Jim Ferree, Golf’s Southern Gentleman at Heart and In Deeds…

Portrait of Jim Ferree in the Jim Ferree Room at Long Cove Club.

Golf is a game of gentle people, women and men, that regard the game above that of their own individual domain. Golf is a game of tradition, of honor, to be passed from one generation to another in a way that preserves its history and place in sport. Over the years I have gained an appreciation for the Low Country of South Carolina with its tidal salt marshes, Southern Charm and Southern Hospitality. I was intrigued by the opportunity to interview Jim Feere, a literal Legend of Golf, at the Long Cove Club, the exclusive private club on Hilton Head Island. I would learn a great deal more about the heart and deeds of Golf's Southern Gentleman, the poster child of senior golf whose silhouette is the logo golfer of the PGA TOUR's Champions Tour. My biggest challenge with interviewing Jim Ferree was condensing down the hour long videotaped interview into 17 minutes of a two-part interview. Then again into a minute and a half of highlights. The long unedited versions belong in a seminal book of Southern Storytelling at its finest. CLICK here for the Highlights Video Interview with Jim Ferree at Long Cove Club. CLICK here for Part 1 of 2 of the Video Interview with Jim Ferree at Long Cove Club.

Just sitting there and listening to Mr. Jim Ferree was quite an honor and privilege. Definitely one of golf's grandest gentlemen!

Sitting there in the Jim Ferree Room at the Long Cove Club with Jim Ferree below his inspiring portrait reminded me of another of golf's great gentleman, Bobby Jones and his portrait that hangs above the fireplace in the clubhouse at Eastlake Golf Club. Impeccably dressed, Mr. Ferree was more than charming and more than funny as he told stories that bridged the days in golf and his life from Jones to the present. His respect, admiration and love for his namesake father was evident from his first mention. The same is true for his perspective of golf and his lifelong love affair with it.

The Long Cove Club shines so bright that there are sunspots in person too!

Born near Pinehurst, North Carolina he came to golf almost by birthright. Jim's father Purvis, was the long-time pro at Winston-Salem's Old Town Golf Club, a historic Perry Maxwell design. As life will do with birthrights, the reality of The Depression and World War II intervened into Jim's life. A career in golf wasn't really his choice but presented itself and he seized the opportunity with good play winning his first and only PGA TOUR event in 1958—the Vancouver Open. The yips came and seized his competitive career and then went with the long putter. a.k.a. as the broomstick. Mr. Ferree endured to become one of the early champions of the Champions Tour and won twice out there as it transitioned from its inception as the Senior Tour.

We were itching to get out to that first tee!

On and off the tour circuit there were club pro jobs in the summer in Pittsburgh and in Savannah in the winter which putt him in close proximity to the advent of Hilton Head Island and the Long Cove Golf Club. He was there before the beginning, making trips up to Indianapolis (in the winter mind you) convincing Pete Dye to take the Long Cove Club design job and walking the course with him as it emerged from the beautiful and pristine Low Country. The lists of names of the Director of Golf and Head Golf Professional are short at clubs like Long Cove Club and Jim Ferree and his wife Karen are on those lists respectively. CLICK here for Part 2 of 2 of the Video Interview with Jim Ferree at Long Cove Club.

Hats off to a guy whose hat says it all!

In the second half of the interview, Mr. Ferree continues to share stories of his inspirational life and golf career. Then it turns to something near and dear to his and the club's heart—junior golf and passing the thrill and legacy of golf on to the younger generation not just here in the Low Country but around the world in places like Scotland Mr. Ferree and the Long Cove Club are giving back to the game they love in terms of support of the First Tee of Hilton Head and by hosting the Morcott Cup an annual cultural exchange and golfing competition between youth here and in there where golf began.

The Morcott Cup—the youth of Scotland and the United States engaged in making the world a better place through golf and life...

It was an inspiring morning at the Long Cove Club interviewing Mr. Jim Ferree in his own room. I feel my transition to the Low Country is now complete with years of admiration for the tidal saltmarsh views now accentuated with insight into the heart and life of Jim Ferree—indeed Golf's Finest Southern Gen tleman at Heart and In Deeds...

With Mr. Jim Ferree and Head PGA Golf Professional Bob Patton.

This plaque says it all about Mr. Jim Ferree and the Long Cove Club!

The lush green fairways of the Long Cove Club on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina!