RETIREMENTS Carolinas Golf Farewells Longtime Leader Nance NOT SURPRISINGLY, the overwhelming majority of what goes on in South Carolina golf is determined within the state’s borders. But there’s an event taking place on the other side of the state line at the end of this year that will be met with a little sadness and a lot of gratitude in the Palmetto State. Jack Nance, executive director of the Carolinas Golf Association, will retire after a 40-year administrative career. For decades, Nance was the northern counterpart to South Carolina golf ’s own legendary leader, Happ Lathrop. Each had their own offices, their own staff and ran their own tournaments. But the collaborative culture they established set a tone that served the game well in each state and across the Carolinas as a whole. It could have gone the other way, since the CGA was first on the scene by 20 years and served both Carolina states from day one in 1909. Even now, if you look on the United States Golf Association’s list of 57 allied associations, the SCGA doesn’t get a mention. Instead, the CGA is listed as “Serving North and South Carolina.” But for all practical intents and purposes, the SCGA is the body that makes things happen in South Carolina, administering handi-caps and tournaments including qualifiers for USGA championships. That the CGA is good with that, and that any overlap is in name only, has a lot to do with the collegiality between Nance and Lathrop. As the game grew in popularity and demand for organized tour-naments along with it, there was a time when the CGA looked to establish a greater presence in South Carolina. Nance, a Wake Forest graduate, was hired as a tournament director by then CGA execu-tive director Hale Van Hoy. A handful of years earlier, Lathrop had become the first full-time administrator of the SCGA. As Nance looked to learn the ropes, he found himself spending a lot of time with Lathrop. That meant they were often on the road together while Lathrop beat the SCGA drum recruiting clubs across the state. Both talented players in their own right, naturally sociable and full of energy, they hit it off, from the outset perceiving their interests as parallel rather than competitive. When Nance took over from Van Hoy at the start of 1992, that tenor became unofficial policy and has played out ever since. “I can’t say enough about my relationship with Jack,” Lathrop says. “He is truly one of my best friends, a wonderful person. We’ve had a lot of fun together. But on top of that he is a truly great administra-tor and a great asset to golf.” N Jack Nance spent 40 years with the Carolinas Golf Association, etching his own place in the game’s rich history in the region. 6 Palmetto Golfer FALL 2024
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