Golf volunteer, 81, will ‘do anything’ to make tournament a success

During the week of the Air Capital Classic, Gordon Gresham can be found around the tournament grounds.

He might be prepping meals for volunteers, stepping in to assist with crowd control or helping search for a missing golf ball.

And he’s been at it for 22 years.

Gresham, 81, began volunteering for the Air Capital Classic after he retired from Boeing in 1995.

The 28th edition of the Air Capital Classic – part of the Web.com Tour – runs Thursday through Sunday at Crestview Country Club.

Last year, Gresham was named the Web.com Tour Volunteer of the Year. Out of the tour’s 27 tournaments and around 10,000 volunteers, Gresham was selected to receive the award and a $5,000 prize.

Gresham, who’s in charge of nearly 200 volunteer marshals for the tournament each year, said he wasn’t expecting to win.

“There’s a great many volunteers out there that were actually more deserving than I of this award,” he said. “That was kind of a surprise.”

Hobe Ammerman, a friend of Gresham’s and a tournament volunteer for 15 years, said the announcement didn’t shock anyone else.

“It made sense. Gordy is very dedicated to the success of the tournament,” Ammerman said. “He does whatever he can to make it successful and make the players enjoy their time here.”

Gresham was selected as a Web.com tour Volunteer of the Week in 2016, which put him in contention for the year-end award. He said he found out he was the winner in December.

“I get a call saying, ‘You won.’ And I said, ‘Won what?’ They said, ‘The whole deal.’

“So, that kind of took my breath away,” he said.

The engraved crystal bowl recognizing Gresham sits on a stand in his home, but he said where the prize money went was more important.

“The Family Crisis Center was the recipient of the $5,000 award that I got,” he said. “Because I can see that doing some good.”

Gresham said he presented the Wichita Family Crisis Center board with the check in January. The group works to eliminate domestic violence in Wichita.

Though he said it was an honor to be named volunteer of the year, Gresham continues to volunteer for a different reason.

“It’s rewarding to see a bunch of (volunteers) having a good time,” he said. “To see these volunteers, later on, relating and sharing stories … it’s very satisfying to see them enjoy it.”

Gresham said he used to race sports cars before picking up golf, and he helped organize the Lake Afton Grand Prix.

“I organized races and got volunteers, so it wasn’t a new thing to try and get people to work their butts off for nothing,” he said with a laugh.

As marshal chairman, Gresham is in charge of ensuring each hole has enough volunteer marshals. Golf marshals help to quiet and control the crowd, spot balls, assist with course navigation and accommodate players with anything else they may need.

Gresham said he works year-round to recruit volunteers and attends monthly meetings for the tournament.

The week of the tournament, Gresham said, his days revolve around golf.

“Sometimes I walk in there and the sun isn’t even up,” he said. “And sometimes I walk out and it’s dark.”

Ammerman, who is set to oversee holes 17 and 18 this year, said Gresham is always willing to lend a hand.

“The thing about Gordy is he’s responsible for 18 holes, but if you need something, he’ll take care of it,” he said. “No matter how long it takes.

“He’s just that kind of guy. He’ll do anything.”

Gresham belongs to Hidden Lakes Golf Club, where he still plays at least nine holes a week.

He has arthritis in his left hip, and he said he will get a steroid shot this week to manage the pain during the tournament.

Though his body might slow him down, Gresham said, he sees himself volunteering for the tournament for years to come. But that, he said, isn’t what he wants his award to be about.

“I’ve done it a long time, but don’t make that a participation trophy, because it shouldn’t be,” he said. “Just because you’re still breathing doesn’t mean you ought to get a trophy for it.”

Ammerman said Gresham is one of the most dedicated volunteers at the tournament, regardless of how long he’s been at it.

“He just strives the best he can to make the thing successful,” he said. “And hopefully that shows light to who he is and what kind of town Wichita is.”

This story was originally published June 14, 2017 at 6:58 PM with the headline "Golf volunteer, 81, will ‘do anything’ to make tournament a success."