By Stan Olenik, Editor-Publisher of The Golf Club

There are reports I dread writing and this is one of them.

When I learned Mike Gravley was diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer I didn’t go back into my files to prepare an obituary because I knew Gravley would win his battle with the disease.

I’ve never wanted to be right more and never hated being wrong more

Gravley passed away this week after his battle with cancer. He was 69.

It is easy to gather the numbers Gravley accumulated on the golf course.

The Greer golfer won more GGO championships than Sam Snead did .

He wasn’t the first to win both the Greenville and Spartanburg County Amateurs championships, but when combining the two no one won more.

When playing partner events he won the Carolinas Golf Association Senior Four-Ball with his cousin Stan Sill and added the South Carolina Golf Association Senior Four-Ball title with longtime friend Todd Webber.

His interest in the sport led him to pen several top-10 reports for this publication.

With his well traveled game we asked him to rate the top-18 holes, the top finishing holes, the top par-3 and 4and 5 holes in the Upstate.

With an impish sense of humor he decided since he wrote about the best, he ought to write about the worst.

He didn’t produce a “hit” piece, instead he identified the problem with a bad hole and offered a well reasoned suggestion on how to fix it and get it off the list.

I never saw Mike pass up a chance to share something he learned about the game with anyone who was interested and I never saw him shrink away from his steadfast observance of the rules of the game and the expectation everyone needed the same reverence for them.

But most of all I can see him smiling after a birdie, frowning after a bogey, but always loving the game.

Over the years, looking back through the Golf Club files there were many stories about Gravley’s wins and plenty of pictures of him on the course or lifting a trophy.

The last extended story I wrote about Gravley was after he accomplished something that defied the odds.

He won a qualifying tournament to earn a trip to a US Senior Amateur.

I hope you will click on this link and take a few minute to read the story. https://scgolfclub.com/2019/07/23/gravley-qualifies-for-us-senior-amateur/

It was easy to capture the joy Gravley was feeling knowing he had beat the odds and at 65 would play in a Senior Am,

It didn’t matter if he made match play or advanced, Mike won by beating the odds and making the field.

I thought and hoped when I heard of his illness that I would have the chance to write another beat the odds story with him.

Today I am sad and sorry for Mike’s family, for his many friends, for golf in the state and for me.

Mike Gravley’s obituary and service arrangements https://www.thewoodmortuary.com/obituaries/Mike-Gravley/#!/TributeWall