BOB CLARKSON
A B O U T B O B
Bob has demonstrated a tremendous ability to take on challenges in golf course maintenance in many geographic regions of the country. His passion for agronomy and excellence in high quality golf courses with many different turf grass varieties has afforded him a unique position in the superintendent world that emphasizes his vast experience.
Bob is originally from farm country in northwest Iowa and grew up playing the game on a local 9-hole course. His love for the game of golf and being on the golf course persuaded him to pursue a career in golf course management. Bob attended the highly regarded Iowa State University and graduated with a B.S. in Horticulture/Turf Grass Management. Following graduation, Bob began his career working as an assistant superintendent for the Tournament Players Club at Plum Creek in Colorado. It was here that he began his involvement with tournament golf preparing for the Denver Post Tournament of Champions, a Senior PGA Tour event.
To accomplish his goal of becoming a superintendent for a PGA Tour event, Bob transferred to the renowned TPC at Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra, Florida.
As an assistant superintendent, he was responsible for the construction and opening of the new TPC Sawgrass Valley Course and then became lead assistant on the TPC Sawgrass Stadium Course. His tenure at TPC rewarded him with tremendous experience and knowledge in golf course maintenance as well as PGA Tour tournament preparations.
From TPC, Bob’s first superintendent’s position took him across the country to the LaCosta Resort and Spa in Carlsbad, California. With the incorporation of an extensive reconditioning program, Bob was acknowledged with special recognition for outstanding playing conditions for the Mercedes Championship, a PGA Tour event annually contested at LaCosta. In his career, Bob has participated in the preparation of ten (10) PGA Tour events and five (5) Senior PGA Tour tournaments.
His next career move took him to Arizona working with the newly formed Raven Golf, where he served as Superintendent and Agronomist. His work included overseeing construction and grow-in of the Raven at Sabino Springs in Tucson and then Golf Course Maintenance operations for Raven Clubs and management properties.
Bob’s next challenge took him to the Roaring Fork Club in Basalt, Colorado, where he served as construction manager and superintendent through the grow-in and opening of this Jack Nicklaus signature private club in the mountains. While at Roaring Fork Club, Bob utilized his experience and skills to effectively incorporate a golf course maintenance program that met requirements of a local government and community with a strong environmental awareness and limited use of fertilizer and chemicals. Bob’s work over the five years at Roaring Fork Club demonstrated that high quality golf course conditioning could be achieved while having a very strong environmental sensitivity.
In 2003, Bob was given an opportunity to oversee the construction and grow-in of two golf course projects in Big Sky, Montana. As superintendent, Bob completed the Yellowstone Club in 2005/2006 and completed the Spanish Peaks Mountain Club in 2006/2007. These Tom Weiskopf signature design private clubs in the high mountains of Montana, posed a very unique and yet attractive challenge to Bob that has further enhanced his career. Bob’s work, possibly unprecedented, involved working with two separate management entities and golf course contractors simultaneously in the construction of these two championship golf courses.
Bob has recently taken on his next adventure at Crazy Mountain Ranch near Clyde Park, Montana. This Coore/Crenshaw project will begin construction in the summer of 2022.
Bob has demonstrated a tremendous ability to take on challenges in golf course maintenance in many geographic regions of the country. His passion for agronomy and excellence in high quality golf courses with many different turf grass varieties has afforded him a unique position in the superintendent world that emphasizes his vast experience.
