Ponte Vedra Beach… Just ‘Home’… Thankfully!

These last two days, as the Web.com Tour Championship comes upon us at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, I seem to be quite at home, which makes sense since this is where I live, except when I am somewhere else. But I am back now, most recently from a 5-week, 8-state, 4,243-mile ‘East Coast Journey,’ just in time for the Grand Finale, the Final of the Finals, of the Web.com Tour which is played on Dye’s Valley Course.

TPC Sawgrass is known world-wide for its island green on the par-3 17th hole on its Stadium Course and as being ‘the Home of THE PLAYERS Championship.’ Now almost exactly six months later, TPC Sawgrass is back in the worldwide golfing spotlight. That means that Anne Nimicht, who celebrated 50 years of volunteering at this year’s PLAYERS, is now celebrating 50-1/2 years of volunteering. The first Lady Chairperson of THE PLAYERS in 1997 is, and has been, the Volunteer Chairperson for the Web.com event here since its inception in 2010. Like all things at TPC Sawgrass, it has gotten better every year.

In the Spring, TPC Sawgrass grants one player ‘the right to be called THE PLAYERS Champion.’ In the Fall, the prize is at least fifty times bigger and more important, the granting of 50 PGA TOUR cards for the upcoming 2014-2015 season. TPC Sawgrass, ‘the Home of Opportunity,’ or ‘Dye’s Valley of Opportunity’ have nice rings to them too, especially if you are from Binghamton, New York, the original ‘Valley of Opportunity’ with IBM, Endicott-Johnson, Link and GE. Off the golf course, outside the ropes, the same can be said for the folks who dwell in the Ponte Vedra community.

I was reminded of this the last two days at an event at TPC Sawgrass and one at the local Winston Family YMCA.

Sometimes, the best things are already right in your back yard. I am sure that is true for everyone, everywhere. As a guest in Louisville, Kentucky; Endicott, New York; Lynbrook, Long Island, New York; San Juan, Puerto Rico; Raleigh, North Carolina; and Mrytle Beach, South Carolina during the recent ‘East Coast Golf Journey,’ the people I stayed with knew how fortunate they were to live where they do. So much so I consider Puerto Rico a state, a lucky state with their own Olympic team. I am not sure how they got that one by Texas. Maybe when you are a wee bit smaller you can sneak one by?

At Monday’s Web.com event at TPC Sawgrass, Jim Furyk was back at home with his wife Tabitha, after another strong showing in the BIG Tour Championship at East Lake. I thought it was a toss up between him and another Ponte Vedra resident Billy Horschel as to who would win the tournament and the FedExCup. Less than 24 hours later, here is Jim Furyk doing a corporate event. And if that wasn’t enough, when Master of Ceremonies (and master of on course golf reporting) Billy Kratzert served up a question about what it meant to him to play on the Web.com tour he responded emphatically that he was happy he had a place to play when he came out of the University of Arizona way back in 1992 (then called the NIKE Tour) and proud to tell people that he was going to be playing on the NIKE Tour. I mean the excitement was there in his words, same as when he finished Miguel Angel Jimenez on the 17th green at Valhalla to win the Ryder Cup for America (our last win by the way) in 2008, or when he won the FedExCup in 2010!

David Brown, Mr. Web.com Company Man, (Chairman, President & CEO) spoke briefly about his 10-year sponsorship (until 2022) with the PGA TOUR. Pumped up by the Web.com highlight video and someone handing him a facsimile PGA TOUR card he made everyone laugh by saying he was leaving Web.com and heading to the PGA TOUR. Maybe future commissioner but not golfer!

Here is a Jacksonville-based company with a good product, a strong brand and good marketing just like the PGA TOUR. Their mission is to help small businesses, just like me, striving to be big businesses. Big, for me would be being hired 25 weeks a year in golf broadcasting, instead of just 4. Web.com did 50 Small Business Summits in 2014 and are planning 75 in 2015! I am attending the one Friday morning at TPC Sawgrass. My point being, guys like Jim Furyk and David Brown are helping a community (here in Ponte Vedra Beach and many others) and helping me even though I do not know them personally. While there is business involved, it is not all business, it is home.

Today I stayed at the YMCA after my regular (I am lying here) yoga, weight lifting (light) and swimming (short distance) workout for the ‘Talk With a Doc,’ presented by Baptist Health in the new ‘Y Healthy Living Center.’ Dr. Mona Shah, a local cardiologist gave a talk about the connection between healthy minds and healthy hearts. I learned how my thoughts and emotions can affect my health. This was a free seminar with a free lunch and there are many more scheduled. I geard about it last Tuesday (see I do exercise regularly) when I met Baptist Healthcare’s Megan Girad who is our Y’s health coach. Talk about a Godsend! There was a handout for what is good for you in your 50s. I also took the ones for the 60s, 70s and 80s and am hereby pledging to extend my self-projected date of demise from 80 to 90. Seriously, Baptist Healthcare, along with the Sawgrass Marriott Golf Resort and Spa, Legacy Trust and Sea Best is a founding sponsor of the Web.com Tour Championship.

Another great day at TPC Sawgrass is coming this Thursday with the 9th annual ‘Taste of Golf’ charity function benefiting an awesome organization- The First Tee of Northeast Florida. As the name implies, this is THE incredibly delectable gastronomic event of the year with the finest Chefs from local country clubs, near and far, including TPC Sawgrass!

TPC Sawgrass: Home of THE PLAYERS Championship and Home to the Web.com Tour Championship.

Ponte Vedra Beach, simply home to about 30,000 people, including me and I am very thankful to be living in such a wonderful community!