Attendance was sparse and it still takes some effort to get to West Point. Yet the 2014 IPSI Handa Cup, a Ryder Cup-style competition that features 24 of the world’s best senior women golfers competing in a U.S. vs. World format, was pronounced a rousing success, especially among those who matter most – the players.
From World team captain Sally Little, who journeyed from her native South Africa to U.S. captain Nancy Lopez, Old Waverly Golf Club was given an enthusiastic “thumbs up.” LPGA Legends Tour officials said they would love to return to the course for future events and the players on both teams were thrilled by the Southern hospitality they encountered throughout the week.
Virtually every player interview produced some sort of unsolicited praise for the course, the staff, volunteers or facilities. This despite “crowds” that numbered only in the hundreds on Saturday and Sunday.
Clearly, Old Waverly, voted annually among the nation’s Top 100 golf courses, has the quality that is worthy of the very best competition, but perhaps of even greater importance is the golf club’s role in area economic development.
There hasn’t been a major economic development recruiting effort in years that did not include a stop at Old Waverly. Whether it’s a dinner, a meeting or a round of golf, the facility has the sort of first-class amenities executives from multi-million-dollar corporations expect.
“For one thing, when we bring them out to Old Waverly it quickly dismisses any preconceived ideas people have about Mississippi,” Golden Triangle Development LINK CEO Joe Max Higgins says. “It has always played some kind of role, some bigger than others, of course. It was really important to the Yokohama people. I wouldn’t’ underestimate how important it was to have something like Old Waverly in that deal.”
Higgins said that during recruiting new companies, many of the Golden Triangle’s top restaurants are used to entertain executives. What makes Old Waverly unique, he says, is that the golf club provides the sort of private meeting areas that generally aren’t feasible with restaurants.
The relationship between the LINK and Old Waverly has been mutually beneficial, of course. While the LINK takes advantage of Old Waverly to wine and dine companies, the golf club can expect to add to its high-end membership with the arrival of executives from those companies.
While the Handa Cup proved Old Waverly is well-suited for top golf events, it is the full range of amenities that make the golf club a key factor in recruiting new businesses.
And that’s something that benefits even those who have never set foot on the Old Waverly property.
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
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