b'GOLF WASHINGTONJulius and DianaA lifetime spent keeping the joy of the game alive for othersby Doug Miller started the original Jorgensen Golf Tour D iana Jorgensen doesnt hesitatein 1990. Weve to answer when asked why hergenerated more husband, Julius, has become a golf iconthan $3 million in in the Pacific Northwest. green fees for theseJulius and Diana Well, for one thing, hes stubborn,courses and wevesold their golf shop Diana says with a laugh of her husband,had a part in a lot ofin 2019, but, at age who has been a player, a club pro, apeople having a lot74, he still plays in teacher, a club-fitter, a driving-rangeof fun. almost every event director, a shop owner, and a lot moreJulius and Dianaon his tournament over five decades dedicated to the sport.might have moreseries, with Diana Ive never known anybody who worksfun than anyone.walking along every as hard as this man. Pretty much 70 hoursThey attend thestep of the way. a week for decades. He just truly loves golftournament events and the golfers, and he wont stop doingmost weekends, with what hes doing for the game. Julius teeing off inPeabody also cherishes his time Julius is 74 years old and suffersthe last group and Diana walking everywith the Jorgensens, whom he says he from Parkinsons Disease, but hisstep of every hole. greatly admires.tireless ethic endures.Every year, we say to each other,Dianas one of the hardiest walkers He and Diana shut down theirHow much longer do we want to doI know, and Julius, hes pretty incredible, beloved Jorgensen Golf shop inthis? Diana says. And we say, Were notPeabody says. Itd be so easy with Mukilteo, Wash., in 2019, after 24 yearsready to let go of the people. We justParkinsons and his slight tremors to give in business, but theyre still showing uplove watching their success, and we loveup the game or complain. But he doesnt. every weekend to help run the Puetztheir friendship. And hes no slouch of a player. Hes still Golf Tournament Series, a local tour thatBill Peabody is one of those friends.money around the greens.provides amateur players the taste ofPeabody, a semi-retired certified financialJulius grew up in the San Fernando competition and the opportunity to winplanner who lives near Olympia, Wash.,Valley in Southern California. He was credit at Puetz Golf stores. and describes himself as a double-digit5-foot-3 (and a half), so, when it came The enjoyment that I get out of it ishandicapper, joined the Puetz circuit into high school sports, he says his only watching people get better and helping2020 during the COVID pandemic andoptions were flyweight wrestling or out local courses, says Julius, whosays he cant imagine life without it. golf. His family didnt have a lot of Theyve got a tournament nearlymoney, so he worked a job and bought Julius worked as a PGAevery week, sometimes two a weekend,his own clubs.assistant pro at fivePeabody says. It gets you out there.I lost every single match my junior clubs, including at SandIts an adventure. The fact is, I justand senior years and only broke 80 Point Country Club inwouldnt get up in the morning andonce, Julius says, but I didnt give up.1983 (pictured), beforego play golf in Mukilteo or Bellingham.After some college at Cal State opening his store inBut having these destinations to go toNorthridge, he moved to Washington Mukilteo, Wash., in 1995.makes it worthwhile. and was drafted, serving four years 2 GOLF WASHINGTON|SEPT 2024'