Thirty years ago, Pat Cailler of Poland won the Fairlawn men’s club championship at age 60. Today, at age 90, Cailler is in a Fairlawn class by himself.

Cailler is the oldest Fairlawn member and the only living “original” among those who joined the club when it opened in 1963. On June 27 (yes, of this year), he recorded more Fairlawn history when he shot an 81, which also included the second hole-in-one of his long career on the eighth hole during the weekly senior tournament. That’s only seven shots more than his career best of 74.

After the ace, Cailler purchased beers for the three other members of his foursome, but he ducked the country club tradition of buying drinks for everyone present. For this he was roasted in jest by his many Fairlawn friends, who know that Cailler not only is a good golfer, but a fun person to play with.

“I’m on a fixed income, so I couldn’t buy for everyone,” said Cailler, who retired from Hall & Knight, a plumbing and electrical firm, in 1962. “Besides, Dot (his wife) only OKed my foursome.”

There are many other things that make Cailler unique.

The most remarkable thing he said he ever achieved on the links came at Maplewood in Bethlehem, N.H. The 16th hole at Maplewood is a 656-yard par-6. Cailler does not recall what year it was, but he vividly remembers hitting a driver, and then a 4-wood before knocking a 4-iron into the hole for a score of three.

“That was the best hole I ever had,” said Cailler, who played football and hockey at Lewiston High School, where he was a scatback on the undefeated 1942 team which beat previously unbeaten Edward Little for the state football championship.

The years have been very kind to Cailler in terms of golf. While his handicap index has gone from 7 to 27, he plays from the red tees (Fairlawn’s rule for red tees is age and handicap must be 100 or more), he remains competitive with golfers of all ages. And he is active at Fairlawn.

“I used to run a league sponsored by the Music Literary Club,” he said. “Plus, Dot and I ran Sunday couples tournaments and we would draw as many as 100 people.”

More recently he has a new Fairlawn “assignment.”

“Pat is our senior handyman,” said David Bartasuis, director of Fairlawn’s golf operations. “Among his duties are painting the 150-yard markers and birdhouses. And he does some tree trimming.”

“Everything I do is with the OK of our course superintendent, Fred Abele,” Cailler said.

Cailler has been playing in the greater Lewiston-Auburn area for more years than most golfers have been alive, having been a member at Summit Springs from 1947 to 1963. He fit golf around raising two sons and a daughter, and they have given him two grandchildren and three great grandchildren.

Enjoying this long and happy run has not gone unappreciated by Cailler, who said: “I’ve been married to Dot 66 years. She’s the reason I’m so healthy.”

Cailler very definitely is a golf throwback, because he is from the school of playing the ball where it lies.

“Tee it up and don’t touch the ball until you get to the green,” is his golden rule.

And that has been far more than golden for Pat Cailler.

Chip shots

The Maine State Golf Association will conduct a combination senior and junior tournament tomorrow at Rockland … The Maine State Amateur championship will be played Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday at The Woodlands … Next weekend’s weekly tournament will be Friday and Saturday at Sable Oaks.

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