Legacy of Love

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Legacy of Love

By Valerie A. Hepburn, PhD, President & CEO, Communities of Coastal Georgia Foundation

This November, the Golden Isles celebrates its sixth McGladrey Classic (recently rebranded as the RSM Classic), making it a fitting time to honor the philanthropy and civic spirit of the tournament’s host, Davis Love III, and his entire family. Since its inception in 2010, the McGladrey Classic in partnership with the Davis Love Foundation has generated more than $3 million in charitable investment. Additionally, the tournament boasts an annual economic impact in excess of $10 million. The McGladrey Classic, however, represents just the tip of the iceberg, one very visible, signature event in the Love family’s philanthropy and community service - a legacy of generosity and stewardship that began long ago.

When Penta and Davis Love Jr. moved to the Islands, they brought with them two boys who would flourish in Glynn County. When their father died in a tragic airplane accident, Davis III and Mark were young men just beginning to explore their careers and families of the future. Now in adulthood with their own children, they have become exemplars in this state and community. Over the last 25 years, the extended Love family has been graceful and resilient through difficult times and other personal loses. They have remained firmly grounded in family, community and faith, and always generous in their efforts to improve the human condition.

Davis III, and his best friend and life partner, Robin, warmly embrace Coastal Georgia as their beloved home. On the PGA Tour, they have been unabashed ambassadors for this community. Other tour pros and golf aficionados have made the Golden Isles their home thanks to Robin and Davis. Experiencing the philanthropic culture of the PGA helped shape the Loves altruistic vision and commitment. They saw the impact that top players like Nicklaus, Palmer and Nelson had on their home communities, and they wanted to do just that for this area which has been so very good to them. 

They started with a few events to raise money for worthy causes, and they gave enthusiastically of their time and sponsorship to help others in need. In 2005, they started the Davis Love Foundation with the goal of growing their gifts and their impact on those less fortunate. For the past decade, the Foundation’s key goal has been helping children and families who are at risk of poor educational, economic, social and health outcomes. Their generosity has benefitted Safe Harbor Childrens’ Shelter, Boys and Girls Club of Southeast Georgia, Special Olympics, United Way of Coastal Georgia, Communities in Schools, Blessings in a Backpack, and a host of other worthy organizations. The Loves are Founders of the Communities of Coastal Georgia Foundation.

The McGladrey Classic was born of considerable experience and lots of creativity. Young Davis III and Mark grew up operating a lemonade stand on the 2nd hole at the Atlanta Country Club and watching their father host the Atlanta Classic and Atlanta’s first Players Championship. After winning at the Players, Davis III began to dream that he might one day host his own tournament. In the early 2000s, the stars began to align. Sea Island courses and club professionals were getting significant exposure for great golf and hosting the Walker Cup, SEC Golf Championships, the Warburg Cup, and the Jones Cup. More touring pros began to call the Golden Isles home. Davis III was on the board of the PGA Tour and his good friend and fellow Islander, Zach Johnson, had a relationship with McGladrey. Together, the Love brothers, Zach, and Bill Jones III saw what was possible – and they made it happen. Each year, the tournament field grows stronger and attendance increases. 

The Love family is tight-knit, with close ties and friendship across and between generations. And, they are deeply invested in each other and this community. The matriarch, Penta Love, is one of the Island’s most delightful residents, a fixture for charitable events, and her sons’ most zealous supporter. Along with his leadership role with the McGladrey Classic, Mark serves as president of the brothers’ golf course design and development business. His wife, Lynn, a long-time child advocate, now directs the Glynn County Communities in Schools program. 

Despite their own hectic schedules, Davis III and Robin are the first to be with their daughter, Alexis (Lexie), at her Paso Fino horse events and their son’s, Davis IV (Dru), collegiate golfing tournaments. In 2012, Davis and Dru, won the coveted PNC Father-Son Challenge. Both kids have been raised with the same warmth and charitable spirit as their parents – Lexie is avid Humane Society and animal welfare supporter, Dru supports Golf College Fellowship, and they both are invested in the Davis Love Foundation and its mission to support kids and families in need. Last year, with the birth of Lexie’s daughter, the family celebrated its first grandchild.

The ultimate compliment for a professional athlete and his family is the respect and admiration of peers. Davis Love III will captain the Ryder Cup Tournament for a second time in 2016, making him one of only a handful of repeat captains. Beyond being an exciting, team competition, the Ryder Cup is special because all of the proceeds go to charity. When Love III last captained the event in 2012, the team donated $2.6 million to charitable organizations around the country.

In 2013, Love III received the coveted Bob Jones Award from the United States Golf Association. It is the highest award from USGA, the country’s amateur golf organization, recognizing a golfer who exhibits Bobby Jones' grace, professionalism, sportsmanship, and quality of character. Davis is considered, in the words of Golf Digest, the least “selfish” of leaders, indeed a true gentleman. That selflessness extends to his entire family, and to their shared sense of civic service and philanthropy. 

This year has been a magical one for the Loves. In July, Dru (a junior and member of the powerhouse golf team at the University of Alabama) won the prestigious Georgia Amateur Golf Championship, held at Sea Island’s Sesaside Course. In August, Davis shot a final round of 64 to earn his third Greater Greensboro Open (now, Wyndam) Championship. With that win, his 21st PGA Tour victory, Love III became the oldest tournament champion in 40 years and the third oldest in history. 

At only 51, Love didn’t feel too old. He and Robin were off the next week to Minnesota, organizing lodging and events for his Ryder Cup team, and then to North Georgia to see Dru compete for the University of Alabama in a tournament. Back again to Minnesota, for a flurry of activities to kick off the one-year countdown to the tournament at Hazeltine. They then return to their beloved St. Simons, where Davis served as celebrity chef at the Saint Simons Food and Spirits Festival to support Hospice of the Golden Isles. All the while, Davis, Robin and their wide circle of family and friends work on organizing and hosting this year’s larger than ever McGladrey Classic – putting the Golden Isles on an international stage and investing the good will and proceeds to help kids, families and communities in need. What’s not to Love?!