CLINTON TWP — “This course has always been about family for us.”

Those were the words of Frank Ekas Jr. — then the vice president and superintendent — about Saxon Golf Course in April of 2019.

Ekas died after a courageous battle with melanoma in July of 2020. He was 60 years old.

And the golf course remains in the family.

“We had a couple of offers, people interested in buying it,” said Shirley Ekas, Frank's wife of 25 years. “But we wanted to keep it going.”

“There were a few discussions about it,” son Andy Olczak admitted. “But this course is family. We wanted to keep it that way.”

Olczak had been employed by Calumet Penreco, a manufacturing company in Petrolia, for more than two years. He left that job to go to work full-time on the golf course.

Olczak is the assistant superintendent at Saxon. Joe Haser, who worked on Conley's course for a number of years, was hired as superintendent.

“Frank did everything out there,” Mrs. Ekas said. “I had to hire a superintendent and assistant to take care of the course.

“Andy is learning as he goes. He's doing a good job.”

Olczak said he had “no problem at all” with deciding to switch jobs.

“This course is about family and I needed to fill in, do my part,” he said.

Frank Ekas Sr. opened Saxon Golf Course the year Frank was born. By the time young Frank was 5 years old, he was helping out on the course. He picked up his first paycheck there when he was 12 — getting paid for picking up golf balls on the range.

Working Saxon Golf Course is the only job he ever knew.

“He knew every inch of this place,” his wife said.

Ekas' favorite hole was No. 12, a 458-yard par-5 with a dog-leg left that drops into a slight valley.

That is now Shirley Ekas' favorite hole as well.

“We just planted a tree there in Frank's memory,” she said.

Olczak said the crew is putting in a new irrigation system. A couple of the greens have been replaced as well.

“It feels good at the end of the day. We feel like we're accomplishing something,” Olczak said. “Joe is so dedicated, so knowledgeable. I have to push him to take a day off every once in a while.”

Saxon continues to be the flattest course in Butler County and perhaps in all of Western Pennsylvania, making it extremely walkable. The course continues to offer senior and military discounts. It also offers a card that, when filled up, entitles a golfer to a free nine holes.

A 9-hole Saxon East course joins the regular 18-hole course.

“We have so many loyal (repeat) customers here and we're always grateful to them,” Mrs. Ekas said. “We have walkers, we have riders.”

Saxon is home to 15 leagues, including the Monday night Saxonburg men's league which has played there nearly 40 years.

Other family members continue to work at the course as well.

Ekas' daughters, Tancie Plutyk and Krystle Ekas, work in the clubhouse with Tancie serving as manager there. Olczak's youngest son works in the clubhouse, his oldest son out on the golf course.

“This has been an adjustment for all of us,” Olczak said. “None of us saw this coming. We figured he (Ekas) would be running this place for another 20 years.

“Everyone's pitching in and we're still going. We love it here.”