A grandaughter’s love
Brittany Walker Pays Tribute to Her Grandpa ◗ It honestly does not surprise me my grandpa is still working at the golf course at 80-years-old. All my life, he has worked extremely hard and I have never once heard him complain about the work that has to be done; he just goes out and does it. You can also tell that he is extremely passionate about the work that he does at the golf course and takes pride in it. For me, my grandpa’s work ethic is something I look up to. He tackles everything that comes at him without thinking twice about it. My entire life he has always been a great role model for me and the rest of my family. My father Darrell is also a greenkeeper. Growing up, my grandpa and my dad worked together for around 10 years as the greenkeepers at the Melita Course. My brother Brett and I spent many days and hours visiting them at the course and Brett even worked with my grandpa and my dad for one summer when he was in high school. Since then, my dad has moved on to being the head greenkeeper at a course in Carnduff, Saskatchewan, but that doesn’t stop him and my grandpa from constantly comparing and sharing ideas about what each of them are doing at the different courses. Dad still goes to the Melita Course every once in a while to help grandpa out when he needs a hand and grandpa has even travelled up to Carnduff to give dad a hand too. It is great to see the relationship the two of them have. Seeing that kind of relationship growing up has helped me have such a great relationship with my own parents and family. I remember, at the beginning of every spring, my brother and I walking our bikes to the golf course and grandpa and dad meeting us there to fill up our tires with air at the golf shed. It is the small things like this that grandpa always took the time to do, even though he was very busy, that stick with me to this day. Today, I work as a photographer at our local newspaper and anytime I have to go take pictures at the golf course, my
BRITTANY AND DOUG WALKER HAVE SHARED MANY A MEMORY AT MELITA GOLF CLUB.
grandpa is always willing to help me get to the places on the course that I need to be. I also remember a few years ago when the golf course switched to being able to control their sprinkler system with a computer at the clubhouse. Using a computer was definitely something new my grandpa had to figure out. However, he was not afraid to ask me to come up to the golf course to show him how to change some of the settings and get things working the way he wanted. Being able to ask someone for help is something many people do not like to do, but grandpa is willing to accept help and learn a new way of doing tasks when confronted with that kind of situation.
Growing up, I was the only female grandchild that my grandpa had; it was just me and five boys, so grandpa always treated me differently and definitely spoiled me any chance he got. We have always been very close. I admire him as a person for all that he has done for our family. If there is ever anything that needs to be done, he is right there ready to help, without even having to ask. Grandpa is a man of very few words, but his work ethic, knowledge, and passion at the golf course – and in life – speaks volumes! GM
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