Golf tournaments can be played for competition, for an audience, to raise money – or for no particular reason at all. At Saluda Valley Country Club, the reason was clear: to bring Eddie Martin together again with the golfers he served for so many years.

By Stan Olenik Editor-Publisher. The Golf Club

The golf club in Williamston held a tournament in honor of Martin, its longtime golf professional and manager. Not every golfer in the field of just over 100 had a personal relationship with the retired pro, but most did.

Martin is facing serious health challenges, and his limited mobility means that getting out takes planning and help. But once he arrived at Saluda Valley, the friends and golfers who made a point of stopping to say hello and wish him well offered a welcome that nearly overwhelmed him.

Martin has been through the ups and downs, good and bad, normal and ridiculous moments that come with a life in golf. He has kept his devilish sense of humor, too.

As friends stopped by to tell him they were glad to see him, Martin often replied, “I’m glad to see me, too.” The line brought smiles from both sides of the conversation.

Many of the golfers in the tournament had stories about Eddie and his years at the course. Neil and Josh Campbell grew up around the corner. When there was no school, every other day began with breakfast and a trip to Saluda Valley.

“Eddie was here and got so many of us playing golf and always having fun doing it,” Neil Campbell said.

Josh Campbell, once a very active golfer, has hardly played lately. For the tournament, though, he found his clubs again.

“Eddie was important to us over the years, and I wanted to be part of the tournament because of how much he has meant to Neil and me,” he said.

There were plenty of stories among the gathering that began with, “Do you remember when Eddie …?” Each one carried a memory of a moment with Martin.

As the face of the club for so many years, Martin helped build Saluda Valley’s reputation as a friendly, welcoming course where golfers could play, then stay awhile to swap stories and settle bets.

“We probably could have had a lot more players. We had a lot of people who wanted to play because of their relationship with Eddie,” club professional Parker Jackson said. And they did.

On the course, the Nielson brothers won the two-man tournament. Jonathan and Thomas, both former college golfers, have been nearly unbeatable in two-man events around the Upstate, and the Eddie Martin Classic was no exception. They finished with a 136 total.

Flight winners were Mike Teasley and Turtle Hiott who needed a two-hole playoff to get the win in the First Flight; Phil Genthner and Randy Pointer in the Second; Travis Rankin and Donnie Fredericks in the Third; Parker Jackson and Easton Gambrell in the Fourth; and Jack Kauer and Larry Thompson in the Fifth.

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