In the same way our first settlers gathered to celebrate the bounty of the harvest through Thanksgiving, we want to celebrate the appreciation we have for an event that shows off that same spirit of community and togetherness and shows off the bounty of the Golden Isles: its people and its beauty. With the arrival of The RSM Classic, November is a time for both gratitude and golf. Here we introduce you to some of the veteran volunteers of The RSM Classic and talk turkey about the game, Thanksgiving, and the Golden Isles.
The RSM Classic wouldn’t be possible without the help of its 1,200 volunteers. Volunteers create a friendly and enjoyable experience for tournament patrons, PGA TOUR players and their families, media and hospitality partners. Their dedication, flexibility and friendly demeanor are a large part of why The RSM Classic is known as a showcase for genuine Southern hospitality. We’d like you to meet some of the volunteers and learn more about their different walks of life and why they choose to spend their time with the tournament.
A Golden Isles resident since 2004, Elaine Townsend has been a dedicated volunteer at The RSM Classic since it began 10 years ago as the McGladrey Classic. Her commitment is serious; she takes four days of vacation time a year from her financial services position to volunteer at the tournament. Elaine started out as a walking scorer because two of her close friends, Bonnie Thompson and Sheila Buck, were the co-chairs for that position. A walking scorer is assigned to a group in the Pro-Am and in the tournament and their job is to walk with that group and keep their score and specific statistics. It is important that the walking scorers understand the game of golf and are accurate with every player in the group. They carry a handheld device that looks just like a cell phone to record every shot each player takes at the moment he takes it, what club he is using, as well as where the ball lands, was it fairway or rough, hazard or green, etc. Elaine says that as much as she loved walking the course, when Bonnie retired and Sheila asked her to fill in as co-chair, she hasn’t looked back since. A few years later when Sheila retired, Susan Barnett was recruited to become second chair and these two have been the dynamic duo ever since.
Elaine and her walking scorers come from all over the country. There is a brother & sister team from South Carolina who sign up every year and, according to Elaine, are hilarious. Both are excellent scorers and are very competitive with each other. Several of the folks travel around the country and score for different tournaments all year. Elaine affectionately calls them “a funny little cult.”
When asked about any special memories she has from being a scorer all these years, Elaine shared, “A couple of years ago, I was scoring for the Wednesday Pro-Am and my player was past winner Ben Crane. As a scorer, you are expected to keep up with your group, but also be invisible and be quiet, speak only when spoken to. It began to rain, not hard, but enough that Ben’s caddie handed him his umbrella. When Ben realized I was getting wet, he insisted I walk with him under the umbrella. He is such a gentleman.”
Elaine volunteers because she believes the Love Foundation is a great cause. “Davis and Mark Love have done tremendous things with the money this tournament has raised. But it is also so much fun! We love our team of volunteers. They are the best. Most of our team has been with us from the very beginning. Training day is like a class reunion. We really love and care about our team.”
Elaine started playing golf when she was 46 years old so she could spend time with her husband on the weekends. She praises him for having an excellent game and the patience to teach her how to play. Now 64 years old, Elaine says she’s gone “18 years without one stinking hole in one, but I keep trying.” She shared this piece of stellar advice: “My advice to anyone considering a partner in life or in business is that they play a few rounds of golf with them. You will see who they really are. How do they handle their own shortcomings? Do they follow the rules? Are they supportive of others when they struggle with their game? Are they courteous? Which four letter words do they use the most? And, most importantly, do they do the right thing when they think no one is watching?”
Elaine sums things up by saying,“I look forward to being part of this tournament and charity every year. It makes me proud of our community. I love that so many of our residents, many who don’t even play golf, rally together to make it happen, year after year. Is this a great place to live or what?!”
Elaine Townsend and Susan Barnett
Susan Barnett retired from IBM and moved to St. Simons Island from Texas with her husband Jim, also a retiree. They have also been part of the tournament since its inception. As Elaine already mentioned, Susan co-chairs the walking scorer committee and Jim is a walking scorer. Susan boasts some experience at the position, having been a walking scorer for the Byron Nelson tournament in Dallas for 24 years.
Susan started golfing because her son and husband played every weekend and she felt left out. Her husband told her, “I will never give you advice except for this one thing: take lessons.” Susan listened to his advice, took lessons, improving quickly, and became an avid golfer. The priceless result? She was there when her 17-year-old son scored a double eagle (or albatross.) For non-golf fans, this is far rarer than a hole-in-one; the odds are about a million to one.
Susan enjoys volunteering, saying, “It’s fun! I love the atmosphere, being close to the golfers (and eavesdropping on their conversations during the round,) and meeting such interesting and nice people who also volunteer. I love that the tournament does so much for the community too.”
When asked about her fellow volunteers, she replied, “Oh my! There are too many to mention! Of course, my favorite is my partner, Elaine Townsend. We met through the tournament and found out we had so much in common – including going to the same university (SMU), living in the same dorm (McElvaney), and at the exact same time (won’t say the year!) We’ve become close friends over the years. I also love our walking scorers. They are amazingly generous, incredibly helpful, and dedicated to making the tournament a fabulous experience for the players, the staff, and the other volunteers.”
She continued, “One year, I scored for Mark Wilson. As you may know, as a walking scorer your job is to be invisible, so as not to distract the golfers. As most players do at the end of the round, Mark introduced himself and thanked us. The next day, while I was walking to my assignment and he was walking to the first tee, he caught my eye and said, ‘Good morning, Susan!’ I was flabbergasted that he would remember my face and even more so, my name. He is one of the truly nice guys on tour.”
Another memory that stands out for Susan is the time she sat down at a table in the hospitality village with an older couple. She learned the husband had been Jonathan Byrd’s high school coach and he was then fighting cancer. Despite having had chemo the prior day, the former coach was committed to fighting through so he could watch his former student play. Susan tells us “the gentleman was exhausted and having trouble keeping up. Since I had access to a golf cart, I was able to help them follow Jonathan. They were such kind people and I’ve thought of them often.” When asked if she’s met many of the PGA Tour players, she replies, “Pretty much all of them! Most are polite, gracious, and appreciative of the volunteers.”
Of the tournament, Susan says, “The RSM Classic is so well run. Our tournament & volunteer coordinator, Christian Freeman, is such a sweetheart. She is so laid back and patient, smart, and incredibly helpful. She makes the job fun!” Susan also loves that so many people who aren’t familiar with our islands get to see their beauty. She thinks the TV coverage does a wonderful job of showing the marsh, the ocean, and the wildlife. She adds, “And of course, I love that so many people get to see that beauty in person.”
TURN OFF THE TUBE!
While football is the game generally, we’re suggesting you play a round of golf on the holiday instead of settling in front of the TV to watch the Lions or Cowboys. Outdoor activity is good when you’re going to be bellying up to the table to consume about 4,000 calories of festive deliciousness with the family! Besides, these days, watching pro football often leads to those political debates we all know to avoid at family gatherings.
Retiree Reed Ellis is an admitted “golfaholic.” He was self-employed as a hearing instrument specialist for about 40 years and practiced in a small Ontario town of about 30 thousand people. Over 20 years ago, on the recommendation of an acquaintance, he and his wife Helen came to Jekyll Island for a week to try it out. One week turned in to two, then three, then four, and before you knew it, they were coming for three to four months!
Ellis explains, “The Golden Isles has the perfect winter climate for us, as we do not like the heat. We liken it to our Ontario fall. You wear a sweater in the morning and take it off in the afternoon. It is also free from the bigger hustle and bustle that Florida offers, which is not for us! Then there is the Southern hospitality. You just can’t beat it.
Ellis says he enjoys volunteering mostly due to his love of golf, but also believes in giving back to the community where we reside. At home, he is a member of the Rotary Club for the same reason. Reed says “The RSM never seems to have enough volunteers, so this is my small way of saying thanks.” This year will be his sixth year volunteering at the tournament where he has always worked as a standard bearer. He loves it so much that he persuaded his wife to start volunteering four years ago. Last year, he convinced another Canadian friend to sign up too.
Reed Ellis
When asked about his duties as a volunteer, Reed stated “ The two people that chair my committee, Doris and Jeff Burton, have probably been doing the job from day one! They are delightful to work with and are very dedicated to the event. Another lady that really stands out is Barbara Van Buskirk. She works tirelessly with volunteers at the headquarters and with set up from well before the tournament until after it is over. Last year, I worked with a walking scorer that comes from Atlanta every year. He doesn’t even golf! He was so generous, that he gave me his certificate that allows a volunteer to play the course with three friends. I have worked with other scorers that come from quite far away just to work the RSM too.
Reed has many special memories from his time volunteering but two really stand out. The first was from the first year, when he had tournament host Davis Love III in his group. Reed said “it was pretty exciting to shake hands with such an icon first time out.” He continues, “My second memory is from two years ago, when I drew the final group for the Sunday round. Talk about exciting! Got to watch and hang out with another first time winner and PGA Tour player, Austin Cook. Didn’t hurt that I got a bit of TV time either. Many of my friends back home saw me, and my grandson even took a picture of me on his television and emailed it to me.”
Reed likes that The RSM Classic is held in the Golden Isles because it creates a great community spirit. He stated, “everyone knows about it, and many help out or attend. It is a fantastic venue, that allows for easy viewing. What I don’t like about it, is when the TV cameras show just how beautiful the area is, by doing all of those panoramic views of the area. I’m trying to keep this area a secret!! I tell all my friends that I go to Florida, so they won’t come to Georgia. Plus, you can never beat a good pulled pork sandwich. The food supplied by Southern Soul Barbecue at the RSM is also ‘Classic.’”
Reed shares one final thought regarding his experience with The RSM Classic: “I like how much the volunteers are appreciated. Whether through communication or in person, the tournament committee members all let you know just how much they appreciate us helping out. That includes the players too. As a standard bearer, before each round starts, every PGA player in my group makes the effort to come over and shake my hand and say ‘Thanks for being here. That says it all.’”
FAMILY FUN
Unlike the more competitive backyard games of touch football, playing golf is something men and women, athletic and non-athletic, younger and older family members can all participate. You’re much less likely to pull a hamstring, throw out a shoulder, or wrench a knee or ankle on the golf course than you are throwing the ball and running around on the local high school field or the uneven terrain in Uncle Jerry’s yard. If you’ve got a bunch of kids, you can take the crew to a miniature golf course.
BIRDIES & BREEZES
Fall is a great time to play golf. The weather here is cooler and not too cold for your hands yet. And the gnats are gone (we hope)! The courses in the Golden Isles are beautiful and it’s a perfect occasion to enjoy your surroundings and see the changing colors of the marsh grass and foliage. We may not have the dramatic fall leaves of northern climes, but when you can see the ocean from the greens, it’s certainly not a bad view at all.
Another Canadian volunteer who moved to the Golden Isles and has been with the tournament since the beginning is Barbara Van Buskirk, the chairperson for the volunteer headquarters. Barbara and her late husband became permanent residents in 1999 and Barbara worked at The Cloister for ten years until she retired and relocated to Ohio to be with her daughter and granddaughters. After five years there, however, the beauty of the lifestyle here lured her back to St. Simons Island.
Barbara has volunteered at the tournament since the beginning. Barbara has two assistants: Sue Donnelly (her sister from Red Deer in Alberta, Canada) and Stacy Bristol, who are both willing to step in to cover any emergency and will do whatever needs to be done. The folks on her team are responsible for putting all the volunteer information packets together and make sure all volunteers pick up their packets and their uniforms before the tournament. Barbara also makes all the volunteers feel welcome by arranging and setting up their meals each day of the tournament.
Sue Donnelly, Stacy Bristol and Barbara Van Buskirk
About the golf tournament, Barbara states, “Each year gets better and better. The military appreciation day and Wiffle ball for the kids bring the community together and adds to the economy for our local businesses. The RSM gives back to a lot of charities and children benefit, as well as animals. I also meet so many people from all areas of the country. I worked at the Ryder Cup when Davis was the captain and I have to say I was happy to return to The RSM Classic. There is a sense of family and volunteers are treated very well. I hope to volunteer for as long as I am able.”
IT TOOK ME SEVENTEEN YEARS TO GET THREE THOUSAND HITS IN BASEBALL. IT TOOK ME ONE AFTERNOON ON THE GOLF COURSE. ~Hank Aaron
Brunswick native Rose Anne Giles has also been with the tournament since its inception. She started on the volunteer headquarters committee "to do whatever needs to be done." That provided her the opportunity to be assigned to many different areas: marshal, supply distribution, monster board, security or wherever she was needed. This year will be her fourth year in media working with, in Rose Anne’s words, “our amazing media director, Melanie Trotter, and her husband David.”
Rose Anne Giles
Rose Anne enjoys volunteering, especially for The RSM Classic, where she loves meeting and working with all the staff and volunteers. Rose Anne especially sings the praises of Barbara Van Buskirk and tournament & volunteer coordinator, Christian Freeman, “who keeps everyone and everything running smoothly.”
When asked if she golfs, Rose Anne stated, “My husband gave me a set of golf clubs for my 60th birthday. I ‘play at’ golf, but enjoy the exercise and being with old friends and meeting new friends. We've enjoyed couples' golf trips in and out of Georgia. My husband is an avid golfer. He even has made two hole in ones at Sapelo Hammock Golf Course, our home course. We have played in six Georgia-Florida Golf Classics on Jekyll Island. GO DAWGS!”
Rose Anne applauds RSM and the Davis Love Foundation for their continued support of Boys and Girls Clubs, Special Olympics, Blessings in a Backpack and Folds of Honor, as well as other ways they give back and make a positive difference. She says, “Being raised locally, I have enjoyed Jekyll Island, St. Simons Island and Sea Island my entire life. I think The RSM Classic not only helps our area economically, but does a great job in showcasing the Golden Isles.”
IT’S ALWAYS TEE TIME
If you need a break from the family, it’s also a great way to get away from the gathering without offending anybody. I mean, we all love this time spent together, but everybody needs their space too! Surely part of the group is planning to tackle those Black Friday sales that now creep earlier and earlier, so while they go shopping, you and your crew can hit the links!
NIFTY NOVEMBER
Golf courses aren’t crowded in November, so your play won’t feel rushed or take too long between shots due to other players on the course. While some golf clubs hold Thanksgiving- themed events, like turkey shoots, many courses are virtually empty on the holiday. So, if they’re open, the fairways might be all yours! An extra bonus for those without families in town or who may be on the road and away from home, many clubs host a delicious Thanksgiving meal or buffet.
Another ten year volunteer, Savannah resident Tom Morefield is the Chief of the U.S. Marshals Office for the Southern District of Georgia. He takes vacation once a year and puts his “marshaling” to work as a volunteer co-chairman of the golf marshals during The RSM Classic. Tom is responsible for ensuring the volunteers on the course are trained, prepared, and in the correct location to control the spectators and flow of the tournament. This allows the professional golfers to focus and play without interruptions. They also handle evacuation of the spectators and golf professionals in the case of inclement weather.
Tom Morefield
Tom tells us, he enjoys giving back to the coastal community and seeing the excitement when children are given the chance to try something new like golf. “The Boys & Girls Club gives kids the chance to laugh, smile and learn together. Golf is a sport where children can learn individual and team success which gives them confidence in their everyday lives. This can be seen during the annual Wiffle ball game where the pros, their wives, RSM staff, and sponsors give their time to make sure each child feels special.”
Tom co-chairs with longtime friend Clarence Strahan. They have traveled to many PGA events to volunteer their time and learn how to improve the volunteer experience. Tom shared, “We have lots of stories, from runaway golf carts to walking with Arnold Palmer. The RSM Classic is a close-knit environment where we connect every year to reminisce, laugh and make new memories. I have met so many PGA golfers. The laid back comfortable atmosphere here on St. Simons allows the pros to enjoy to beautiful area while competing. Last year I met Cameron Champ, he is an awesome young man and one of the longest hitters on tour. It was amazing to see him drive the ball. I can only dream.”
Tom says, “I have played golf for 40 years and my entire family plays golf. My sister just won the club championship at her local golf course in West Virginia. After my dad passed away I found a journal he kept in which he made notes and suggestions on each of our golf swings. He never corrected us on the course so it was nice to see his suggestions in his own writing.” Tom’s wife just recently took up the sport, enjoying a few fun ladies chip and sip lessons with her friends.“One afternoon she was riding around our club course with me and decided to play the par 3 hole to practice,” Tom shares. “She hit her tee shot, keeping her head down as she learned in the clinic. As I saw the ball hit and bounce toward the hole, I knew I was never going to hear the end of this. As my wife was asking where the ball went, it rolled into the hole for a hole in one. To this day, she reminds me that anything is possible, and my golf buddies never let me forget it!”
Tom says the tournament is perfect for this area. “RSM is known for exceptional customer service in a very unassuming classic way. They get the job done without fanfare or flashy advertising. This is a perfect fit because the Golden Isles are seen in the same light … peaceful, relaxing, and an unassuming place to unwind. Davis and Mark Love, and their entire staff make the event very enjoyable for everyone. They are proud of the tournament and the Golden Isles community. The RSM Classic staff and executives are very appreciative of all the volunteers, making everyone feel like they are important, and taking time to personally thank them.” He continues, “When the United States flag on the pin of each green comes into view as I walk up the fairway, I am reminded how lucky we are to live in the country we do. I say many prayers that day for all our military and am so thankful they are protecting us. Community Day with the kids is filled with fun and laughter. Watching the pros and their wives play Wiffle ball and connect with the kids is wonderful. Make sure you come out and enjoy the experience and join the golf family. And don’t forget to stop at the 15th hole hospitality for some shrimp tacos!”
RELATIVE SCRAMBLE
What format to play on turkey day? If you get the family to participate and want to keep things relaxed, scramble play is probably your best bet, especially if you have less experienced golfers joining in. That way, the haphazard recreational players can’t completely tank a round, and you can shake off any bad shots while celebrating the aces too. Because the goal is still to get the lowest score as possible, that allows plenty of room for spirited competition. And while light traffic on the course might allow for 18 holes to move more quickly, nine holes is probably enough for any recreational golfers in the group.
Clarence Strahan lives in Richmond Hill and has been volunteering for the tournament for ten years. Clarence retired in 2013 as a Chief Inspector at FLETC but, before that, used vacation time to volunteer. Clarence’s father introduced him to golf at a very early age and he tries to play once a week. He shares, “You can score well on days you don't have your best game and you can have a bad day when one part of your game fails. It's the ultimate love/hate experience”!
Clarence Strahan with high school volunteers
Clarence is one of five marshal co-chairs and supervises the marshal volunteers on the Plantation Course from Wednesday to Friday, then moves over to Seaside for the weekend rounds. He also helps run the evacuation plan for the tournament. In the second year he volunteered play had to be suspended due to fog. That meant taking the players off the course at dark and then putting them back on at first light the next day. Clarence explains, “Because it was the first time evacuating the players, there were some logistical issues that had to be worked out. We met at the Corn Barn before sunrise and lined up the vans for the players to be dropped off at their position on the course. It was a scary time but with everyone pulling their weight we were able to make it work.” He praises the team atmosphere and camaraderie, saying, “My son was having a terrible time with his drives, and I asked Mark Love if he could watch him for 30 minutes to help. Mark met us at the range and had him do one drill that now has him outdriving me by 50 yards or more! That's the kind of guy Mark is.”
Clarence enjoys being in the “PGA world” and has many stories. He told us about how he met famous golf course designer Robert Trent Jones, Jr. at Erin Hills during the 2015 U.S. Open. Clarence and his son had lunch with him at the USGA hospitality tent and Jones took pictures and signed a book he had written about the history of his course designs. Clarence has walked with Tiger Woods several times, including a practice round at Merion in 2013 where he was nice enough to shake hands after the round. Clarence has met Phil Mickelson, Adam Scott and Sergio Garcia, with whom he walked in his last two rounds in 2015 at Chambers Bay. He also met Justin Rose in Charlotte, who joked with him they shared a name because as a journeyman on the PGA TOUR, Justin was given the nickname “Clarence Rose.” When Clarence saw him again at Merion in 2013, Rose remembered the Charlotte conversation and then won the U.S. Open!
About the tournament, Clarence says, “The RSM Classic is much more laid back than the other tournaments I work. At the Wells Fargo, there are 20,000 to 45,000 fans a day on the course. At the U.S. Opens there are at least 40,000 each day. At the RSM the crowds are smaller and very much better behaved! The volunteers are much more laid back and have more fun than the other events. It is harder to recruit volunteers because of the smaller population, so if you want to have fun at a great location in the best time of the year, come join us!” He continues, “I really enjoyed it when we had College Day on Saturdays. I would always wear my LSU hat and get many comments. And after last year, I can now have the last laugh! I enjoy working with the local high school students that volunteer. They are getting out of school, but almost all of them say they enjoy the experience.” He has high praise for the staff too. “I also appreciate the work Christian Freeman puts in every year. She's the first one at the Corn Barn every day and last to leave. She doesn't get enough credit and I know the work she has to do to keep all the volunteers happy. Now if I could just get her to play golf in my foursome at the volunteer outing!”
GET INTO THE SPIRIT!
It’s absolutely essential to stay hydrated while playing a round of golf. That said, beer is completely acceptable, and no one is counting the cans like they might if you have a pile accumulating on the coffee table in the living room while you watch the game. Also, a shared flask of spirits is reputed to have been part of the first Thanksgiving, so why not continue the tradition?! If the air is nippy on the course, a flask of bourbon is practically a necessity.
Jean Stacy and her boyfriend, Chris Tolleson, have managed the ecology program for The RSM Classic since the tournament started. The ecology program is a team of volunteers who are responsible for the trash and recycling on the course during the tournament. She comes from a golf family and is one of ten siblings born and raised in Savannah, where she still lives today. Jean played as a junior in many USGA tournaments, regional and state tournaments. She also played on the women’s mini-tour decades ago in California with aspiration of one day playing on the LPGA Tour. Two of her sisters played golf for the University of Georgia. Her older sister, Hollis Stacy, played on the LPGA Tour, winning 18 tour events, including four major championships, and was inducted into The World Golf Hall of Fame in 2012. And her younger sister, Martha Leach, won the 2009 USGA Women’s Mid-Amateur in 2018 and was a medalist in the inaugural USGA Women’s Senior Open.
Jean Stacy and Chris Tolleson
Chris is an old friend of The RSM Classic’s executive director, Mark Love. Chris grew up with Mark and Davis on St. Simons Island. Prior to the first tournament in 2010, Mark mentioned to Chris that they needed someone to manage the Ecology Program. Chris said he would do it and then recruited Jean to help. Jean tells us he was able to recruit her “because of my love for golf and being outside. Ten years later, who would have thought that I actually love trash!” Jean can’t say enough about the great group of volunteers who return every year to help. She says they include teachers, lawyers, a judge, a restaurant owner, an author, executives from Georgia Power, retirees, and many others.
The pair usually divide up the week of the tournament as much as possible so that at least one of them can be there at all times, including the Pro-Ams, practice rounds, and every day of the tournament. Jean says their daily schedule starts “with us arriving at the course at daybreak so we have time to drive the course and ensure all our trash racks are ready before the golfers and spectators arrive. Our volunteers arrive about 10:00 a.m. and work until around 5:00 p.m. After we finish at the course each day, we usually stop at Catch 228 for beer & oysters and catch up with friends before going home.” She says, “We enjoy volunteering for the tournament to help Mark and Davis Love and to support an event that is so beneficial to the local community.”
A CINDERELLA STORY
According to everything we were taught in grade school, that first Thanksgiving was a gathering of the New England settlers and their Native American neighbors to celebrate the fall harvest. When we dressed up for our holiday dinners, we made turkey centerpieces and got to be Pilgrims or Indians. How does this tie in to golf? The model for Bushwood Country Club in Caddyshack was Indian Hill Country Club in Winnetka, Illinois. Indians … golf, see?
ANOTHER COURSE OF GOLF
In addition to Indian Hill Country Club, there are several other golf courses across the United States that call to mind this beloved November holiday: Thanksgiving Point Golf Club in Lehigh, Utah; Pilgrim’s Run Golf Club in Pierson, Michigan, Samoset Resort in Rockport, Maine, Wild Turkey Golf Club in Vernon, New Jersey, Sage Valley Golf Club in Graniteville, South Carolina, Butternut Creek Golf Course in Blairsville, Georgia, and Cranberry Valley Golf Club in Harwich, Massachusetts. Top that off with dessert at Pumpkin Ridge (in North Plains, Oregon) and you have a complete Thanksgiving feast.
The RSM Classic even brings people from overseas! Willem and Gudrun Rusman live on Guernsey, one of the Channel Islands situated in the Bay of St Malo, just out of the English Channel. Guernsey is a financial offshore center as well as a visitor attraction. It’s well known for growing tomatoes and flowers. While retired now, Willem had a horticultural business and Gudrun worked for Northern Trust. The Rusman couple have always liked to travel to the U.S. and now, with more free time, they are able to do this frequently. That is, when they are not playing golf. Guernsey has two 18 hole golf courses and one 9 hole course, which according to Willem, on an island their size, is not bad!
Currently both work as marshals on Hole 18, with Willem being one of the captains. They explain how it began: “In 2010 we were asked by email, via The Players, to help out at the McGladrey Classic, but at that time we were just on our way back to Atlanta and then on to London, so this was not possible. But when we returned for the 2011 Tour Championship, where we volunteer also, we thought we could offer to volunteer at the McGladrey Classic/now RSM. We were accepted and really enjoyed the experience. We have come back ever since.” They share, “We love the Golden Isles area, the beautiful landscape, the live oak trees and the beaches. We always make sure that we see more than just the golf courses, although they are absolutely brilliant, and that makes a round of golf even more enjoyable, to take in the scenery! What really impressed us was the Military Appreciation Day. It is great to see how the military is honored and appreciated in the U.S.”
Gudrun adds, “We also like the concept of volunteering, with the charity aspect, which makes it so worthwhile to give your time for such a great cause in helping the local community. We really loved the area. Everybody is so friendly. The island is beautiful and it is such a special atmosphere, which makes this experience so unique. The people are easy to talk to and the tournament is really well organized, which makes the volunteer experience even better.”
Willem says, “We are really fortunate to be working with such a great volunteer team. We always look forward to seeing them all again, every year, and being able to watch famous golfers up close, interacting with the gallery, and, above all, having fun and enjoying the experience!”
Steve Holt
Rounding out this group of volunteers is Steve Holt, another ten year veteran volunteer of the tournament, Steve grew up in Richmond, Virginia. He met island native Gordon Strother in college at UGA and once he visited, knew he would live here. Steve moved here permanently in 1999 with wife Catherine and their two children. He is currently a real estate banker for Synovus, Corporate Sponsor and the Bank of The RSM Classic. Holt chairs the ambassadors/greeters committee with Julie Ackerman and John Pope, who he says are both amazing.
Asked why he volunteers, Steve said “My parents were active volunteers and I have enjoyed being involved my whole life. One motivation for me is the support the Davis Love Foundation has for giving back to our local charities. I’m very active with Boys and Girls Club of Southeast Georgia, and they have been the beneficiary of monies raised. It has a tremendous impact on the young boys and girls who need us the most. Mark Love is on that board and has provided great leadership.” Because he’s out on the course a lot during the tournament with other volunteers, Steve tells us “It’s fun to see so many guests having a good time and enjoying the golf and our community. It is just fun helping people out.” Steve says he has met many of the local PGA TOUR players in our community, and describes them as “All great guys. I try and give them space.” About his own golfing experiences, he shared “I did make a hole in one many years ago. Blind shot. I’ve always wondered if someone kicked it in!” Steve is very thankful The RSM Classic comes to our community each year and says “the tournament is a very strong influence within our business community. Such a win/win.”
If you’d like to join the fun and these fantastic volunteers we’ve introduced here, we urge you to sign up. There may still be a few volunteer slots remaining. For more information, visit rsmclassic.com/volunteer/volunteer-information/or email Christian Freeman at volunteers@dlovefoundation.com.
The RSM Classic is a PGA TOUR and FedEx Cup Event, hosted by Davis Love III at Sea Island’s Seaside and Plantation golf courses on St. Simons Island. The tournament takes place November 18th-24th and includes special community and military appreciation days, pro-am tournaments, charity events, and a concert with country music sensation Cole Swindell. Visit rsmclassic.com for detailed schedule of events and ticket information.
