Words by Anna Lee Vaughn | Images by Ryan McGill
Don Cummings, a friend to many in Walker County, Alabama, recently passed from this life to his eternal home. The Walker Leader sat down with Don’s friends and coworkers, Anthony Cordell and Meleesa Harris, to reminisce and remember a life well lived.
Don Cummings loved golf. He would finish his shift at the coal mines for years and go straight to the course. Over the years, he came to own two local courses, Union Chapel Golf Course in Jasper and Riverbend Golf Course in Cordova. Due to many changes, not the least of which were the ones catalyzed by the tornadoes that ravaged the local community in April 2011, these courses eventually closed.
While Don was understandably upset over the closures, having done all he could to prevent them, he found new joy when Randy Stephens, former mayor of the City of Dora, offered Don a role managing Horse Creek Golf Course.
For over ten years, Don breathed new life into Horse Creek, pushing for the construction of the clubhouse and implementing ideas that led to incredible success for the organization. Cordell laughs as he recalls, “Don’s perfectionism wasn’t just about the golf; it extended to every part of the course. He had his lawn mower that he’d bring, and he didn’t want anybody else to touch the grass. It was his way of caring, making sure everything was just right.”
Most notably, however, Don irreversibly impacted the course’s patrons and employees. “He was a good boss and the hardest worker I’ve ever known. He was a generous person. He helped me more than people will ever know, and he became like a father figure to me,” says Cordell. “I could go to him with my problems, and he’d listen and be stern with me, but he tried to cater to everyone; he wanted everyone to be happy.”
Don was an incredibly hardworking family man, passionate about executing a job well done and providing – in different ways – for everyone around him. Harris shares a story that illuminates another side of Don, one filled with humor and light-hearted moments. “There was this time I was squishing cans in the clubhouse basement, and I fell. Don walked past, laughing so hard. Moments like these showed how he brought joy and laughter into our lives.”
“He was in the business for three decades, and everybody loved him. He helped a lot of the younger people that came through here, a lot of school kids, even one who’s on the pro tour right now,” Harris adds. “Instead of having more landscaping done on the course and planting more flowers, he donated that money to the Golf Association for a scholarship. He’s done so much good for the community.”
Those who speak of Don Cummings, both in his lifetime and since his passing, do so with positive experiences to share, a testament to his character and love for his line of work. Though they still find his passing difficult to comprehend, Horse Creek Golf Course’s employees are dedicated to keeping his legacy alive. WL
