CLINTON TWP — Call it a labor of love for Frank Ekas Jr.

“Or a love of labor ... I'm not sure which,” Ekas, 57, said.

Ekas lives in a home right next to Saxon Golf Course. His father, Frank Ekas Sr., bought the land and began construction on the course in 1958. The first nine holes opened in 1960, the back nine in 1962.

Ekas Sr. bought out co-owner Bud Klingensmith in 1976 and a third nine-hole course was added in 1992.

While Ekas Jr. has been running the golf course and serving as its superintendent for more than 20 years now, Ekas Sr. is still involved.

“Dad is 93 now and lives in that house (next to the Saxon parking lot),” Ekas said. “Every now and again, you'll still find him out here on a mower.”

So it goes with Saxon Golf Course and the Ekas family.

The golf course is their livelihood, backyard and playground, all rolled into one.

“I got my first job here when I was 12 ... picking up golf balls on the driving range,” Ekas said, smiling. “I've been working here ever since. I've never dreamed of doing anything else.”

Saxon is offering a unique reward card this season. Each golfer receives a card and gets it punched each time nine holes are played. When the card is completely filled — 16 times on each side — it is entered into a monthly drawing for free golf for a year.

“Just a way to thank our loyal customers,” Ekas said.

And there are plenty of them.

“We've got a pretty loyal base,” he said. “Golfers come from Cranberry, Pittsburgh, even Washington, on a regular basis to play here.

“The course is so flat and wide open. It's very walkable and people like that.”

Numerous Ekas family members work the course. The third nine-hole course — known as the East Course — was put in shortly after a tornado rolled across the course.

“The course itself didn't sustain much damage, but we lost a bunch of trees,” Ekas said. “The cleanup was a monumental task, but the course was opened up even more.”

Ekas said his favorite hole on the course is the par-5 No. 12.

“You hit the ball downhill and there's an uphill shot to the green,” he said. “The hole is surrounded by trees. It's absolutely beautiful in the fall.”

Ekas has an uncle, Rich Ekas, who still works the course. Ekas is out there himself from dawn to dusk virtually every day.

He says family tradition and pride in the golf course are what drive him.

“My father has spent more than half his life here,” he said. “I was born and bred into this line of work.

“When someone comes in from playing a round, sees me and says, 'Frank, the course looks great today.' ... That's all the motivation I need.”

While Saxon draws its share of first-time players, Ekas is always happy to see a familiar face.

“It's a two-way street,” he said. “We're happy to see them and they're happy to see us. I have to tell golfers thank you. Thanks for coming back.”

Saxon Golf Course offers a snack bar with various sandwiches. The course offers different rates for weekdays and weekends, with discounts available for senior citizens 65 and older and junior golfers 16 and under.