In 2000, an undernourished black lab was found wandering the plains of eastern Colorado. When golf course superintendent Greg Shaffer and his wife, Dia adopted this dog through a labrador retriever rescue program, they hoped to hone their caregiving skills as they considered parenthood. They were not expecting the returns they would receive as this abandoned dog became a part of their family and Shaffer’s career as a golf course superintendent. They named their new dog Mulligan to reflect his second chance at life.
“View from the Cart” is the story of one lost dog’s transformation from stray to golf course dog at some of the most prestigious courses in Colorado and Indiana. Greg Shaffer and Jan Shaffer, a retired teacher and children’s book author, combined their talents to write a book about Mulligan. Greg voice recorded stories from Mulligan’s life and Jan transcribed them to create a book about the amazing transformation that can occur when life offers up a “mulligan.”
Ten anecdotes in this nonfiction narrative invite readers to take a ride on a golf cart and see Mulligan at work on the golf course through the eyes of a golf course superintendent. Stories include such topics as golf etiquette for the course dog, Mulligan’s first ladies’ day, encounters with members and other wildlife, work-related injuries and a story of his adoption from the Colorado lab rescue group.
Greg Shaffer is a GCSAA Class A superintendent and graduate of Purdue University’s Turfgrass Management program. He is superintendent at Elcona Country Club in Elkhart, Ind. Greg’s blog, www.viewfromthecart.blogspot.com includes pictures of Mulligan at work and an audio file that demonstrates the collaborative writing process. Jan recently retired from a 25-year teaching career. She has published two middle-grade fiction books in her Summoning Stone series.
For more information, visit:
www.viewfromthecart.blogspot.com
www.asummoningstone.com