The McGladrey Classic - A Magical Experience

 
Today’s update is from Vahan Zerounian, a director with McGladrey, based out of the firm’s Irvine, CA office. Vahan led that office’s Birdies Fore Love efforts. As a result, he was given an opportunity to attend this year’s McGladrey Classic. (Vahan's update was developed prior to yesterday's play, which resulted in Chris Kirk winning the 2013 McGladrey Classic. Congratulations, Chris, from your friends at McGladrey!)

 Kara and I arrived at Sea Island the morning of Sat., Nov. 10. During our drive in, we saw many billboards, signs and other materials with information about The McGladrey Classic. I was impressed by the quality and quantity of these items, and was proud to be part of an organization that sponsors such an amazing tournament.  

I enjoyed a great round of golf at the Retreat Course, along with a colleague and two McGladrey clients. After settling in to The Cloister that afternoon, we made our way to The McGladrey Classic and our hospitality chalet. The attention to detail was precise, the service superb, and the atmosphere fostered relationship-building with clients. Every person I met hopes to attend the event again next year. We concluded the evening with a reception at The Cloister’s Black Banks Terrace, where we met many fascinating people. The food was amazing. The service was unmatched. Kara and I cannot thank McGladrey enough for this wonderful opportunity. It will be etched in our memory for years to come.

I’d like to leave you with a story illustrating the Southern hospitality for which this area is so well-known. Once the third round of golf had concluded on Saturday, Kara and I were a few of the few remaining people at the McGladrey hospitality chalet. We made our way to the shuttle pick-up area and boarded a standing-room-only shuttle. After about 10 minutes, Kara asked the gentleman behind us, Dale, where the shuttle was going and he told us it was headed to the airport, rather than to The Cloister. He then offered to give us a ride to the hotel, and we spent the next 20 minutes in his car listening as he shared the history of Sea Island, Simons Island, and Team McGladrey Member Davis Love III (who is a close personal friend of his). Dale was impressed with what McGladrey and Davis do for the community, and I shared with him information about McGladrey’s participation in Birdies Fore Love this year, and how it is aligned with McGladrey’s long-standing focus on stewardship. What an amazing way to end the day in this magical place!