by Fred Seely
Editorial Director
An emotional — and happy, as it turned out — group of over 500 were in attendance Monday night at San Jose Country Club to help a local golf professional whose teenaged son has been battling Hodgkins’s Disease.
“When you’re on the other side of this, you never think it can happen to you,” said Boots Farley, who has been a pro here since the 1960s and now heads the operation at Jacksonville Beach Golf Club. “People take care of their own, and I’ve been on the other end. I remember the fundraiser we had for Bob Duval and his son, Brent. It was something we all wanted to do, just to let Bob know we cared. (The 12-year-old Brent, older brother of the current British Open champion, David Duval, later died of aplastic anemia.)
“When it happens to you, it’s hard to put anything in words. But you know that people are behind you,” he added, gesturing to the packed ballroom at the Southside country club.
Farley’s son Hayes was diagnosed with the cancer late last year and has been undergoing radiation and chemotherapy treatment at Baptist Hospital. Farley and his wife, Janet, were late to Monday’s occasion for a very good reason: they were at Baptist getting good news which he relayed to the crowd: Hayes’ cancer apparently is in total remission and he has been cleared to enter Furman University this year.
Monday’s event, conceived by Farley’s course superintendent at Jacksonville Beach, Gary Meadors, and put into action by San Jose pros Nick Clark and Todd Bork, saw about 450 play in tournaments at San Jose and Deerwood and then come together Monday evening for a party and merchandise auction at San Jose.
“Boots has good insurance, but it doesn’t always cover things like second opinions,” said Clark, who retired as the San Jose pro three years ago but remains close to the club. “It’s also more than the money; support means a lot.”
And Farley agreed: “We’ve been down, but this whole thing, which has been building for months, really has shown us the love of our friends. Cancer is a terrible thing, but we’ve learned so much. People with cancer, and their families, are much like a fraternity. The support we’ve received, I think, has gotten us all through it.”
There was no estimate of the money raised but auction items included a round of golf for four at the high-priced Tournament Players Club with touring pro Mark McCumber, who came to handle the auction. Also auctioned off was a similar round with touring pro Len Mattiace, memorabilia from golf pros and Jaguars and equipment donated by manufacturers.
Tournament prizes also were donated and included rounds of golf at area courses and equipment.
Golf professional friends of the Farleys from as far away as Sebring and Clearwater were there as well as state legislators, leaders of the amateur golf community and at least a dozen local country club managers.