July Letter
We’re almost half-way through the summer and the True South Golf Classic will soon be underway. It’s one of my favorite events. When I was a kid I would visit my grandparents (on my dad’s side) in Hattiesburg. Both of them were avid golfers and members of the country club. I can remember vividly going to the club to watch the Magnolia State Classic with them back in the early 70’s.
My grandmother would make me wear something a little nicer than just my regular play clothes – after all this was more than just some golf tournament; this was the PGA. She would sit at her vanity and put on her makeup, give her hair an extra blast of Aquanet then spritz herself and me both with a big shot of Shalimar. Her knee-length shorts and sleeveless argyle shirt were always perfectly pressed, not to mention coordinated flawlessly with a pair of canvas Grasshoppers.
My grandfather would be stylishly accessorized, as well, with a white belt, white visor and saddle oxford shoes, and between the two of them, they looked like golf royalty. They were fixtures at the Hattiesburg Country Club, and at six years old, I couldn’t have been more intrigued.
On the way there, I can recall the long pine tree-lined drive to the clubhouse. Once you pulled onto Classic Drive, it was like entering another world. Of course, for a little girl, everything seemed so big – huge azaleas and soaring pines, tall pampas grass and sprawling green fairways. One of my most vivid memories was the klakt, klakt, klakt, klakt of the spiked golf shoes as the players walked across pavement to their carts. It was such a distinctive sound. It makes me sorry steel spikes were ever replaced by plastic.
Many years later, I would marry a golfer (despite the fact that I’m not one myself) and buy my own pair of golf shoes for our honeymoon trip. I instantly gravitated to the saddle oxfords. They were brown and white and felt familiar and comfortable. Despite the huge selection, they were an almost immediate choice. (My husband has since hidden them and swears he didn’t - part of some covert ulterior motive for me to give up the game, I think.)
I guess it’s for these reasons that I feel such a draw to this tournament. It’s in my DNA, I suppose. As you know, the Magnolia State Classic, by way of the Deposit Guaranty Golf Classic, the Southern Farm Bureau Classic and most recently the Viking Classic, has become the True South Classic and takes place July 16-22 at the beautiful Annandale Golf Club in Madison.
And to this day, just like over 40 years ago, it’s still more than just some golf tournament. This event has raised almost seven million dollars for statewide charities and remains one of only 45 PGA tours held each year. Tickets are available online at www.truesouthclassic.com.
So as the summer continues to blaze along, VIP Jackson Magazine will be making its rounds to all of the hottest parties and events.
As I’m sure you’ve noticed, we’re now doing in-depth coverage of one chosen event each month, out of the many we cover. It started last month with the Jackson Symphony League Spring Luncheon. Our new editor, Ellen Bourdeaux, is all about “old school” social reporting, and it’s an addition to our editorial content for which I have great fondness. But get on her calendar quickly because she’s booking up faster than you can say “invitation list.”
And while we’re at it, we’d love to help you promote your special event. Whether it’s a charity gala or a grassroots gathering, let us know about it at least six weeks in advance and we’ll try to help you promote it. It’s one way that we enjoy giving back to a community of which we’re so honored to be a part.
Thank you for reading this month’s issue of VIP Jackson Magazine. We’ll look forward to seeing you at the True South Classic. Have a great summer.
