GC HIGHLIGHT & MEMBER PROFILE
G.C. Duke Equipment 1184 Plains Rd East, Burlington, On
Member since 1988
1-800-883-0761
Neil Beech
www.gcduke.com
Vice President, G.C. Duke Equipment Ltd. By Neil Beech, Vice President, G.C. Duke Equipment Ltd. Photos provided by G.C. Duke Equipment.
“C
an you get up early? Real early?” “Yes Sir” I replied, not knowing real early meant 4 AM. And so, I began my first job, 12-year-old Neil Beech was the official tree waterer at the fledgling Saw Whet Golf Club in Oakville, Ontario. My job responsibilities that summer were dragging a 150’, 2” diameter yellow hose around the then five-hole course. No one explained where the water came from, but I eventually discovered the magic that was a quick coupler. I would drag that hose around the course watering all the newly planted trees. When finished, I would look up at the owner, Ray Patterson, and “keep going” was always the answer. Good thing I was earning the big bucks, $2.25 an hour; I was going to be rich. I spent the next five years working for Ray and his son Mike. By age 13, I was cutting greens, changing holes, topdressing with a shovel, and driving the 1962 purple Dodge
10
Neil Beech, Vice President, G.C. Duke Equipment Ltd.
pick-up around the course. It was the best job ever. Ray Patterson risked everything he had to build that course. The equipment was old and things broke, but somehow, we managed to get the job done. Both Ray and Mike were incredible influences on me. They taught me about loyalty, work ethic, and respect. Two great people who took the time to teach and explain. Seeing that course grow over the years to what it became
always made me smile. The Patterson family deserved their success. My next job was at Millcroft Golf in Burlington, as it was being built, where I worked for a true gentleman in Barry Endicott. I spent the summer fixing irrigation breaks and cleaning out clogged heads. With no golfers to bother us, it was a fun summer and like most courses, it had its share of characters. The shop was an old cattle barn. The mechanic, Frank, was obsessed with flies and had fly tape everywhere. You could not walk in the shop or lunchroom without bumping into one of these sticky tape rolls hanging from the ceiling covered in flies. Most staff opted to eat outside. I was to attend Carleton University in September but one day, for some strange reason, I read the classified ads in the paper and saw a tiny posting for a “Demo Rep” at G.C. Duke Equipment. They wanted someone with golf equipment experience. I called up after hours and some guy named Dick answered. He told me about the job, and I told him “Sounds great, I’m your man, I’ll be in when I have some time.” Apparently I was a little cocky in my youth. A few days
