Love of golf brings father, children together on links
John Aubrey's secret to being a good father?
Be married to a good mother.
“I've been truly blessed that way,” the Butler Township owner of Aubrey's Dubbs Dred golf course and longtime professional golfer, said. “While my hours were tied up on the golf course, Jeanne (my wife) carted our kids everywhere.
“She took care of everything. I've been so lucky to have her.”
Their children — daughters Tiffany and Heidi, and son John Jr. — feel just as fortunate to have a father who took them along on his golf journey.
He taught all three how to play the game, and golf became a huge part of their lives.
- John, 36, was a standout high school golfer at Butler who received a golf scholarship from Penn State. He now runs insurance offices in Butler, Grove City and Wexford.
- Tiffany Korn, 33, became the first freshman in the history of the University of Pitt-Johnstown's women's golf program. She is the manager and events coordinator for Aubrey's Dubbs Dred, and runs a women's league there.
- Heidi Houze, 38, lives in Charleston, S.C. Her family's home is located on the Crowfield Golf Club, where she plays at least once a week and started a women's league. She worked alongside her sister at Dubbs Dred for 15 years before leaving the area.
“I went to college at Clarion and Pitt, and they had no women's golf team at those schools,” Houze said. “If they had, I definitely would have tried to play.”
Aubrey and his children had never played in a golf event as a foursome before — until his kids decided to give him an early Father's Day present. Heidi came home from South Carolina and the trio surprised their father by teaming with him in a four-person scramble at Dubbs Dred on June 6, his 70th birthday.“Something I never expected ... it's been an incredibly fun day,” Aubrey said.The foursome shot a 26 in the nine-hole tournament, winning the event and donating the money back to charity.“We grew up on this golf course,” Korn said. “We were around golf 24/7. We could grab some clubs, head out to a hole and hit whenever we wanted.“Dad taught us all the game. I was almost nervous playing with him today. He's all business when he golfs. It's like, 'hit the ball, move on, let's play golf.'“He's a workaholic. Work hard, play hard. That's my father,” she added.
John Jr. said he picked up more than golf skills from his father.“We all got our work ethic from him,” he said. “We've all benefitted from that.”To this day, Aubrey shows up at the golf course at 5 a.m., mows the fairways and works until 3 p.m.He used to work the course until sunset.“I don't have that kind of energy anymore,” he said, laughing.Tiffany has caddied for him at Butler Country Club and Tri-State PGA tournaments.“I just kept quiet, carried the clubs and handed him the club he wanted ... not a peep of advice out of my mouth,” she said, smiling. “But I loved doing that with him. I was the only girl caddying at some of those events.“I cherish those times.”John Jr. said he was 3 years old when he joined his dad for their first father-son golf outing.Aubrey Sr. played in three U.S. Opens, 3 PGA Championships and 27 National Club Pro Championships. His son caddied for him in many of those events.“I wanted him to experience meeting Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Lee Trevino, J.C. Snead, people like that. They became friends of mine,” Aubrey Sr. said.
“Words cannot describe what that meant to me,” John Jr. said. “What a privilege, walking the course at professional majors like that ... and to do it with my dad as a golfer in those events was incredible.“Here's a guy who owns a public golf course in a small town like Butler, able to be in tournaments with the best 150 golfers in the world, and be able to compete right with those guys.“Dad only had so much time to work on his game. I'm so proud of him,” he added.Houze said moving away was “the hardest thing I had to do in my life.”As busy as her father's been, she said he always made time for his children.“If we asked him for anything, he was there,” she said.When it comes to golf, John Aubrey is still there for kids.“Golf is such a great game,” Aubrey said. “I don't push it on kids, but any kid who would ask for my help in learning the sport, for a lesson or two, I'd teach them for nothing.“It's a wonderful activity. I know golf has done right by my kids.”He's done the same.“I still learn just from watching him every day,” Korn said.
