Sandhills_Sentinel

Andrew D. Page, long-time golf pro at Southern Pines Country Club, died Sunday at his home in Southern Pines. He was 87.

Andy was part of the history of North Carolina golf, counting among his golfing partners Harvey Ward, Pete Tufts, Warren Bullet Bell and Julius and Jimmy Boros.  Along with hosting golfers from all over the world on the SPCC course, Andy and wife Margaret opened their home to dozens of players on the PGA and LPGA tour as they came through the Sandhills Area each year.

Andy was born on May 31, 1932, to Channing and Catherine Page of Southern Pines.

He attended Southern Pines High School, playing golf and caddying on local courses, while also playing baseball and serving as running back on the Southern Pines six-man football team,  He won a football scholarship to the University of North Carolina, but when a knee injury ended his career, he enlisted in the U.S. Marines.

After basic training at Parris Island, S.C. Andy was assigned to aircraft carriers in the Mediterranean and off of North Korea. As a corporal, Andy’s golf prowess quickly drew the attention of his commanding officers. When the ship pulled into port, Andy was ordered to join his superiors on courses around the world.

Along with serving on carriers, he also stationed with the U.S. Marine Barracks Honor Guard, in Washington D.C. He was selected for the role because of his athleticism, and his tall, striking good looks.

After the Marines, Andy came home to become an assistant pro at Southern Pines Country Club, owned by the Order of the Elks.  In the late 1950s, he became head pro at the club, where he worked with Margaret, running the pro shop, working with assistant pros and holding tournaments.

Southern Pines was a major golf destination, where many people from all over the world came to play the course in the 1920s by legendary golf architect Donald Ross.

But they also came to play because of Andy, whose dry wit and dedication to the game and his guests made visitors feel like they were a member for the day. He was known for always trying to find a way to get a group a tee-time: somehow there was always a way to fit one more group somewhere on the golf course when Andy was in the shop. Visitors often became life-long friends.

After retiring from Southern Pines, Andy worked at Whispering Woods and Midland Country Club.  He served on the Board of MidSouth Bank. His playing days were spent at Forest Creek Golf Club, where he was a member and the Debordieu Colony, where he also had a home. He also enjoyed traveling with his beloved wife Margaret, whether it was a trip to stroll through Charleston or to visit the art museums of Italy. And on his daily walks through Southern Pines, with his dog Jasmine, he rarely took a few steps without someone calling out “Hey Andy!”

Andy was a member of Emmanuel Episcopal Church and a Lifetime Member of the Professional Golf Association.

He is survived by his wife, Margaret, son Drew Page and daughter-in-law Debbie, daughter April Page and fiancée Todd Casey, grandson Chris and four great-grandchildren; sister Barbara Kennedy and brother David Page and sister in law, Judy.

Online condolences can be made to www.bolesfuneralhome.com    

Services are entrusted to Boles Funeral Home of Southern Pines. 

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