Nine Iron Golf Club continues its tradition of giving back

By Othor Cain,

Editor,

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The Nine Iron Golf Club is the oldest black Golf Club in the State of Mississippi and the first to gain membership in the Mississippi Golf Association. The club is comprised of members representing every walk of life including: doctors, teachers, business owners, industry workers and retirees.

For 56 years this group has hosted an annual golf tournament and last year dedicated the tournament in honor of one of its long serving members that died. The tournament was named in honor of Willie Louis Richardson who passed away in Feb. 2016.

This year club members decided to increase its level of giving and awarded two non-profit groups and one individual with a $1,000 donation each. “This is what we’ve always done and continue to do in our community,” said Larry Allen, president of the Nine Iron Golf Club. “If we don’t lead by example, then who will?”

The tournament is held annually in May at the Sonny Guy Municipal Golf Course in Jackson. Members gathered early Sunday morning to make a check presentation to the Susan B. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. “We are grateful for this donation and it will help us continue our mission of providing mammograms to all women in Central Mississippi,” said Catherine Young, executive director of Central Mississippi affiliate of Susan B. Komen. “It will also help us continue fighting trying to reduce the disproportionate number of African American women that are stricken with breast cancer.” The club also made donations to the Sickle Cell Foundation and Michael James, a sickle cell patient.

Marshall Webber, vice president and tournament director, said, “we are proud to be connected to the Southern Association of Amateur Golfers (SAAG). SAGG is comprised of 14 clubs from southern states including Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Florida and Louisiana.

According to the website of Nine Iron, the club’s mission is to promote an interest in golf, mutual enjoyment, sportsmanship among its members and to be a positive force in the community.

That positive force does more than shine during tournament time. When talks in the community began to surface about the potential closing of the Grove Park Golf Course, members of the Nine Iron became a voice for the community. “This is our mantra,” Webber said. “The Nine Iron Golf Club: Character, Commitment and Community. It’s not all about golf; its about building strong character and a better community.”

The Nine Iron Golf Club instills in its members not only the challenge to win, but also the humbleness of losing. We build character and impart patience, a commitment to fair play, honesty and concern for others.

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