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Group of golfers create memories on the golf course

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Susan Jenior
November 13, 2007

The setting at Suffield Springs Golf Course on Sunday mornings is often repeated at many courses throughout the county.

Golfers grab a cup of coffee and sit down to catch up with the familiar faces prior to playing 18 holes.

A player doesn't need to have a partner -- just open the clubhouse door and there will be a two-some, three-some or four-some of golfing friends waiting to tee it up.

Our family, along with most of these golfers, has played at Suffield Springs since the course opened in the early 1990s.

Recently, one morning, while waiting for the frost to clear the greens, everyone again shared stories about their work, their families and their love of golf.

Representing a wide range of professions and golfing abilities, this community of golfers at Suffield Springs is representative of many mornings at area courses.

It isn't a league -- in fact they often can be found playing throughout the winter months, weather permitting. Everyone here just loves the competition and the game of golf.

Take Ernie Rufener and his family of Suffield.

Ernie is almost guaranteed to be there to open the course on Sunday mornings with owner Joe Rainieri.

Most people in Portage County are familiar with the Rufener family and their farming tradition. It is not unexpected that the family would be first to tee-off as the sun rises just behind the ninth tee.

Ernie should be a great golfer -- he certainly understands the building of golf courses better than the average player.

Working for H. Luli Excavating, Rufener has been the excavator at golf courses throughout Ohio including Raintree in Green, Sable Creek in Hartville, Deer Ridge in Bellville and Suffield Springs, as well as rejuvenating Tam O'Shanter in Canton and Congress Lake Country Club in Hartville

While other golfers are just on the second hole, Ernie and his family are often on the eighth tee -- shouting hello at the other come-lately golfers.

Al Huth Jr. of Randolph may not play as much golf as he used to, but is still a welcome by his clubhouse friends, as he often kept the golf course open during the owner's regular winter vacation to Florida. His son, Dave, also of Randolph, works at the pattern-making family business located in Ellet.

Tom Trautman of Brimfield has been the building supervisor at Stow City Schools for the past 12 years, holding the same position in the Kent School District previously.

But golfers won't find Tom talking about his own golf or his own job.

Rather, he will be discussing his nephew, Colt Knost, one of the top amateur golfers in the United States who is currently attending Q-school in order to make his professional debut.

On this day, Trautman was telling fellow golfers that Knost had been a guest of President George Bush at the White House in Washington D.C. with Knost's fellow Walker Cup teammates. Born in Garrettsville, Knost now calls Texas home, but still managed to play Suffield Springs when he was honing his golf game.

Playing golf this day with Trautman was Randy Rininger, owner of The Ray Company.

Randy, raised in Suffield, is familiar to many, including members of the Home Builders Association, as he has remodeled many homes throughout the greater Portage County area.

Keeping the coffee warm, and providing information to league golfers and outing organizers, is Mary Burcham.

There are many more -- they just didn't happen to be at the course this morning.

But all congratulate fellow golfers for their accomplishments both on and off the golf course, inquire about each other's families and then can't wait to beat each other on the links.

For golfers, it doesn't get much better than this.




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