CHAIRMAN’S LETTER

Photography by Danny Hurley

As many of you know, my father and ClubCorp founder, Robert H. Dedman, passed away Aug. 20, 2002, just as the September/October Private Clubs magazine was arriving in your mailboxes. Ironically, the issue contained a living tribute to him on the occasion of ClubCorp’s 45th anniversary. Perhaps that was most fitting because Robert lives on in our hearts, and he always will be the inspiration upon which we evolve our company’s culture of building relationships and enriching lives.

Robert built many relationships and he enriched many lives. That realization, however, still did not prepare my family for the overwhelming number of written remembrances of Robert. Each was a unique, personal story honoring a consummate storyteller. Many had never met the man they wrote about, but had somehow been impacted by his generosity.

Dr. JoAnn Crow of San Antonio sent a photo of my parents, taken just before they were married. She remembered their “warm glow” that continued throughout their 50-year romance. Others recalled his humor, his kindness, his love of poetry and education, his skill at tennis, and the notorious coaching of the “Dedman golf grip.” Ann Maguire of Dallas aptly described his whole life as an exclamation point (!). For these and the hundreds upon hundreds of other notes, e-mails, and faxes, I can only say a very sincere “thank you” on behalf of my entire family. We have read each message several times and have been blessed by Robert’s life and your remembrances.

Finally, I have encouraging news for all of you golf fanatics. I now am convinced there must be golf in heaven. Otherwise, Robert said he wasn’t going.

Robert H. Dedman Jr.
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
ClubCorp