I'm at Beautiful Over Lake Golf Course just outside of Girard. Today, I'm going to tell you a love story. A love for this golf course and a love for the man who designed it, built it, and then operated it for 64 years.

When Darlene Elwinger walks around Beautiful Over Lake Golf Course these days, everything evokes special memories of her late husband Bob. Bob Elwinger WAS Beautiful Over Lake Golf Course.

"Well, it was his life,” says Darlene. “It was his life and he felt it was his calling."

Bob came home from the service in 1952 to take over the operation of the family farm. A few years later, an accident on the farm injured Bob's arm. He couldn't farm any more. So Bob decided to convert the farm land into a golf course. No bank would lend him money so he did the design work. He convinced a contractor to work on credit to develop the greens. And despite the limited use of his arm, he built the rest of the course. In 1960, the first nine holes of Beautiful Over Lake Golf Course were finished. It took just under a year.

"He always knew what hard work was. He had a creative side to him. That is what he used to create this golf course,” says Darlene.

In 1974, Bob hired Darlene to work in the kitchen. She was 15 years old and wanted some money to eventually buy a car.

"He was very direct and forward and I was kind of terrified of him,” remembers Darlene. “I would go home every night and tell my parents, I'm not sure I'm going back to work there."

Darlene never left. One day, around 1987, Darlene gave Bob a kiss in the pro shop. The two would marry in 1989. Bob was 55. Darlene was 29. They were married for 35 years until Bob passed away last October. He was 92. He was blowing leaves on his beloved golf course the day before he died. Darlene wondered if she wanted to keep the business going without Over Lake's hard working founder. As you can see, the course is still open. Darlene and the entire staff knew working at this golf course was Bob's calling. It turns out it’s their calling too.

Darlene says she will try to keep her husband's legacy alive by keeping the golf course open as long as she can. She says many generations of families have been golfing at Beautiful Over Lake since it opened in 1960. She and Bob have known them all.