Amidst lakes, fountains, and stately plantation homes, the Georgia State Golf Association (GSGA) held its 21st Annual Georgia Senior Championship at the Ford Plantation course in Richmond Hill. The group teed off Wednesday, Aug. 22, and played through Friday afternoon.

"One of the members here called me a couple of years ago and said they were interested in doing the senior team," said Lanye Williams, the senior director of Rules and Competition for the association.

"I came down with the Chairman of the Senior Committee and stayed here and played the golf course and looked at all the facilities. We’d be nuts not to be here, this place is fantastic. We’d play anything at this kind of place – it’s a great golf course, unbelievable facilities," he said.

As for the golfers, Williams said he heard nothing but rave reviews from the group, all but one of whom had never been to the Ford Plantation course before.

"When they got here on Tuesday, they saw it for the first time, and it just knocked their socks off, they just could not believe it. So we’re just tickled to be here and they have had an unbelievable time," he said, noting that GSGA would love to hold the championship in Richmond Hill again.

Even though some heavy morning rain on Friday pulled the golfers off the course for over three hours, the majority waited out the storm to head back out and finish playing. Spencer Sappington of Milton, Ga., won the championship by three strokes, beating Larry Clark of Cartersville and Don Marsh of Apharetta. Sappington has been the men’s senior champion four times in the last five years.

Joanna Capo, communications and marketing director for GSGA, said the Marietta- based association has a full schedule of statewide competitions for men and women of all age groups, including a junior sectional program.

To join the GSGA, Capo said interested golf enthusiasts should talk to their golf course about registering for its handicap service, which adds the player to the GSGA roster.