Stay the Course!

As the

PGA TOUR’s

Florida Swing winds down this week at the Valspar Championship at Innisbrook Golf Resort, I’m grateful, as always, for the many friends and family in the golf scene that I’ve reconnected with while out and about at these tournaments and industry events during this crazy great, fun and busy time of the year in the Sunshine State.

The Epson Tour, the developmental tour for the LPGA, held a fantastic media luncheon at the Mission Inn Resort and Club on March 7 where the Inova Championship will be played May 26-28 on the El Campeon Golf Course. Special guests included LPGA Hall of Famers Kay McMahon and Mary Mills, along with rising stars Sophie Hauseman and Kiira Riihijarvi, and Jody Brothers, the CBOO of the Epson Tour.

The panelists represented the history of the LPGA and its future, that provided a perfect backdrop for Women’s History Month. The diversity of their opinions and backgrounds was evident in the answers they gave, and it was made clear that LPGA will continue to define itself and carry on with the strong spirit of perseverance that it was built on.

The LPGA’s growth has been cultivated by a community that above all, no matter what, stays the course. This attitude has been the underlying force that connects everyone from the pros on the Florida Swing, to the child falling in love with the sport. Perseverance has tethered all aspects of the golf industry together and is what earned golf its tone of respect for its history, and players of the past.

While at Bay Hill Club and Lodge for the Arnold Palmer Invitational, I revisited the place that years ago, I had received gracious advice from The King, to stay the course, endure, and persevere. Years later, from that cherished advice, we’ve built relationships and supporters of the magazine that have persisted and stayed the course such as our seven-year streak of having the gorgeous, Rumbling Bald Golf Resort on Lake Lure in Western North Carolina, as our March cover.

And next month, GCM will celebrate its 24th anniversary and welcomes all our readers to join us at our Masters Watch Party on Saturday April 8th (see pg 19 for more details). Woohooo! Thanks to all of you who have been a part of this wild ride.

Stay the Course…

Cheers,

Publisher: Terrie L. Purdum (terrie@golfcentralmag.com)

Edi tor in Chief: Shannon Coates (shannon@golfcentralmag.com)

Graphic Design: Melahn Cable

Social Media Manager: Nafanua Marlowe

Golf The Wise Way: Greg and Beverly Wise, Photojournalists

Photojournalist: Greg Corbo

Photographers: Lynn Pelham, Brion Price, Peter Hakansson

Mike Coonan, Becky Galloway, Madison Coates, Mac Carraway

Senior Correspondent: Rick Harris, Sr.

Contributing Writers: Jay Golden, PGA; Bob Bolton, Greg Corbo, Elisa Gaudet, Holly Geoghegan, Mike Jamison, Mike May, Anthony Williams

Editor Emeritus: Joel Jackson, CGCS Retired

Regional Partner: Doug Hollandsworth, Founder-Georgia Golf Trail

Turf Pirate: Anthony Williams

Video Visionary: Amy Fox

Media Partners: DSP Media; John Gerber, JP Peterson, Nick Geddes, Holly Geoghegan, Golf Insiders, GMS; Tony Leodora, Traveling Golfer

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