Bob Mehl always went out of his way to lend a helping hand. Although he assisted many golfers during his time as a Souris Valley Golf Course ranger, Mehl relished special opportunities to help his grandchildren enjoy the sport.

Throughout Mehl’s life, golf and his grandchildren became the threads which weaved his joyful attitude. Mehl, 79, died late last month.

A self-taught golfer, Mehl picked up tidbits through reading books and the popular Golf Digest magazine. Cody Duchscherer, Mehl’s oldest grandchild, seized early chances to learn from his grandfather.

“Everything he said was a learning lesson,” Duchscherer said. “We took it as such. His words were very valuable to us.”

Mehl stressed the importance of chipping and putting. Those two facets of the game are not the flashiest, but they hold great importance in overall scores.

Those teaching moments stuck with Duchscherer. In turn, he helped his younger cousins learn the game.

“You’re not always going to hit a driver off the tee,” Duchscherer said. “You’re not always going to hit an iron off the tee. You’re going to have to chip and putt. We’ve taken that and tried to utilize it in our own games.”

Ty Jones became another beneficiary of Mehl’s love for golf. Because his grandfather used a push cart, Jones bonded with him in a unique way.

“I would hop on the back and he would push me around,” Jones said. “It was just fun to be out there with my grandpa and get a free ride.”

When young golfers needed golf balls or tees, Mehl made several trips to his red Mazda truck and returned with handfuls. Jones observed his grandfather’s passion and admired his willingness to serve.

“He didn’t have to, you know?” Jones said. “It wasn’t his job. He always made sure those kids were ready and prepared. He just loved meeting new people and getting to talk with them. It didn’t matter who you were or what you did in your past. He wanted to talk to you.”

As his grandchildren grew older, Mehl traveled to their high school golf tournaments. Most recently, he watched Jaci Jones compete for the Minot High Majettes.

Jaci committed to play golf at Minot State in February. Recently, she made a promise to herself as a way of remembering her grandfather.

“I am going to dedicate every round of golf that I play to him,” Jaci said. “He is the reason why I am doing everything I am right now.”

Mehl spent several sweltering summers with his granddaughter on the course. As they practiced their putting, she took note of his signature headgear — the bucket hat.

Not content to wear just one color, Mehl kept a variety of hats in his repertoire.

“It protected him from the sun,” Jaci said. “But, it also made him look cool.”

While spending time with Mehl, Souris Valley Golf Course professional Steve Kottsick developed a tight-knit relationship with the ranger. Through their conversations, Kottsick felt the love Mehl expressed for his grandchildren.

“He worshipped them,” Kottsick said. “He taught them all to be very good golfers.”

As the Minot golf community moves forward without Mehl, Kottsick acknowledged that the loyal golfers will be somewhat lost without him.

“All of the golfers I know are going to miss him tremendously,” he said. “I know his family is going to miss him tremendously. It will be a tough role to fill.”

During his time as a ranger, Mehl paired golfers with similar tee times. After all those years of learning from his grandfather, Duchscherer helped him complete that task while working at Souris Valley.

“A lot of times, people ended up playing together for a long time after my grandpa paired them up on the first tee,” he said. “He was always there. He was a staple. I said, ‘Well, there’s a gentleman out there on a cart with a bucket hat. You can’t miss him. Go ask. If he says he can get you on, then we can get you on.’ That was the greatest thing.”

Additionally, Jaci learned from Mehl’s happy-go-lucky disposition on the links. She sees herself in those young golfers who asked her grandfather for golf balls and tees, and realized that the course’s future lies with them.

His positivity permeated through the fairways.

“He was so determined to do everything,” Jaci said. “He wouldn’t let anything get to him, no matter what. That’s why a lot of people liked playing with my grandpa. He was a carefree man when he was playing golf.”

Through watching Mehl work, Ty came to a realization of his own. If it weren’t for the harsh North Dakota winters, his grandfather might have stayed at the first tee box throughout all seasons.

“I think he could have done it forever and ever,” he said. “It was truly his dream job. He loved it. He could have been up there from sunrise to sundown.”

Jimmy Lafakis covers Minot High School sports and Class B high school sports. Follow him on Twitter @JJLII30.