“Sometimes a group of gamblers played the course, and they’d sneak their liquor bottles into their golf bags,” Edwards Sr. said. “Well, you know the caddies would cut through the woods and take a sip of that. One caddy got to stumbling from drink, and another fellow had to carry the golf bag for him,” he recalled.

Edwards Sr. never had a lesson in his life, but he has a natural gift for golf and he paid close attention to how other golfers played the game. Before long, the caddy became a really good golfer himself, winning games and tournaments, too. In all, Edwards Sr. has won nine championships and seven senior championships at the Tryon Country Club.

“I hit a hole-in-one on the number nine hole, but I was looking to see who was coming down the dirt road, and I didn’t get to see that ball fly into the hole,” he said. “Nobody was standing around, so I don’t think anybody slid it in for me.”

Edwards Sr. has been married for almost 50 years, and he has served time in the Korean War, but he’d much rather talk about golf than tell war stories. His youngest son preferred swimming to golf, and grew up to be a successful postal employee; his oldest son, Fred Jr., acquired Edwards’ passion for the game and has worked in golf as a pro and supervisor all his life. In 1979, Edwards, Jr., won the annual championship, but Edwards, Sr., got the title back in 1980. Now when he goes on the golf course, Edwards Sr.  puts his feet up and relaxes in a golf cart, remembering.