s memorials go , it ’ s humble but evocative — fitting for a women ’ s golf tournament that personified those traits .

Three nicely framed panels adorn a back wall in the snack bar of Suffolk ’ s Obici House , once the 19th-century home of Planters Peanuts founder Amedeo Obici and his wife , Louise . It now houses J . T . Belcher ’ s pro shop for the Sleepy Hole Golf Course , a facility that occupies a special place in Commonwealth golf history .

From 1981 – 88 , Sleepy Hole hosted the LPGA ’ s United Virginia Bank Classic , commemorated with covers from tournament programs , articles and photos from memorable events like Kathy Whitworth ’ s 88th , and final , career victory , and a scroll with the signatures of every player in the 1983 field .

“ A lot of younger golfers come through here , and they have no idea about Sleepy Hole ,” Belcher said . “ We don ’ t want the history of this place forgotten .”

The Sleepy Hole portion of the tournament — it was played on three different courses during its lifetime — was unique in many ways . Despite the staff ’ s tireless efforts , the public course wasn ’ t always

Sleepy Hole Golf Course holds a special place in Virginia ’ s heart .

in tip-top condition . By comparison , the purse was generally smaller than much of the competition . A Mother ’ s Day final round didn ’ t help attendance , which never exceeded 30,000 .

Yet the players loved it , many calling it their “ week in the country .” Some players camped out at Sleepy Hole Park . Others — more than at any other LPGA tournament — stayed with volunteers . The second floor of the Obici House , which served as a locker / dining room , was jam-packed with homemade goodies unique on the circuit . The Portsmouth Service League , a women ’ s volunteer organization that distributed the proceeds to charities , did everything imaginable — and a thing or two you wouldn ’ t have considered — for anyone involved .

One year , the late Hall-of-Fame caddie Dee Darden organized a caddies vs . players softball game at the park . It was an outrageous annual success and grew so big that tournament director Nancy Wren ’ s staff took over , acquiring a sponsor who provided the participants with a good old-fashioned barbecue .

“ We tried to spoil them ,” said Wren , who ran the show for 13 years . “ Our

maternal instincts came out . They were like our daughters and the tournament was like entertaining them for a week . But we also felt like we were promoting professional women . Being a women ’ s group , that appealed to us . The players loved it because they were being mothered in the best sense of the word .”

Wren ’ s story was the tournament ’ s most unique feature . A nurse and psychologist by trade , Wren was a member of the Portsmouth Service League , which began seeking new ways to raise money other than the obligatory auction or gala .

When she heard that professional golf raised more money for charity than every other pro sport , Wren phoned the PGA Tour and asked if they ’ d be interested . Um , they replied , thanks but no thanks .

A later call to then-LPGA commissioner Ray Volpe yielded a far different response . Volpe steadfastly encouraged Wren , who had never played the game , but also offered a crash course in how to sell a tournament to a sponsor . After two years as volunteer director , Wren left her career behind and took a full-time job as director , helping to raise about $ 500,000 for charities .

The exquisite down-home hospitality , the pocketbook-friendly housing , the corralling of volunteers from every city in Hampton Roads — a miraculous feat in itself — and a hundred other virtues made Wren , as retired LPGA advance man Jim Haley told the Newport News Daily Press “ the best tournament director I ever worked with . The most efficient . … And she did it in such a classy way .”

Who knows what might have become of the LPGA ’ s relationship with Sleepy Hole had not the Obici House been declared unsafe to hold more than 50 people in 1989 , forcing a move to Chesapeake ’ s Greenbrier Country Club . The home has since undergone a multi-million-dollar restoration . The Obici House is now a prized venue for weddings , made more charming by a tiny corner devoted to a special sports marriage .

JIM DUCIBELLA