MSUturfguy

When I was 22, I moved to North Carolina for an internship at Pinehurst for three months for the US Open. Really...the first extended time in my life I'd been away from home. And this guy made it the most memorable summer of my life.  This is Rufus Cole. The longtime foreman of Pinehurst Number 2. One of the top golf courses in the world. He was my boss...and he was our dad while we were away from home.  I'm in Greensboro, NC for a couple days and decided to ride down the Pinehurst this morning. And I was lucky enough to run into him. Actually, I kinda stalked around to find him. This dude had a heavy hand in teaching me about work.  First, get your job done. And do it right the first time. But the most important thing, he treated the work family like they were family. "Come on boys, we're going to play softball this weekend." "My family reunion is this weekend and you'd better be there. My family's never seen anybody from Mississippi."  Work doesn't have to be a chore.  He was a firm believer in offering a smile...and never raising his voice in a mean way. He was the king of being passive aggressive. "Hey, I need somebody to run over to 3 green and edge that bunker". Someone would say, "I've already done it."  And he'd reply, "well if you'd done it right I wouldn't have to take volunteers."  And then he'd laugh.  I've always been told to work hard and "be good to people."  And this is the guy who's embodied it every day of his life. I'm glad I ran into him today. I told him how those three months were some of the most influential of my life. I'm forever grateful the Good Lord allowed our paths to cross.