The RBC Heritage is nothing if not unique.
You can feel it in the way that the world’s best golfers approach the tournament. It’s competitive, to be sure, but it’s also a way for them to relax and enjoy the game a little bit after the taxing play and lofty expectations of The Masters.
You can see it in the way our community rallies around it, viewing this one week out of the year as the pinnacle of reasons why we live here. This has been our tournament since its inception, with community members banding together to help run refreshment stands, carry signs, and keep everything moving.
If you need any evidence of the one-of-a-kind nature of the Heritage, you need only swing through the 1 & 9 Village, where Forsythe Jewelers will once again hoist their tent at the center of everything.
Hailee Tripke, Jimi Lemon, Barb Panciera, Rebecca Lovette and Julie Owens.
“It’s surprising for a lot of people to find us there. I don’t know of any other PGA tournament that has a jewelry shop in the middle of it,” said Forsythe Jewelers owner Andrea Bragg. “But it really adds something. While the men watch the golf, the ladies come shop with us, and more often than not they both come in to browse together! We have some clients who just shop at our tent every year, seeing what kind of souvenir they can bring back.”
Forsythe Jewelers has been a part of the Heritage going back nearly 16 years, but it wasn’t until 9 years ago that they moved inside the ropes, making their sparkling selections the centerpiece of the small village of merchants at the center of the tournament.
“My team is always so excited for this. As much work as it is to set up, they can’t wait. They get to see the golfers, but also see their clients in a completely different environment,” she said. “There’s this energy there that we love being a part of.”
Anne Bradley and her granddaughters visit the Forsythe Jewelers tent wearing their cutest bows and sunglasses.
They’re not just a part of it, they’re contributing to the tournament’s appeal with a huge range of offerings from the tent’s sponsor, celebrated Italian designer Roberto Coin.
“We are very fortunate that our top designer, Roberto Coin, sponsors our tent for Heritage. We just celebrated 25 years of carrying his jewelry,” Bragg said. “We’re going to have a mix of everything Roberto Coin this year – some of the new collections, some statement pieces, but mostly the everyday pieces that he is known for.”
Resting at the crossroads of the tournament, Forsythe Jewelers’ tent has come to be one of the can’t-miss destinations for the thousands of visitors who come to Hilton Head for the Heritage. And it has helped contribute to a tournament unlike any other.
Peter Webster, President of Roberto Coin, visits with clients.
“The Heritage is so important to our community. I don’t think most people realize how much money is raised for the community, or the value of putting us in the spotlight,” said Bragg. “To be a small business on Hilton Head Island that gets to be part of a nationally broadcast PGA event is something we’re really proud of.”
Stop by the Forsythe Jewelers tent in the 1 & 9 Village from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Thursday through Saturday during the RBC Heritage to see for yourself how bright our community shines.
Sir Willie takes a break from roaming the course and strikes a pose in the Forsythe Jewelers tent.