Jimmy’s place

Conception Bay golfing community comes out in numbers to honour life of treasured groundskeeper

By Craig Westcott

As on many hot summer days, there was a long line of cars outside The Willows golf course in Holyrood last Monday, July 14. But this one was longer than usual. And while the grounds were crowded with sun wizened people in ball caps and polo shirts, nobody was swinging a club. They were there to celebrate the life of Jim Sceviour, the course’s head groundskeeper, who over a career of 29 years, helped sculpt the immaculate greens and fairways of what is arguably the prettiest golf course in Newfoundland. Sceviour died suddenly July 8 at the age of 56.

Like the funeral earlier, which attracted a long procession of police cars and fire trucks from volunteer departments throughout Conception Bay, the celebration of life for Sceviour by his employer Danny Williams was solemn but also appreciative for the memory of a fellow with quiet magnetism and who made friends seemingly effortlessly.

“We lost a great fellow here today,” said Williams, his voice clotted with emotion. “Twenty-nine years. This (course) was his pride and joy. He treated this like it was his own. The last conversation I had with him, he said, ‘I want to work here ’til I’m 75.’ I said (jokingly), ‘Jimmy, I’m surprised – you’ve got a lot more than that left in you.’ Little did I know… Oh boy.”

The Willows is Williams’ first golf course of the three he has owned. It was crafted a couple of holes at a time when his children were still young, and is draped around the hills and rivers running down from the high country that abuts the Holyrood Access Road.

“It was a labour of love,” said Williams. “This is a special place, and he was so special. You work with a lot of people over the years, but he was just different… He always wanted to find something else to do to improve the place. We designed it based on the rivers, but he improved it. He just kept improving it all the time, lifting up the trees, getting the different heights in the trees so you could see through them, clearing out areas making it easier – because it’s a hard course, the hardest course in the province, I think –for golfers to find their balls. He’s irreplaceable. He’s just a special, special person. The priest said he was humble, he was happy, he was hard working, and he was loving, and that’s Jimmy. My, he was a great fellow.”

Steve Power, the general manager of Glendenning and The Willows golf courses, said it’s unusual for golfers to be on a first name basis with a groundskeeper. Groundskeepers start early and usually fade out of sight when the golfers come out.

“But it didn’t matter who you were out here, they all knew Jimmy,” said Power, “whether they golfed at nine in the morning or four in the afternoon. It was like the priest said at the funeral home: it didn’t matter what walk of life you came from, whether you’re a doctor, lawyer, or a garbageman; he was on your level. Even the kids playing golf, and the seniors. You can’t describe the shock of losing him.”

Williams had Power close The Willows for the day as a sign of respect for Sceviour. The grounds crew from Glendenning came over, along with the chefs, who catered an elaborate buffet for the guests. “We wouldn’t have done this for everybody,” Power admitted. “But Jimmy was pretty special. Jimmy was the man.”

Sceviour was such a man, in fact, that he was one of those rare people who got to see a monument placed in his honour long before he died. It happened several years ago.

“That was put there after the last hurricane that we had,” said Power. “It had done a tonne of damage to the course and because of Jimmy’s work, he saved it. He saved a bunch of trees, and Danny wanted to erect that in honour of Jimmy’s work… And when I bought that, I tried to cheap out. It’s Danny’s money, it’s not my money and I try to be responsible with it. I remember buying a plastic, all weather thing. I gave it to Danny, and he said, ‘Not a chance.’ That’s why I went from spending $100 to $500 right quick. That’s Jimmy’s place, and it’s because of the work he done before. Now it’s going to be something else, I guess. It’s going to be a forever memoriam to him.”

After news percolated out that Sceviour had died, members started leaving signed golf balls around the monument as a tribute.

“Aside from Danny Williams, Jimmy probably loved this place the most,” said Power. “And Jimmy treated it so well.”

The members at The Willows tend to love the place too, which may explain why so many of them felt such a bond with Sceviour. At the tables laid out for guests to chat and mingle at his celebration of life, there were many memories traded of moments spent with the big, quiet-spoken groundskeeper.

“There’s no end of those kind of stories with me and him,” said Jeff Walsh, a longtime member from Mobile on the Southern Shore. “There were four years in a row where I had a job where I could play here everyday. I’d be the first one here and I’d have a coffee with him nearly every morning. He was one of the nicest fellows I ever met. I’m very much an introvert, but I found him really down to earth. And he’d remember stuff you didn’t even know you told him. Like the last time I was here he asked how my youngfellow was doing, whether he was done in school yet. I don’t even remember ever telling him about my youngfellow… I used to look forward to coming here in the morning to play golf and to run into him to have a chat. I’ll miss him.”

Walsh appreciated how Sceviour took such good care of the course. “With the weather this spot gets and the damage that it gets, you could come out three days later and it would all be done (perfectly),” said Walsh. “He worked like a dog. I mean just look around you, the pride in the work to get this the way it is and to keep it here. Yes, he’ll be missed.”

Sceviour’s immediate boss, Scott Sleep, the course superintendent at both Glendenning and The Willows the past 20 years, agreed.

“Jimmy was the most dependable, the most reliable, the most hardworking individual that I have worked with,” said Sleep. “He’s definitely the most dedicated person I could ever work with… I couldn’t have asked for anyone better to have alongside me to help me with what I was trying to accomplish here at The Willows… You won’t replace him. I don’t want to replace Jimmy. Jimmy was Jimmy. He had his characteristics and a work ethic that’s unmatched. I’m going to search for someone to fill a role, but it won’t be Jimmy’s role.”

Sceviour didn’t only sculp the landscape, he also helped fashion the characters of those around him.

“His personality and the way he handled himself spilled over to his crew,” said Sleep. “They respected him, they wanted to do their best job, whether it was family, because he’s had many family members come through here, or firefighters whom he has worked with, or just people from the local community, they’ve all tried their best to represent what Jimmy meant to this property… I’m going to miss him dearly. He meant a lot to everyone, and we’re all going to miss him. We’re going to carry on maintaining this property the way he tried to for all these years and hopefully make him proud when he looks down at us.”

Another group Sceviour inspired is the Colliers Volunteer Fire Department. Sceviour joined it in 2007 and within three years was promoted to fire chief, a position he held until his death.

“Jimmy was one of the best,” said Fire Captain Matthew Mahoney. “Anyone could call him anytime of the day, he didn’t need to know you, he would do anything for you. And anyone in the Conception Bay North area knew that. Every fire department around knew they could call Jim Sceviour if they needed anything. Jim Sceviour was one of the best men I ever knew.”

Mahoney said Sceviour never stopped encouraging his firefighters to get better through training. “He wanted us to succeed,” said Mahoney. “He wanted everyone in the community to feel protected. And that’s the legacy we’re looking to continue.”

Apart from his family, those who will miss Sceviour the most, are his workmates at The Willows. Kayla Warford, who often handles the early shift at the pro shop, made a collage of photos that were taken of Sceviour on the grounds over the years and ringed them around a poem she wrote in his memory. The framed memoriam hung outside the pro shop last Monday leaving everyone who read it walking away smothering tears.

“There’s a hole,” said Warford, “there’s something missing. And it’s not just for the golf course, it’s for the community, it’s for the fire department, it’s for his dart league, his friends and family… There were many mornings you’d just make the big roar on the radio, ‘Hello Jimmy, I’m on the way for a coffee.’ Every morning he was up for a coffee.”

Warford will miss his sense of humour. “You could say anything to him, and he would have something to say right back,” she said. “And he always had something nice to say about everybody.”

Joe Fahey, a longtime course marshal, met Sceviour on his own first day on the job.

“I mean, he was the salt of the earth,” said Fahey. “My God, he was the best, the best, the best, the best you could ever want to meet. He never had a bad word to say against anyone… He set the example for this place here, to look after everything out there.”

Sceviour would remind the marshals to encourage golfers to replace their divots and fix their ball marks. 

“But he’d say there’s no point in getting obstreperous with everybody, because it’s not going to sink in with everyone,” said Fahey.

Andy Borill, The Willows’ colourful and respected operations manager, uncharacteristically chokes up talking about his friend and colleague.

“He was humble,” said Borill. “He did a lot for everybody. I got so used to calling him first thing in the morning and saying, ‘Good morning, Jimmy,’ and he would answer me. And I did it on Wednesday, and he didn’t answer,” said Borill, his voice trembling. “This place will never be the same. It doesn’t matter who comes in, they won’t do what Jimmy did. Jimmy knew every tree, every blade of grass, he knew what had to be done, and we’re all going to miss him, we really are.”

It didn’t surprise Borill that so many club members, and even non-member golfers showed up to celebrate Sceviour’s life. “Everybody knew Jimmy, because he spoke to everybody,” said Borill. “I’m going to miss him, really… It’s going to be different without him now, it really is. I’m going to miss that guy.”

Sceviour leaves to mourn his wife Mariette, daughters Ashley and Kayley and their families, eight brothers and sisters, his father-in-law and fellow Willows colleague Wayne Holly and his wife Mary, and a wide circle of other family and friends.