Notes from Perry Street: Memories of Dad and ‘golfing’
By JOHN A. WINTERS, Publisher
My dad died nine days before Christmas 2025.
We drove 12 hours straight to Tulsa, Oklahoma to see him at the hospital. He recognized us, said our names, squeezed my hand and would not let go. He died the next day.
John Otis Winters, he went by Otis, was 93. He was married to my mom for 67 years. They had four boys and 12 grandchildren. He publicly and proudly followed Jesus Christ and spoke at many National Prayer Breakfast events.
He was a successful businessman. His company oversaw the bankruptcy of Bunker Hunt decades ago, at the time the largest private bankruptcy in the country. He had another company that tried to buy a much bigger one. Call it a David versus Goliath business deal. The Goliath was Enron, and after the deal fell through, Enron soon went bankrupt.
And dad had no concept of the term “golfing.”
Dad had quite a history with the game of golf. His dad, my grandfather, was one of five founding members of Southern Hills, where many major golf championships were played, including nine PGA championships, the most at any course.
He won the Junior Club Championship there in 1947. His history there is legendary, starting as a young fore-caddie on the seventh hole for the USGA Women’s Amateur Championship held in 1946 and won by Babe Zaharias. His last official position was as the Honorary Chairman of the USGA Women’s Amateur Championship in 2024 held at his favorite course.
Dad was a member of three of the most prestigious clubs in the country – Augusta National, Pine Valley, and Cypress Point, where he won the club championship. He was captain of the Stanford University golf team when they won the national championship.
I bring his golf background up to let him serve as an expert witness. Despite what all the pundits, sportscasters and others say, “golfing” does not exist. One plays golf. One does not go golfing.
Example, Georgia and Florida or Alabama or whomever do not go footballing against each other. They play football against each other.
My precious wife learned this while in a car with my dad and me. The LBD mentioned something about us going golfing and … There was dead silence. And dad politely used the terms soccering, tennissing and baseballing. The Paper Girl has never forgotten.
My dad checked off all the boxes of life. He was married to the same woman for 67 years. He was successful in business and well known for his love of the game of golf. And most important, on Dec. 16, God welcomed him into heaven saying, “well done, my good and faithful servant … Let’s celebrate together.” (NLT translation)
There is one final box to check. Please share this column with everyone you know and help rid the world of the term “golfing.” Now, that would be a legacy!
Until next time.
