Roots of junior golf run deep at Florence CC
Nowhere in South Carolina — or in many other places, for that matter — do the roots of junior golf run deeper than at Florence Country Club, and today’s membership strives to keep the tradition at the forefront more than three generations from the beginning.
The emphasis began in the 1950s with teaching professional Grant Bennett. He made Florence the place to be for youngsters who desired to excel in golf, and the program produced some of the state’s most prolific players.
Today’s club — with members John Orr and Ben Zeigler leading the way — connects yesterday with tomorrow by staging the Grant Bennett Florence Junior Invitational each June. Nicholas Mayfield (Rock Hill) earned the championship in the tournament’s 67th edition a week ago.
Think about that. How many tournaments at any level have been played 67 times? And, more important, how many events on this level can match this year’s $30,000 contribution to support the South Carolina Junior Golf Foundation?
Florence CC has a full-time professional devoted to junior golf, and Zeigler said plans are underway for a state-of-the-art practice facility that will be named in Bennett’s memory.
The journey has not always been peaches and cream. The tournament struggled for a while, then the state organization became involved a few years ago and the event reestablished itself as a “must-play” for top juniors.
“We had so much interest this year that we had to have another tournament for youngsters who did not qualify for the big one,” SCJGA senior director Justin Fleming said.
One of the beauties of the tournament is saluting former champions. Jack Lewis, the state’s first Walker Cup player, returns annually. Randy Glover, Buddy Baker, Bobby Foster and Dillard Pruitt — all members of the South Carolina Golf Hall of Fame — have been honored. And many former winners are on hand to play a pretournament round with today’s competitors.
“Honoring the former champions helps today’s young player learn about the legacy of Mr. Bennett, and they get to meet and hear from players who have had some outstanding achievements in golf,” said Happ Lathrop, executive director emeritus of the South Carolina Golf Association.
This year’s festivities included dedicating a memorial near the No. 3 green to the late Billy Womack, whose many tournament wins included four South Carolina Amateur titles.
Womack “would hit ball after ball, (shag) bag after (shag) bag, until he perfected the flight pattern he wanted in becoming one on the strongest long iron players of his day,” said Orr, a teammate with Womack, Baker and Don Greiner in the late 1950s on one of the most dominating high school golf teams in any state in any era.
The wave of great players who developed their skills under Bennett offers lessons of life and lessons of golf that still resonate today. The folks at Florence want that to continue.
Chip shots. The GC of South Carolina at Crickentree, which has experienced financial challenges in recent years, will close on July 8. ... Josh Fickes, a former state junior champion who played college golf at Clemson, has joined the SCJGA staff as assistant tournament director. ... Brent Roof (Columbia) captured the SCGA’s Left-handers Championship, and the team of Matt Talley (Spartanburg) and Tyler Macolly (Roebuck) earned the Lefty-Righty title at Lake Marion GC in Santee. ... The Midlands Golf Course Owners Association’s VIP Value Books, which offer play at 29 courses at special prices, are on sale through Aug. 1. Get both the Platinum and Gold books plus a “cart-fee-only” round at Golden Hills for $50 — a savings of $30. For information, call the South Carolina Golf Association (803-732- 9311) or go online to www.scmidlandsgolf.org . Part of the proceeds benefit junior golf in the state. ... Conor Purcell, a native of Dublin, Ireland, who recently reached the semifinals of the British Amateur, will join the USC golf team for the 2018-19 season. A transfer from Charlotte, he led his team in most statistical categories and earned all-Conference USA honors last season.