Joseph Winkelmann built the Jones Cup to last

The consensus among those involved with the Jones Cup is that the annual community golf tournament is built to last.

It would not have been so without the tireless work of Joseph Winkelmann, the man widely credited as being the father of the event.

The Jones Cup has been around for 19 years. On Tuesday at Santa Ana Country Club, the competitors gathered again, and for the first time, Winkelmann would not be a part of the festivities.

Winkelmann died on May 29, 2017 at age 73, leaving behind the tournament and the Greenstripe Media advertising agency as his lasting legacy.

Michael De Dios, the treasurer of Greenstripe Media, has worked for the company for 12 years. He told stories of his former boss that detailed the devotion that Winkelmann showed to his work and those around him.

De Dios said he used to run all of the copy he produced by Winkelmann, and his work would always come back marked up. He called Winkelmann a “hard stickler,” but those are just the people we come to appreciate. They are the ones who cared enough to let us know how things could be better.

Winkelmann worked to accumulate a clientele that included high-profile outfits like Fletcher Jones Motorcars. While running a successful business, Winkelmann made sure to nurture the relationships he had formed.

“He knew a lot of these different members,” De Dios said of the one-time Newport Beach Country Club member. “He knew how to socialize with them.

“Once a month, he would get us lunch at the country club. The office would get a company lunch on him. That would always be really nice to have.”

Tom Sargent recently retired as the head pro of Mesa Verde Country Club, but he played in every Jones Cup before this year. He called the Jones Cup, “Joe’s tournament,” adding that it was a great idea that built camaraderie among the local clubs and was a four-way win for everyone involved, from Winkelmann’s Greenstripe Media, Fletcher Jones Motorcars, the Daily Pilot and the local golf clubs.

“He was pretty passionate about the tournament,” Sargent said. “It’s a really good idea. In truth, it creates a lot of interest in the golf community in this area.”

De Dios echoed Sargent’s sentiments, saying that the tournament continues to grow. Fletcher Jones stepped up, providing an array of Mercedes-Benzes and Audis to put on display during the event.

“His vision for the Jones Cup was what it is right now, which is bringing these clubs together for an exciting competition between all of them,” De Dios said. “Seeing the growth of the audience climb from year to year, he’s always wanted that. So far, in the 12 years that I have been working it, I have seen it grow.”

Originally, the Jones Cup was a two-person per club tournament, consisting of the head pro and the men’s club champion. The current five-person format (captain, club professional, men’s champion, women’s champion and senior champion) came about in 2005, a tribute to Winkelmann’s willingness to seek and be open to new ideas.

Winkelmann led the charge to get Shady Canyon to join Big Canyon, Newport Beach, Mesa Verde and Santa Ana. Brian Gunson, the director of golf at Shady Canyon, is happy that his club joined the party late rather than never in 2012.

“We’ve thoroughly enjoyed it,” Gunson said. “Joe was such an integral part of the event. Obviously, Fletcher Jones was involved, but it was almost like it was Joe’s event. I think he took so much pride in putting it all together, and he got to know all of the pros so well.

“I last spoke to him at Mesa Verde [at last year’s Jones Cup]. I didn’t really know how sick he was, but then for him to pass away [four days after the tournament] was a huge blow. He was synonymous with the Jones Cup.

“We start all over again, but we’ll always remember him.”

Gordon Bowley, a Jones Cup tournament volunteer, said he first met Winkelmann in 1982. As the years went by, the Jones Cup took on a familial sort of feeling.

“He loved this tournament, just loved it,” Bowley said. “He loved the people. Everybody loved him. It was like an old family reunion every year. It was really neat.”

andrew.turner@latimes.com

Twitter: @ProfessorTurner