to work at the club, said Isaac Davis, general manager.

“It’s not like he’s severing a tie, that’s not the case. He’s still going to work” he said, noting he could be doing some part time work or consulting if needed.

Bivins, along with wife Teresa, makes his home in Cooleemee. The couple has two children, daughter Jessica Miller and son Kurtis Bivins, and two grandchildren. Jessica is married to Alan Miller, and they have two daughters, Allie, 16; and Avery Jane, 12.

He has special memories of when his children were small and work kept him late and he would miss seeing them before bedtime; therefore, Teresa would bring the children to the golf course and the family would have a picnic lunch or dinner right there on the course.

“They were basically raised on this golf course,” said Bivins, “and now my grandkids were raised on it, too.”

In addition to his family, he said he has other families including his church family and his work family, which he calls his third family.

And then there’s his coaching family, having coached high school football in Davie County for 17 years, retiring four years ago from this responsibility, and his work family.

Gerry Moree, who has served as co-superintendent with Bivins since 2021 and been named as the new superintendent, called this a “dream team.”

And Jim Hutchinson, who has worked at the club for 30 years and been, as Bivins called him, his “sidekick for most of my career,” said this was a good crew and “probably the best team I’ve seen in a long time.”

And as each praised the team, they equally praised Bivins and his leadership and his dedication to the job and the country club.

Davis, who came in February, said that it has “been a pleasure and an honor working with him” and described him as one who motivates his staff and is an awesome team member to both the club and other department heads offering to help them however possible.

Passionate is one word that Moree shared to describe Bivins telling that he has his hand in many things, being active with his family and church and community.

“He’s all in” with whatever he does, Moree said. “I don’t understand how he has the time, but he manages to do a high quality attention to detail in everything.”

Detail-oriented, along with being dedicated and a good manager and prideful in the product he puts out were how Chad Campbell, the golf professional at the club, described Bivins.

Campbell, who has been at the country club for nine years, said that the relationship between the golf professionals and superintendents “are of the utmost importance as we’re working toward the same goal. The quality of the golf course certainly makes my job easier, the better it is, the less complaints.”

The team gets there bright and early, getting the course ready, “and by the time we get here and send off the first players, the golf course is pristine,” Campbell said, which is a testament to Ron and the team.

Weather is always a challenge, Campbell said, probably the biggest one, and with flooding that has occurred, the team has rallied and taken care of the issues.

Davis said he has only heard compliments from members and guests, but it’s not just the locals, but others coming in telling how great the course is.

And while the staff has been small at times, “he manages to get the product to the point where it really exceeds the member’s expectations yearly.”

“We always did a lot with a little,” said Bivins, noting that this is a proud saying of his having a small budget when first came and working with a small crew, he said their budget has increased and their staff works hard.

Bivins gives credit to Jimmy and Jerry Hurley saying they “were instrumental in starting the campaign for the renovation of the back nine along with Richard and Patsy Rendleman and many more donors. When the front nine was done, many more donors stepped up to the plate to finish the project.”

As far as the crew, Bivins counts himself on the team as he said he is a working superintendent as he is out there helping clean up from storms or mow, which gets done everyday somewhere on the course whether it’s on the greens, the tees or fairways, changing the cups, or in the wintertime, doing other projects such as tree, drainage or irrigation work.

“I get right out there in the thick of things with them and that carries over to the crew,” he said.

Moree watched and continues now that he is superintendent, noting that he and Bivins have the same ideas and passion.

“I just lead with kindness, have fun, get out there and work. I learned it from Ron, work with the guys, you’re part of the team,” he said. “You’re not really a boss, you’re more of a co-worker and try to develop relationships, friendships. So people really want to work with you that way.”

For all he has learned from Bivins and the many other ways he has been helped by him, Moree said “thank you is not enough” as he didn’t know how to put into words all he wanted to express.

During his 21 years, Moree said that Bivins had been everything, from a father to a brother to a counselor, seeing him through ups and downs.

Bivins told how his team is there at the club everyday of the year except Christmas Day doing something on the course, whether mowing or working on a project.

For 30 years, Hutchinson has volunteered to come and ride around on Christmas Day to make sure there’s no damage or busted pipes. Bivins calls him his Christmas Day worker.

Being caring and an advocate for his crew is how Tina Philbrick described Bivins.

“He’s a good balance of what’s good for the membership and what’s best for his team,” she said. “He’s a good leader.”

Philbrick, who has been there 13 years and serves as the comptroller, works to put the budget together and handle bills and therefore, she and Bivins work closely on invoices. He explains the whats and whys as far as the invoices go and therefore she has learned lots of golfing that she didn’t know before.

Bivins played lots of sports in school and was going to Appalachian on a baseball scholarship but got hurt at the end of his high school career. So he came to Catawba and hoped to pursue baseball there but was injured again. He finished his college years with a business and management degree and worked at a golf course amid those studies.

“While at Catawba, I was working at a local golf course in Mocksville, Twin Cedars,” he said. He graduated and remained several more years until he was hired as an assistant in Salisbury 40 years ago.

He said that it was “David Jordan and Hoyt Pope who hired me as superintendent and gave me a chance so I knew I was going to do the very best and give it a 150 percent to show them I could do it.”

The rest he said is history, telling that “it’s been good. It’s been a long career. It feels like 10 years.”

And what has kept him here? ‘Probably it was just always a challenge to make something better.”

While in college he had many jobs and knew he didn’t want one that kept him inside, so he said he prayed he would get one that “I really, really loved to do and all this came about.”

Bivins said “they say a superintendent is a landscaper, agronomist, plumber, electrician, mechanic, all of these things” plus you have to keep up with your licenses and be certified and keep up with continuing education unit credits, so he has worn many hats.

As he plans to make this transition, those who have worked with him wish him well on his, as they call it, a well deserved retirement.

When asked what message they would give Bivins, Campbell said, “a job well done and he has done a lot for this club.”

Philbrick said it had been a pleasure working with him and “I wish him all the best and look forward to continuing to work with him for as long as he is here.”

Hutchinson said that Bivins is a super guy and wished him “good luck.”

In his retirement Bivins will remain just as busy as he continues in his work with his church, Camp Manna, a faith-based camp and retreat, doing summer camps and after school care, and now has services on Sundays and Wednesdays. He and his wife serve on the board of directors.

He also serves on the board of directors for the River Park in Cooleemee called the Bull Hole. They are trying to make the park “a cleaner, safer, family oriented park.”

He loves to fish and hopes to be able to do that more.

He has also served on advisory boards for Cooleemee Elementary, South Davie Middle and Davie High schools.

When there are big events coming to the club, whether it’s something to do with his department or not, Bivins will ask if they need help to let him know, said Davis. “He is just that type of person. He cares tremendously for this place. He goes above and beyond.”

Of his many accomplishments, Bivins humbly shared of his being the recipient of the 2023 E.C. Tatum Humanitarian Award presented by Davie County Chamber of Commerce in March before many civic and business leaders. It was presented by Keith Beck, president of the chamber, because of his involvement in the community and commitment.

This is what Beck had to say:

“A humanitarian is defined as someone who is devoted to promoting human welfare and social reform often through charitable activities, advocacy or efforts aimed at the wellbeing of individuals and communities.

“This year’s recipient wears this definition well.

“This year’s recipient has been living, giving, serving and keeping Davie County for well over 50 years. This year’s recipient understands how to serve, how to lead and how to give back.

“This gentleman was an athlete and played football, baseball and basketball. This has led him to coach three sports. He has coached little league baseball and football. He has coached South Davie and Davie High football. He has coached Davie Recreation basketball and volunteered for Legion baseball for years.

“Because of his professional background and experience, he oversaw the turf renovation projects for baseball and football field improvements at Davie High School. He has helped local schools like Catawba College with field renovations as well.

“He has served on the Board of Directors for The RiverPark at Cooleemee Falls for years. He has been creative and instrumental in fundraising. His energy and vigor helped create efforts like fish fries and duck races to raise funding. You’ll find this year’s recipient at the park often, nearly daily, in summer.

“He holds high standards and expectations. He is kind-hearted and committed, he does what he says and says what he means, and he works his back as hard as his mind. He lives a life of example.

“In short, he makes all he is involved in better. He will feel that he truly doesn’t deserve this award, and that is another reason he does. He is an outstanding husband, father, colleague and friend.

“The world truly is better because he’s in it.”

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