As this contribution was being crafted on Wednesday, Hurricane Ian had not quite reached Category 5 status as its winds and rain were already hitting Florida’s Gulf Coast, with devastating storm surge.
Numbers such as Cat 4 or 5 mean nothing in the clean-up afterwards and how bad that is in Florida remained to be seen as of this writing. Neither does the name of the hurricane mean anything, or at least that’s what the author of this piece was trying to believe with his own given name matching that of the storm.
The main thought as Ian headed towards landfall, however, was the well-being of friends who reside in Florida and their properties. In the aftermath of Ian, may they have the support of others – mental, physical and financial – in recovering and rebuilding after such an experience.
We know of such support coming after the devastation in Atlantic Canada caused by tropical storm Fiona, particularly in Port aux Basques, Nfld.
May the good spirit of Newfoundlanders be front and centre in the weeks and months ahead the way it was after 9-11 when they welcomed strangers with nowhere to go into their homes.
May others take the same attitude to kindly helping others in Prince Edward Island, where the clubhouse at the Stanhope Golf and Country Club burned during Fiona when over 1,000 trees were lost to the storm.
The golf industry and the communities around golf courses in times of need have a history of turning the word “me” into “we” when such events occur, lending equipment and facilities to those who need it and rolling up their sleeves to help out a club, even if it’s a rival business.
Such examples were often-heard observations from those who felt the effects of a so-called “atmospheric river” that affected courses in British Columbia, some that found themselves under water.
When flooding hit Calgary and surrounding area in 2013, Cottonwood Golf and Country Club was under water, yet Carnmoney Golf Club made its facilities available to help out.
Those are just a couple of examples of the industry and communities rallying behind a golf course in need.
These days, we’re hearing a lot about people not willing to go beyond their job descriptions, the so-called “quiet quitters,” but there are still those who don’t need to be asked to do extra for colleagues in the industry.
May those people always be in good supply.
