Building a Dream: The Persimmon Ridge Story

By Lawren Just

What would it take for you to make your dreams a reality?

Most people have a vision of what they would like to do in their life or what they would like to be. For many, the reality is that we become what our circumstances allow, whether because of upbringing, schooling, life situations, or needing to earn a living. Few get to pursue their "dream" life, and sometimes those same life circumstances dictate that pursuit.

Building a Dream: The Persimmon Ridge Story shows you that a pursuit of a dream is often not the "easy road" to take. Ultimately, though, if it is what your heart desires, the pursuit becomes your life. This book tells the story of the pursuit of a dream. In reading it, you will learn:

• Going after a dream takes full dedication to it
• Family and friends provide critical support and must understand the pursuit
• Finances can sometimes present an issue
• Risk is probable and must be accepted
• Faith in yourself and those working with you is paramount

Building a Dream shares all of the above and helps you to understand the pursuit is only half the challenge—the reality is the prize. Pursue your dreams!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lawren Just
• Release date: Oct 12, 2023
• ISBN: 9798988598114

Book preview

Building a Dream

The Persimmon Ridge Story

Lawren Just

Copyright © 2023, Lawren Just

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical (including any information storage retrieval system) without the express written permission from the author, except in the case of brief quotations for use in articles and reviews wherein appropriate attribution of the source is made.

Publishing support provided by

Ignite Press

5070 N. Sixth St. #189

Fresno, CA 93710

www.IgnitePress.us

ISBN: 979-8-9885981-0-7

ISBN: 979-8-9885981-1-4 (E-book)

For bulk purchase and for booking, contact:

Lawren Just

[e-mail]

www.persimmonridgedevelopment.com

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, web addresses or links contained in this book may have been changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The content of this book and all expressed opinions are those of the author and do not reflect the publisher or the publishing team. The author is solely responsible for all content included herein.

Library of Congress Control Number: 2023911068

Cover design by Aasman Iqbal

Edited by Charlie Wormhoudt

Interior design by Jetlaunch

FIRST EDITION

This book is dedicated to the memory of my late husband, Elmore Just, and his love of life, family, nature, golf and all its tradition, and Persimmon Ridge.

It’s also dedicated to our five kids, Carrie, Andy, Kris, Patrick, and Annie, and their perseverance during the good times and bad over the past 40 years.

Acknowledgments

This book has taken several years to write, and I know many stories and people have been left out. I wanted to finish the book before I forgot more about the past 40 years than I can now remember.

Through this journey, I want to thank my husband Doug, who has always supported me and the kids during our conversations about Elmore, and stayed by my side through the laughter and the tears. His understanding of our love for Elmore and the loss we bear is greater than would be expected of most husbands coming into a situation like this.

I also want to acknowledge all the kids and grandkids, because without you I would not have made it through this journey with any sense of sanity. Your support and love have always been the rock I fall back on.

To Jack Ridge, thank you for being a wonderful friend and business partner over the years, and being a part of the start of Persimmon Ridge.

To Arthur Hills, Skip, Curtis, Steve, Randy, and the crew who designed and built Persimmon Ridge Golf Course and Development, it turned out as beautiful as any of us could have hoped.

And this journey would not have been possible without the extended family: Elmore’s brothers and sister and in-laws, Ronnie and Sharon, Michael and Lynn, Robert and Kathy, Dian, Gerard and Rose; and my sisters and brothers-in-law, Danny and Sandy, Patti and Rickey, Michele and Randy, Lisa and Lee, Julie and Jay; and both our dads, Elmore Sr. and John. Thank you for always supporting Elmore’s dream, even when there was doubt. Your contributions both financially and through hard work meant everything to this project.

The Group of 8, as you will read in the coming pages, invested not just dollars but sweat equity to make Persimmon Ridge what it is today. In addition to Elmore’s brothers Ronnie, Michael, Robert, and Gerard, Jack’s brother Tim, as well as friends Jimmy, Tom, and Steve, spent endless days and months, especially in the clearing stages of Persimmon Ridge, making this dream possible.

Creating Persimmon Ridge meant building a community. There are so many great friends and neighbors who have helped along the way in some form or another. Tony and Diana, and Dave and DA, who helped us keep track of our kids while we were working until dark, and who I treasure greatly as friends. So many wonderful neighbors through the years—Joe and Nancy, Andy and Susan, Baron and Chris, John and Claudine, Jerry and Marie, Rick and Lisa, Danny and Kathy, Joe and Dottie, Bob and Melinda, Denny and Susan, Rick and Mary, Pat and George, and many others I will regret forgetting to mention.

And the private investors who helped us financially, both in the early days and into the two-thousands. Without you, this project could not have been completed. Ronnie and Sharon, Michael and Lynn, Robert and Kathy, Gerard and Rose, Jimmy and Rose Marie, Tim, Steve, Tom, Rick and Lisa, Joe and Nancy, Scott and Susie, Dennis and Susan, Mike and Linda, Donnie and Steph, Jim, Ivan and Judi, Sam and Judi, Joe and Dottie, George and Pat, Terry and Dan, Clem and Rose, Gary and Keek, Gary and Carol, Baron and Chris, Joe and Judy, Steve and Diane, Marty and Renee, Clem and Rose, Bill and Carol, Barney and Viki, and Don and Bette. I hope I’ve listed everyone. Please know that your involvement was greatly appreciated and aided in the success of both the golf course and development.

The staff and employees of Persimmon Ridge over the years helped make Persimmon Ridge what it is. To Jim, Kathy, Terry, Rich, Ron, Lisa, Sharon, Dale, Sheryl, Kevin, Dan, Charlie, and all the maintenance crew and golf course staff, down to the cart guys and kitchen workers—thank you!

And to the members, both old and new, who play Persimmon Ridge because of the challenge it offers and the experience it brings to a day of golf, thank you for your support of this course and club. So many original members who are still with us 34 years after opening, including the first member, Mike, and Jerry, Tony, Fred, Joe, Tom C., Tom J. and Tom S., Jimmy, Ralph, Steve A., Steve F. and Steve E., Stephan, Bob and Georgene, David and Terri, Gary and Carol, Ron, and Susan K.S. The involvement of the members then and now helps to make Persimmon Ridge great.

To my golf girls—thanks for being by my side through the good times and bad, through kids and grandkids, through tragedy and triumph. Georgene, Terri, Ann McW., Sidney, Jahn, Steph, Judi, Joyce, Susan, Ann M., Teri, Keek, April, Debbie, Viki, Connie, and all the ladies in our league at Persimmon Ridge. Your friendship means more to me than I could ever express.

Thanks to my NAWBO (National Association of Women Business Owners) friends, who helped guide me through business experiences and issues. Maggie, Rachel, Theresa, Denise, Melissa—your business acumen and willingness to help other women business owners will always be treasured.

Last, but by no means least, thanks to Cathy Fyock, the Business Book Strategist and my book coach, for pushing me for years to get this book in writing, and for guiding me to the finish line. Thanks for the book retreats with Allie Pleiter that enabled me to compete, which I love to do, because without them, I know this would not have been completed. And thanks to Everett and his staff at Ignite Press for their guidance and assistance in getting this book published.

My apologies if I have left anyone out, and please know it would not have been intentional!

Disclaimer

Having written this book some 40 years after the start of our journey, some of the dates and years may be slightly different than the actual dates of occurrence. I have done my best to validate the many different happenings that occurred.

Additionally, some names have been changed from the actual individuals’ names. Most names are the actual names of those involved in the story.

Table of Contents

Prologue

Chapter 1 The Beginning

Chapter 2 The Planning

Chapter 3 The Construction

Chapter 4 The Preparation

Chapter 5 The Opening

Chapter 6 The First Year

Chapter 7 The Note

Chapter 8 The Litigation

Chapter 9 The Return to Louisville Golf

Chapter 10 The Battles

Chapter 11 The End of the FFFs

Chapter 12 The New Owners

Chapter 13 The Tragedy

Chapter 14 The Aftermath

Chapter 15 The Sale

Chapter 16 The Completion

Epilogues

About the Author

Prologue

According to Christopher Booker’s The Seven Basic Plots, all great narratives tell one of the following stories: Overcoming the Monster, Rags to Riches, The Quest, Voyage and Return, Comedy, Tragedy, or Rebirth.

Having lived the story of Persimmon Ridge growing up, I have to admit that I chuckled while reading this list because I have no idea if the Persimmon Ridge story is equally all of these or if one plot perhaps dominates the others. There are certainly elements of each basic plot in our story, and, if forced to choose one that best applies, I’m sure my answer would vary based on what type of day I’m having or the most recent song I’ve heard bringing back memories of Dad.

Given the age gap between each of us kids, the five of us experienced the Persimmon Ridge story differently. The ten-year gap from the oldest (Carrie) to youngest (Annie) meant that we each experienced the most volatile years at much different stages in our own development. We went from being a part of a family that takes vacations, that owns successful businesses, that is building a championship golf course, that is in the news, that sees our Dad’s picture in the paper while eating breakfast, to chopping firewood to pay the bills, and fishing and even eating roadkill in order to have dinner. How does an eight-year-old interpret this shift? How does an 18-year-old? Were we old enough to respect the dogged determination to never quit? Or were we too young to understand the grown-up crises surrounding us, left only to subconsciously absorb the impression that something had changed, and it was not for the better?

I can’t speak for my siblings, but I consider myself extraordinarily lucky. Dad was my hero. While I have countless examples of times I wish I would have suppored him more, I was by his side often, and I always had the feeling that I was helping to win the fight.

At the age of ten, my first business venture, at the insistence of Dad, was Patrick’s Firewood. I got to keep $10 of each rick of firewood sold, but I had to help Dad stack and deliver it. We needed the money, and he knew that people would order more when they saw a ten-year-old helping out. Not taking on this task wasn’t really an option for me, but I felt it was my duty, or maybe opportunity, to help. Maybe I now have selective memory but I honestly do not remember a time of feeling anything but love, respect, and adoration towards my father. He was the good guy fighting the bad guy, and I always thought he would eventually win.

As for Mom, I’ve already told her she should rename this book The Toughest Woman on Earth. While it oversimplifies their beginning, the fact remains that she married a millionaire with a thriving business who was always dreaming of something bigger. Early in their marriage, they traveled to Augusta, Georgia to support professional golfer Jodie Mudd, who was playing with Dad’s Louisville Golf-made clubs at Augusta National in the 1987 Masters Tournament. They brought 11-year-old Andy and stayed with Jodie in a rented house while Jodie took the day one lead!

That is the man she married, that is the life they were building together: a successful life. A life already reaping the fruit of Dad’s hard work in building a successful business. And although fate played its hand and the trajectory of their lives emphatically changed, I never witnessed regret in her. I never witnessed doubt. As they lost everything that my Dad had built, Mom was his most faithful, critical partner to finding a way back. He could have never done it without her.

While we sacrificed much in our childhood as a result of the losses on our way to the dream of Persimmon Ridge, we also gained much—the example of what marriage should look like in the face of adversity being the first that comes to mind. We five kids saw true hard work incarnate in both our parents. We saw determination defined daily. We saw honesty exemplified and learned the value of standing by your word and paying every debt, even if an easier path, like bankruptcy, was presented.

Elmore and Lawren Just were an example to all. All of this makes me want to believe that this story is one of Overcoming the Monster.

I hope it is.

There are many arguments for this conclusion: through all the challenges that were painstakingly overcome, a legacy was built by my parents that will last long after we are gone. Persimmon Ridge, which is now the home of the Kentucky Golf Association, will host the next three Kentucky Open tournaments. Dad’s course is now an integral part of the sport in his home state of Kentucky and will always be a living memorial to Elmore Just. When I pull into Persimmon Ridge today, I push my childhood experiences and these accomplishments to the front of my brain. I smile as I pass Elmore Just Drive. I know something bigger exists while I play hole number seven in silence with friends and watch as tears well in their eyes. I beam with pride when I walk over to Dad’s grave and see daily tributes given, a sign of thanks for the opportunity to enjoy that property the way he intended it.

I try, and sometimes succeed, to remember how none of us would be the same without the dream of Persimmon Ridge in our lives. I know the sacrifices made during our childhood are easily outweighed by the irreplaceable experiences and character lessons that molded and forged us into who we are today. Having been through all of it, and now having kids of my own, I find myself wishing I could give my children many of those same experiences.

I hope that we kids live a life that reflects the man my father was. It’s up to us to ensure this plot is one of a conquering hero. However, 22 years after his death, despite my best efforts, it’s still a battle to not give in to the grief and reconcile myself with the fact we lost him, and think it a tragedy.

Patrick Just

March, 2023

CHAPTER 1

THE BEGINNING

Elmore said, Let’s go home. There’s nothing we can do here. We walked out the front door, and I sat on the porch step and cried. The adrenaline rush to get the water shut off, the realization that we could have been electrocuted, and the pain of seeing so much damage was more than my emotions could handle.

—ELMORE TOOK MY HAND, AND WE WALKED BACK TO DAVE’S CAR.

Dreams. Everyone has them, thinks about them, and wonders about their meaning or purpose. Seldom do dreamers get to pursue a dream; but when they do, the pursuit becomes a passion.

And thus begins the story of Persimmon Ridge.

Elmore Just has been called a visionary, a naturalist, a good man, and a dreamer. He was one of six children born to Elmore and LaVerne Just, growing up in a two-bedroom house in Shively, Kentucky. His parents had one bedroom, his only sister, Dian, the other. The five boys—Ronnie, Elmore, Michael, Robert, and Gerard—slept on home-made beds in the unfinished basement or on the couch in the living room. Elmore Sr. collected trash for Shively Sanitation when he was laid off from his factory job at American Standard’s manufacturing plant in Louisville. It was another man’s trash brought home from one of those sanitation routes