ASHEBORO NC – Asheboro Mini Golf has been around for over 60 years, and after an especially rough year, its owner is asking the community for help.
For the last four years, David Gregor has been running the mini-golf course located on S Fayetteville St. “It has been a staple in this community,” said Gregor on his GoFundMe page. He describes it as a skill-based golf course. “I took over the business in 2016 and started off being a big part of this wonderful community. We have done things like giving the county library system 2,000 free games to give children who complete their weekly reading during the summer reading program. We have also supported other community activities. I believe a small business should help in the community [sic]”. Tournaments, customer appreciation days, and keeping the course looking nice has earned him five stars on trip advisor, 4.8 stars on Google, and almost two thousand followers on the business’s Facebook Page.
Despite his hard work, and dedication 2020 was especially rough for both the business and Gregor personally. First, COVID-19 hit, “I invested every dollar I had and a lot of hours doing maintenance and getting this 62-year-old course ready for our season, only to have to close due to the Covid 19 stay-at-home order here in North Carolina”. It was eight weeks before Gregor was able to re-open, “business was only about 30% of what we would do in the spring,” said Gregor. Amid the pandemic, tragedy struck when Gregor lost his wife of 35 years, Roberta, in September.
Gregor shared the tragic news on Facebook telling everyone “She was a loving mother of our 2 children, an Army veteran, a member of the DAV. She was also a volunteer firefighter in Georgia and in Randolph County in the past. She was co-owner of Asheboro Mini Golf here in Asheboro NC. She was loved by many. And will be dearly missed”.
After announcing the passing of his wife on a Friday, Gregor went right back to work on Saturday with a small donation jar out front. “She had no insurance. I am raising money to pay her final expenses”, He told us, he wasn’t expecting much, but any little bit was going to help. The community heard his story and support poured in. Over 1,000 people shared his post on Facebook and that Saturday the course saw nearly double its normal attendance. “I felt so loved [that] weekend, it’s amazing,” David told Acme News at the time.
With a sharp decrease in business and having to shut down for the winter, Gregor is asking the community for help through a GoFundMe page. “I am now asking for help to keep this iconic business here and provide a great family activity for all ages,” says Gregor. With a goal set for $8,000 Gregor lays out what they money will go towards, “We need to pay the lease, and start doing maintenance for the spring opening. The greens need replacing”.
Closing out the GoFundMe page Gregor makes clear what this business means to him, “This is much more than a business to me it is a passion and I am honored to provide this facility to the community”.
Anyone who wishes to donate can visit the GoFundMe page linked below, or share the post on Asheboro Mini Golf’s Facebook page.
Visit Asheboro Mini Golf GoFundMe Page