What makes golf such a special business in which to work is the family atmosphere that’s a part of many operations, including here at Cottonwood.
I suppose the term “family” does get thrown around a lot, but I see nothing wrong with that because it is such a great environment in which to work.
We look at our staff as another family. We’re always there for one another. That’s what happens when you work with people for over 20 years – you get to know their likes and their dislikes, their kids and their grandkids and you really notice when somebody who has become of your life is suddenly not there.
Recently, Cottonwood lost one of its great characters with the passing of Lorne, the father of our owner Lyle Edwards. Ever since Cottonwood opened, Lorne and his wife Audrey played all the time and he was very active with his family.
I knew him for 21 years and he was the only person I let get away with calling me “Tiffy.” He was like a grandfather to me and he had a great relationship with the rest of the staff. He would come down and play senior morning, then come in and have a bowl of soup and a draught beer and visit with the staff.
He was so close to everyone and he was Mr. Cottonwood – he would show up in his logoed hat and shirt. He always had a smile on his face, just loved being here and was so proud of what his son had done to build this place.
Lyle has always treated us as family, so I think we’ve inherited that mentality, which makes it especially noticeable when somebody isn’t around the clubhouse anymore.
We’re going to miss Lorne, for sure.
