By Jay Allred
Bill Lankford Sr. spent the last 32 years operating Maple Leaf Golf Course in Kernersville. On Nov. 13, Lankford passed away unexpectedly at 79.
In an interview two years ago, Lankford said, “You can have hard times and have struggles with the weather and the economy, but you never give up. Everybody has to work so hard to get what you get.”
The last two years had been extremely difficult at Maple Leaf with a hard winter in 2015 that took a toll on the bermudagrass fairways, and in the summer of 2016 an irrigation failure devastated the greens.
Although there were challenges, Lankford always seemed to keep his chin up and keep on marching. He was always open to hosting junior events and high school teams. He was always pleasant to coaches, kids and customers alike.
Lankford will be missed. He was one of the good guys.
