MEMBER SPOTLIGHT
MemberSpotlight
JOHN ANDERSON LGCC ’ s Most Senior Golfer
John Anderson has been a member of LGCC since 1995 and is the most senior active golfer at the club . Ask anyone who knows him , and they will tell you , that aside from being an excellent golfer , he is best known for his quick wit . When asked how old he is he says , “ I am 93 , would be 94 , but I was sick for a year ”. When asked where he was born , he says “ California because I wanted to be near my mother ”.
John graduated from UVA and had the prestigious status of living on the lawn . He was a member of Sigma CHI Fraternity and graduated with a degree in Economics . He worked for IBM and Moore Business Forms his entire career .
John and his wife MaryAnn have been married 65 years , have four children , nine grandchildren and reside in Augusta County . They moved from northern Virginia where John was a member of River Bend Golf and Country Club . He doesn ’ t offer much information about his golfing background , but we learned that his golfing history is impressive . River Bend is a premier private country club located in Great Falls Virginia . John won the Sr . Club Championship at River Bend four times , all after the age of 64 . His handicap was 5 , and he is on record with 8 holes in one , five of which at LGCC . John served as the Chariman of the Golf Committee at River Bend with responsibility for organizing all of the golf tournaments . He was also responsible for policing golf behavior on the course . It was not an easy job . In fact he says he wouldn ’ t go into the clubhouse for lunch until 2 pm . to avoid listening to complaints .
John describes his membership at LGCC as a wonderful experience and says he enjoys playing golf with so many nice people .
In preparation for writing this article , I spoke at length with Kermit Rockett , John ’ s long time friend and golf partner . Kermit believes the two have played more rounds together than any other twosome at LGCC . John plays golf several times a week . It ’ s easy to spot his car in the parking lot . The license plate reads “ Tee 1 Up ”.
John has always been proud of his prowess on the golf course . His daughter , Drury Whitaker , supports this statement when she shared that John signed all his personal correspondence as “ AP ” ( Arnold Palmer ). When asked how she would describe her dad she said “ Authentic / Fair / Honest / Humorous / Loving / A Golfer ”
Kermit shared one last John story , the “ Famous Kangaroo Cart Episode ”. John was walking behind his battery powered cart playing golf and chatting with Kermit . Somehow , John got distracted and his cart launched into the pond . John blamed Kermit saying that Kermit distracted him , however , if asked , I am sure Kermit would have presented an “ alternative ” explanation of the episode . Both knew that pulling the cart out of the water seemed a bit daunting , but being the two ” strong buff dudes ” they are , and unlike the other seniors , pulled it out without even using an electric winch .
After learning a bit about John Anderson ’ s life , I must conclude as he would say , “ it was almost interesting ”.
Beverly Burks
Special thanks To Kermit Rockett for his contribution and help writing this story and to John ’ s daughter , Drury Whitaker .
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