Golf course marshal in The Woodlands turns 100 on the job
THE WOODLANDS, Texas (KTRK) -- A birthday banner for Curtis Blair sat along the putting green at The Woodlands Country Club on Monday, as countless members put the brakes on their golf carts to stop and shake the man's hand.
"You have to be likable to a certain extent," Blair said.
The Fort Worth native is a starter and golf marshal at the course. He collects a receipt proving the members have paid to be there and also keeps the game moving, ensuring everyone follows the rules.
He is typically the first face golfers will see before hitting the green, and Blair's face tends to put a smile across their faces.
The man told ABC13 he started at the golf course 31 years ago after retiring from his job in oil and gas. The lifelong golfer said he was anxious to find something to do, but never realized he would ring in his 100th birthday surrounded by a golf family.
"I've seen so many people come and so many people go," he said.
"I've cried when some of the members died and I rejoiced when some of the members had babies. So, I guess I've seen it all," he added.
Blair served in the United States Army Air Corps from 1941 to 1944, working as a mechanic on a B-17 bomber and later became an engineer on a B-29 aircraft.
In the decades he has worked at the golf course, he has watched families grow and children turn into adults.
He said he has no plans to slow down and believes staying active is the key to a long life.
"My idea of age is you gotta keep busy," he said. "Your brain, I think, controls your body and you've got to stay active. If not, I think you forget."
