Spring Issue 2012 by Jennifer Kane

GOLF VIRGINIA

Central VA’s Golf Information Source- Covering Golf in:

Richmond • Charlottesville • Farmville • Fredericksburg • Williamsburg • Northern Neck

Spring 2012

ACC CHAMPION Virginia sophomore Ben Rusch wins individual title, team second. p.14

INSIDE: •Amateur Results •College Conference Championships •Travel Section Plus: Junior Section Featuring Central Virginia Golf Camps

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Virginia Golf Report • Spring 2012

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Area News

GLENN MULLIAN HONORED WITH COURAGE AWARD BY VIRGINIA SPORTS HALL OF FAME

ust over a year ago, standout Richmond golfer Glenn Mullian’s life changed when he was involved in a single car accident on Interstate 64 near the Zion Crossroads exit. He suffered very serious internal and external injuries throughout his entire body and endured countless surgeries, hours and hours of rehab and physical therapy, and lingering pain. Mullian, who is 57, had part of his right leg amputated below the knee. Still, Mullian’s attitude has been nothing short of amazing and has no doubt played a huge role in his recovery that has even impressed his surgeons. That attitude and determination was noticed

by the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame, honoring Mullian as the very first recipient of their Courage Award at the annual Hall of Fame banquet night, held on April 28th. “It is with respect and awe that we honor

Glenn, not just for his athletic achievements but also for the strength and resolve he has demonstrated in his difficult and challenging recovery,” said Eddie Webb, the President of the VSHF. “In his rehabilitation, Glenn

has said ‘I will’ not ‘I can’t’, which is the attribute that seperates the good from the great athletes. He is truly the embodiment of that characteristic, and we are privileged to present him with the Courage Award, which ironically he will receive just prior to the anniversary of the accident that changed his life.” Mullian recently underwent surgery on his right shoulder and arm which he hopes will help him to one of his ultimate goals of getting back on the golf course. Congratulations to Glenn and his amazing family for this well deserved honor.

Clubhouse Opens at King Carter Golf Club

rvington’s King Carter Golf Club opened a much anticipated clubhouse on April 25th with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and celebration that included golf. King Carter opened in 2006 to rave reviews with Golf Digest naming it the “Best New Affordable Course in the Country.” A clubhouse was never built because of the economic downturn that caused the new development to struggle. The pro shop operated out of a smaller on-site building. The new 2100 square foot facility was built by Southland Homes of Richmond. Amenities include a forty seat grill room, a full-scale pro shop and a beautiful deck. “This clubhouse is as much about meeting the current needs of our players as it is a commitment to the future stability of King Carter Golf Club,” said Mike Bennett, Vice-President of Operations at Traditional Golf Management, the firm that manages King Carter. “The success of King Carter has never been more certain.” King Carter is currently running a spring promo-

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Area News

Remembering Former VCU Coach Jack Bell

Virginia Golf Report • Spring 2012

Photo

courtesy of VCU Athletics

s a golf professional, Jack Bell reached the pinnacle of his profession, holding head professional positions at prestigious clubs such as La Jolla Country Club in San Diego, Medinah Country Club in Chicago, and The Greenbrier Resort in West Virginia. But the man well known to almost all in the Mid-Atlantic golf community, will probably most be remembered, at least in the Richmond area, as the very successful golf coach of Virginia Commonwealth University from 1982 to 1999. Bell put VCU golf on the map by winning tournaments, collecting conference championship titles, and developing some excellent players through the years. Bell won five conference championships while at the helm and coached three All-Americans: Jerry Wood, Reg Millage, and current PGA Tour player John Rollins. Bell was named Coach of the Year three times and VCU inducted him into their Hall-of-Fame in 2003. Current VCU golf coach Matt Ball, who played for Bell in the 80’s, remembered a man that would do anything for his players. “For those that knew Jack, he was very confident in his knowledge, opinionated, and never shy to give his point of view on most any subject,” said Ball. “But he was loved by all of the people that he worked so hard to help. He could be very hard on us as players face to face, but working like crazy to find any advantage for us to excel.” Ball recalled the yearly February trip the golf team would take to Kiawah Island in South Carolina. And even though the team didn’t have much of a budget at the time, Bell would do whatever he had to, to make it happen. “Jack would borrow a condo from a friend and get us access to the courses free of charge,” said Ball. “He would buy about $500 worth of groceries for the

1929-2012

week and we would all share the cooking and clean up while playing 36 holes a day for an entire week, walking that is.” One of Coach Bell’s big philosophies was playing more than practicing. “Jack’s theory was that if you wanted to improve you had to play a lot,” said Ball. “With less stringent NCAA rules back in the 80’s, we would play in every event we could, sometimes staying in roadside motels four to a room, but we all loved it.” Richmonder Larry Loving played for Bell in the early 90’s and admired him as a coach, but it was his relationship with Bell in more recent years that really made Loving appreciate him even more. “We would get together for lunch, maybe once a month,” said Loving. “It was great to get the chance to listen to some of the old stories that Jack would tell. I could listen to him for hours.”

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Loving played for VCU when John Rollins was on the team and he saw first hand the role Bell played in helping Rollins reach the PGA Tour. “Jack really helped John get to the next level,” said Loving. “John would listen to Jack and apply all the things he told him. Jack also made John believe in himself, always telling him he was the best and that he had the game to make it on the PGA Tour.” Longtime Jefferson Lakeside head professional Tom Barry, whose pro shop was visited often by Bell, was always impressed with Bell’s commitment to junior golf. “Jack was very giving of his time to juniors,” said Barry. “He loved to help them anyway he could and he always taught them to be respectful of the game.” Barry added that he saw, first hand, the generosity of Bell with a junior player, helping

out the youngster by reaching into his own pocket to pay for clubs that were too expensive for the junior to afford. Ball actually took a lesson from Coach Bell when he was 16. “It was three hours long and he wouldn’t allow my mom to pay,” said Ball. “That is the way Jack was, doing anything he could to help any young golfer get better.” Many in the area didn’t know about Bell’s very impressive playing record, having qualified to play in three U.S. Opens(played in one-1964 at Congressional), playing one PGA Championship, and winning the Illinois Open Championship twice. When he was a young pro in Chicago, Bell played in an exhibition with three legends in the game of golf: Errie Ball, who played in the first Masters in 1934; Johnny Revolta, a past winner of the PGA Championship; and Horton Smith, a two time Masters champion who is a World Golf Hall of Fame member. Bell knew and was friends with some incredible names in the world of golf and entertainment. He talked often about his relationships with Arnold Palmer, Sam Snead, Bob Hope and President Ronald Reagan. He also taught Craig Stadler to play when he was at La Jolla, and he continued to counsel Stadler in his earlier professional career. Jack Bell had a huge personality that could grab the attention of a room full of people. The thought of him will bring smiles to the faces of many that crossed his path and were lucky enough to know him or hear him talk about his past. “The key phrase that keeps coming out is loss of a legend,” said Ball. “None of us that played for him will ever forget him or his lessons, and there were lots more three hour ones, and not just on the golf swing.” -paTRICK KANE

Amateur Golf

Pastore battles nerves to capture Greene Hills Invitational niversity of Virginia sophomore David Pastore has some impressive wins on his resume from his junior golf days in Connecticut and even captured the Connecticut Public Links Championship in 2010. Still, the 20-year old resident of Greenwich described his second and final round at the Greene Hills Invitational in Stanardsville as “probably the most nervous I’ve been on a golf course in a long time.” That’s because Pastore, who is not currently on the Cavalier squad, hadn’t played any competition since last summer, and only David Pastore, Greene Hills Invitational Champion. played a few rounds of golf in the fall. “I grinded it out on the second day,” said Pastore. “My short game was solid and I champ, who he played a practice round with on made some key up and downs.” Friday. Pastore entered the final round with a three “Mac pointed me around and that helped,” shot lead after an opening round 66 and was said Pastore. “I started hitting it really well and able to hold off one of the Commonwealth’s that carried over into the first round.” finest, Keith Decker, with his closing 73, for Pastore entered UVA as a highly recruited a three shot victory. Jimmy Angel and Herbie junior player who had been ranked as high as Sargent finished tied for third while Jerry Bur#31 nationally in the AJGA Polo Golf rankings. ton and Bill Hamilton tied for fifth. But he lost confidence and struggled with his Having never seen the Greene Hills Club layswing. He did not play in any events for the out before the event, Pastore relied on former Cavaliers in 2010/2011 and redshirted. teammate Mac McLaughlin, the 2009 GHI After his fall layoff, Pastore realized he

Photo courtesy of J. Daves UVA Media Relations

missed the game that he called “a big part of my life,” and has been working his way back after making some swing changes. Pastore is still not sure exactly what he’s going to do as far as golf at UVA but the win felt good, especially with several other Cavalier players in the field. “It’s very satisfying to win this event,” said Pastore. “It means a lot to play well as I’ve been working hard on my game and I felt I needed to prove myself. I think I put a lot of pressure on myself to perform and that’s probably why I was so nervous in the second round.”

Results 1 2 T3 T5 T7 9 T10 T12 T16 T21

David Pastore 66-73—139 Keith Decker 69-73—142 James Angel 73-70—143 Herbie Sargent 71-72—143 Jerry Burton 72-73—145 Bill Hamilton 77-68—145 Chris Hickman 71-75—146 Mac McLaughlin 72-74—146 Jon Hurst 78-69--147 Tony Good 76-72--148 Jeff Toms 74-74--148 Logan Yates 75-74--149 Rupe Taylor 73-76--149 Phillip Mahone 75-74--149 Jimmy Delp 76-73--149 Steve Demasters 74-76--150 Ray Dingledine 79-71--150 Cory Amory 71-79--150 Brad Ferguson 73--77--150 Gregor Orlando 79-71--150 Jay Zapko 72-79--151 David Bell 78-73--151

T23 T26 T30 T35 T41 T43

Scott Richards 74-78--152 Ryan Clark 76-76--152 Chad Jones 75-78--153 Chris Leibl 76-77--153 Jim Woodson 75-78--153 Travis Benson 76-77--153 Donald Meyer 79-75--154 Kevin Archer 80-74--154 Pokey Buchanan 75-79--154 Matt Moyers 72-82--154 Joseph Megless 75-79--154 David Partridge 78-77--155 Nick Tremps 79-76--155 Lee Fisher 78-77--155 Quinn Boyle 80-75--155 Blair Engle 78--77--155 T.J. Austin 77-79--156 Marc Marcuson 79-77-156 Shawn Watkins 79-78--157 Jason Hylton 75-82--157 Bill Donathan 80-77-157 Jay Pickus 81-76--157

Team of Dougherty-Reynolds win Nelson Broach Memorial

D.J. Dougherty (L) and partner John Reynolds, winners of the Nelson Broach Memorial.

.J. Dougherty and John Reynolds teamed up to shoot 67-68, 9-under par, to win the Nelson Broach Memorial played

Virginia Golf Report • Spring 2012

at The Federal Club. The opening event on the Richmond Golf Association’s 2012 schedule came down to the final hole of the modi-

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fied alternate shot round where Dougherty-Reynolds rolled in a nine foot birdie putt to take the title. Spence Andrews and partner Adam Houck, playing in the same foursome, had missed a 15 foot birdie putt just moments before. Both teams shot matching 67’s in the opening round fourball format. On day two AndrewsHouck opened up a three shot lead with a 3-under par 33 on the front nine. But Dougherty and Reynolds clawed their way back with final nine birdies on 10, 14, 15, and the winner on 18. Greg Marshalek and Scott Evans finished third after rounds of 6870 while defending champs Ben Keefer and Rich Jeremiah shot 68-71 to take fourth. The Nelson Broach Memorial is named after former Richmond golfer Nelson Broach, who won 11 Richmond Golf Association

Amateur Championships between the years of 1947 and 1974. Broach also captured two RGA Senior titles in 1982 and 1993. Results: Championship Flight John Reynolds/DJ Dougherty 67,68—135 Champs Spence Andrews/Adam Houck 67,69—136 2nd Greg Marshalek/Scott Evans 68,70—138 3rd Ben Keefer/Rich Jeremiah 68,71—139 4th Billy Meyer/Joe Jenkins 70,73—143 Jon Hottinger/Tucker McNeil 68,78—146 Jim Hudson/Steve Southern 70,77—147 David Kopsick/Josiah Schuyler 68,79—147 1st Flight Doug Ayers/Bryan Burleigh 72,73—1451st Larry Loving/Mike Minicucci 73,74—147 2nd Tom Flynn/Frank Wood 72,76—148 3rd Alec Sorrel/Fuller Parham 71,80—151 Nathan Lash/Joey Colina 72,79—151 Brian Gray/Austin Gray 73,79—152 Mark Alonzi/Rod Young 73,80—153 Jay Pickus/Jim Woodson 72,84—156 Steve Isaacs/Len Isaacs 72,91—163 2nd Flight Kevin South/Matt Farrell 74,70—144 1st Greg Gerczak/Marco Poccia 74,72—146 2nd Mike Dowd/Casey Wadkins 75,73—148 3rd Greg Bales/David Burns 77,73—150 Ron DeCastro/David Wellman, Jr. 75,75—150 Jay Livingston/Van Williams 74,78—152 Kevin Williamson/Ray Dingledine 75,77—152 David Anderson/Drew Tester 77,78—155 Nathan Barbuto Jr./Jimmy Russell 74,82—156 Steve Allen/Glen Turner 74,83—157 Eric Crain/Mark Baldwin 80,79—159

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Hurst, Kelley take Chatmoss titles GOLF VIRGINIA

Jon hurst (l) won the Chatmoss invitational. ashland’s tim kelley won the senior division.

redericksburg resident Jon Hurst shot 66-69, 9-under par, to win the Chatmoss Invitational played at Chatmoss Country Club in Martinsville. Hurst finished seven shots ahead of second place finishers Buck Brittain(69-73) and Glen Allen resident Tony Good(70-72). Keith Decker,

an 18 time winner of the Chatmoss, finished in seventh place after rounds of 72-73. In the senior division Tim Kelley, of Ashland, shot 74-72 to secure a one shot victory over Salem resident Jack Allara.

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results Championship Jon Hurst, Fredericksburg, Va. - 66-69--135 Buck Brittain, Tazewell, Va. - 69-73--142 Tony Good, Glen Allen, Va. - 70-72--142 Matt Chandler, Hardy, Va. - 68-75--143 Pat Tallent, Vienna, Va. - 70-73--143 Andrew Tilley, Ringgold, Va. - 70-74--144 Keith Decker, Martinsville, Va. - 72-73--145 regular 1st Dustin Hussey, Martinsville, Va. - 76-70--146 Matthew Younts, Stokesdale, N.C. - 75-71--146 Layne Mills, Danville, Va. - 74-76--150 A J Singh, Leesburg - 73-78--151 Brandon Lacroix, Roanoke, Va. - 76-77--153 Joel Love, Danville, Va. - 73-80--153 Alex Taylor, Roanoke, Va. - 73-81--154 Ben Dull, Roanoke, Va. - 74-80--154 Roger Newsom, Virginia Beach, Va. - 77-77--154 regular 2nd Casey Wadkins, Richmond, Va. - 83-77--160 Chris Davis, Rocky Mount, Va. - 79-82--161 Donnie Hankins, Tazewell, Va. - 80-81--161 Derek Edmonds, Danville, Va. - 83-79--162 Will Smith, Martinsville, Va. - 78-85--163 Billy Teegen, Martinsville, Va. - 83-81--164 Jeff Jorgensen, Reva , Va. - 79-85--164 senior Championship Tim Kelley, Ashland, Va. - 74-72--146 Jack Allara, Salem, Va. - 77-70--147 John Collins, Martinsville, Va. - 71-79--150 Dave Davis, Greensboro, N.C. - 76-75--151 Harry Lea, Danville, Va. - 77-76--153 Rob Leisy, Richmond, Va. - 74-80--154 Bill Sibbick, Martinsville, Va. - 74-81--155 senior 1st Howard Grodensky, Martinsville, Va. - 81-74--155 Rodney Lynch, Martinsville, Va. - 79-79--158 Barry Shea, Danville, Va. - 82-78--160 John Preston, Martinsville, Va. - 84-77--161 Jim Julian, Martinsville, Va. - 83-81--164 Jim Wilson, Martinsville, Va. - 83-82--165 Rudy O’Dell, Martinsville, Va. - 82-83--165 senior 2nd Steve Dashoff - 87-83--170 Chris Perry, Martinsville, Va. - 86-86--172 Bernard Linkous, Blacksburg, Va. - 89-84--173 Bob Burton, Martinsville, Va. - 87-86--173 Bob Miller, Martinsville, Va. - 86-90--176 Rocky Searfoss, Cortland, N.Y. - 90-90--180 Kevin Farrell, Martinsville, Va. - 89-92--181

REPORT

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Staff:

Editor/ Publisher: Patrick K. Kane editor@virginiagolfreport.com Contributing Writers: Adam Smith, PGA Sean Taylor, PGA Bryan Jackson, PGA Paul Sargent, PGA Craig Wood, PGA Mark Slawter Nina Pryor, LPGA Kandi Comer, PGA Parker Reynolds Ryan King Paul Thomas Virginia Golf Report is a bi-monthly magazine covering Golf in Central Virginia. Reproduction of any part of this publication is strictly prohibited without prior consent of the officers of Virginia Golf Report, LLC. We accept no responsibility for discrepancies in advertisements. Virginia Golf Report is available by subscription for $15 a year. Contact Virginia Golf Report for more details. Establishments needing additional copies should also contact the Virginia Golf Report at (804) 346-0075 or email us at editor@virginiagolfreport.com 2007: Virginia Golf Report, LLC., All other photos besides those labeled, are provided by the Virginia Golf Report. College headshots courtesy of respected school. Copy and or use of photos without written permission is prohibited.

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HOT TOPIC

Are the PGA Tour pros hitting the ball too far?

In our latest “Hot Topic” debate, we ask the question: Are the PGA Tour pros hitting the ball too far, and if so should the governing bodies do something about it? Would it hurt the game to have the pros use different clubs or a different ball than amateurs? Some of the greatest courses in America have become “too short” to host major championships, what can we do about this? Sean Taylor, our Virginia Golf Report golf guru takes on editor Patrick Kane on this very…..hot topic.

Swing for the fences, no changes necessary - Sean Taylor The World has changed. Five years ago Facebook didn’t exist. Why shouldn’t golf change along with the times? Who wants to jump into HG Wells Time Machine and go back to the 50’s so that we can rip our tee shots a full 230 yards! Better yet, let’s go out and watch the PGA Tour players kill the ball and see it travel 250 yards. Is that really what you want Patrick? Fans always want to watch the Tour players hit the ball farther. Go to any tour event and you’ll hear about Tiger, Phil, Ernie, and Bubba nuking it off the tee, or what club they hit into a hole. Golf technology is at the two yard line. Literally, the laws of physics will not be denied; the ball can only rebound off the club slightly faster. Golfers will hit the ball farther by being stronger, with more flexibility. Let’s think about the ramifications if our governing bodies take the stance of two types of equipment, one for the PGA Tour players, and the other for all amateurs. First, will this help drive more players to the game? With golf on double life support how can this be an answer? It’s not the answer, we want to use technology to help grow the game rather than limit the growth of the game. Second, how will this help golf companies sell equipment and create more jobs? It wouldn’t.

By creating another product line, that can’t be sold and adding additional expenses it will make golf companies less profitable. Third, how will this help the PGA Tour? Imagine going to a PGA Tour event to watch Tour stars hit the ball shorter than you Patrick? How much fun is that? If I go to a NBA game, I want to see slam dunks because I can’t do it myself. Some may argue that the Tour players can’t play the classic golf courses because they are obsolete. Let’s look at the 2012 major lineup: Masters - Augusta National constructed in 1935; US Open - Olympic, constructed in 1918; Open Championship - Royal Lytham & St Annes, constructed in 1886; PGA Championship – Kiawah Resort, constructed in 1990. Is this argument valid? Let’s rip it, kill it, nuke it, and swing for the fences. Last time I checked I saw driving ranges filled with golfers swinging the big stick. Why? Because it’s FUN! Let’s keep golf FUN!

Dial back the ball already, stop the insanity - Patrick Kane

obody is telling 99.9% of golfers to change a thing. Keep buying the newest equipment if you want so you can keep up with your golf partners. It’s the pro game that needs to adjust. I’ve thought about this topic for a couple of years now and I’ve flip-flopped a few times. I’m not a fan of the whole two different rules thing but is there really a better way to stop the insanity? Let’s be honest, the professional game has gone too far in terms of distance. Classic golf courses that just 20 years ago were playable, are now too short for today’s power game that my friend Sean Taylor is so hyped up about. I’m not sure you realize this Sean, but every course that is hosting a major in 2012 was forced to lengthen their course to stay current with the modern day pro game. Eventually that becomes impossible; they run out of real estate. Oh yeah, it’s also expensive. Every time I hear the argument that we can’t have two separate rules and different equipment I think about the grooves change that went into effect for PGA Tour players a few years back. Probably somewhere around 90% of the golfing public is playing with the old grooves meaning the game is already different and I don’t think that has made one bit of difference to Joe the golfer. I’m not advocating any major

changes to technology, although I would love to see some of the young guys have to go back and hit a persimmon driver. Let’s just go back to the ball they used in say…..1995. Remember those years Sean? You were probably ripping your driver about 260. It was the days of the Titleist Professional golf ball. I found a GOLFWEEK MAGAZINE from March of 1995 and the “Driving Distance” leader was Dennis Paulson at 282. Tenth was Woody Austin at 272. Guess where 272 would put your boy Woody on the 2012 PGA Tour “Driving Distance” list Sean? Almost dead last—178th out of 182 players. Is that gigantic increase all attributable to better fitness? As for fans only wanting to see guys rip 300 yard drives, I don’t buy it. Can you tell me the greatest drive in PGA Tour history? Probably not. But you can tell me the greatest shots. Tiger’s chip-in on 16 at Augusta; Bubba’s snap-hook out of the woods this year; Watson’s chip to win the U.S. Open at Pebble. That’s what fans want to see Sean. There’s always going to be long drivers on the Tour, but do we really need 150 long drivers? It’s an easy fix that in two years won’t even be talked about. Dial back the ball….at least to circa 1995.

Let’s hear what you have to say on this topic. Send a short email letting us know who you side with and we’ll publish a few of the statements plus let our readers know what the golfing public thinks. editor@virginiagolfreport.com

10 Virginia Golf Report •

Spring 2012

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Amateur Golf

Rollins off to solid start Former VCU star leads PGA Tour in top tens

ormer Richmond resident and VCU star John Rollins has had a productive start to his 2012 PGA Tour season. Rollins recently topped the million dollar mark for the year and sits 30th on the money list through the Zurich Classic of New Orleans. He sits 33rd on the FEDEX CUP points list. So far in 2012 Rollins has played in twelve events. He’s missed the cut five times but he’s finished in the top 20 in every tournament but one, the Humana Challenge. The most impressive number for the former two time Virginia State

Amateur champion is his Tour leading four top 10’s, which include a season best solo third at the Farmers Insurance Open. As for stats, the ones that stick out and probably have meant the most to his solid start are his driving distance(294.2-32nd), total driving(3rd), birdie average(4.0813th) and all-around(27th). Rollins has quietly moved up to 24th on the Ryder Cup points standings just behind Webb Simpson and just ahead of Rickie Fowler. Former Richmonder John Rollins ranks 30th on PGA Tour money list.

After undergoing knee surgery in October of 2011, Marino rested and did rehab on the knee until the start of the 2012 season. Marino told TourPlayers.com that he “recovered PGA Professional great” and was looking forward to the start of the & VCU Golf Coach season. But after the third tournament he felt pain can help you and had lots of swelling on the knee. Improve your golf game Turns out the former Virginia State Am winner had a deep bruise on his bone and he has rested and tried to stay off his feet since the diagnosis. He had originally hoped to be back by Houston or Hilton Head but the lingering pain has prevented that from happening. “It’s been frustrating and tough,” said Marino, who added he is only playing maybe once a week while at home in the Palm Beach area. “The last thing I want to do is come back too soon,” said Marino. For now, the 2002 UVA grad is playing it by ear and trying his best to stay patient.

Marino still dealing with lingering knee injury

ormer University of Virginia standout Steve Marino has been out of action on the PGA Tour since late January, his third tournament of the year.

Other pros with Central Virginia ties NAME Sam Beach Rafa Campos Will Collins James Driscoll Steven Gangluff Lanto Griffin Dustin Groves Whitney Neuhauser Michael Shrader Kyle Stough Will Strickler Bobby Wadkins Jay Woodson Cameron Yancey

12 Virginia Golf Report •

Spring 2012

Photo courtesy of Crown Management

Matt Ball

HOMETOWN/CENTRAL VIRGINIA CONNECTION Glen Allen/Univ. of Richmond VCU UVA UVA Charlottesville VCU Keswick Barboursville/UVA Midlothian/Univ. of Richmond UVA Charlottesville Richmond Powhatan Blackstone/UVA

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Spring 2012

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College

Rusch captures ACC Championship Sophomore helps UVA to runner-up finish

Photo courtesy of J. Daves, UVA Media Relations

niversity of Virginia sophomore Ben Rusch shot 67-70-69, 10-under par, to win the Atlantic Coast Conference individual title by one stroke over Wake Forest’s Lee Bedford. The native of Switzerland became only the second Cavalier golfer to collect the ACC individual crown. Rusch’s win helped UVA secure a runner-up finish in a field that included five teams in Golfstat’s top 25 ranking. Virginia entered the tournament ranked 20th. Georgia Tech captured the team title by seven shots, but things got interesting early in the final round when freshman Ji Soo Park

14 Virginia Golf Report •

ACC career with a tie for twelfth after rounds of 6772-74. “I thought the team played very well this week,” said UVA head coach Bowen Sargent, of Virginia’s 276-279289, 20-under par effort. “We attacked the course in each of the first two rounds and gave ourselves a chance to win the tournament with nine holes to play on Sunday. Sadly, the 10th hole didn’t treat us too well as we made two doubles and one triple. Having lost by seven strokes obviously that was the difference.” As for Rusch, he was actually struggling with his confidence during an earlier in the week practice round. Sargent suggested he call Dr. Bob Rotella, a UVA golf team volunteer assistant who is the well known mental coach for Rory McIlroy, Ernie Els and Padraig Harrington among others. “At my urging I asked that he call so that Doc could help him understand the importance of trusting his game and in himself,” said Sargent. “I don’t know the entire conversation between the two but all I can say is Doc is a miracle worker. After what I witnessed in the practice round, that was as dramatic of a turnaround as Senior Ben Kohles (Top) finished T.12th while I’ve ever seen.” freshman Denny McCarthy placed T.4th. Sargent calls Rusch “a very hard working young man” that deserves all the success he’s that elevates Rusch to bigger and achieving. better things in his golf career. “He’s very motivated and disciVirginia now will wait to find plined; I can assure you nobody out which regional they will be in the ACC works any harder on sent to in their quest to qualify for their golf game,” said Sargent. the NCAA National Champion“Ben possesses one of the most ship and perhaps bring home the fundamentally sound golf swings ultimate prize. in college golf.” Sargent added that winning the Cover Photo of acc champion ACC could be a defining moment ben Rusch is courtesy of-

Spring 2012

started birdie, birdie, eagle(holein-one), to cut into Georgia Tech’s 11 shot lead entering the round. Denny McCarthy, another UVA freshman who has had a stellar rookie season, birdied three of his first eight holes and was actually leading the individual race for a while before a double-bogey on the tenth hole derailed his round. McCarthy still finished tied for fourth with rounds of 71-65-73. His second round 65 was an ACC record low round at the Old North State Club, the host venue. Senior sensation Ben Kohles, the ACC Player of the Year in 2009 and 2010 closed out his

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jim daves, uva media relations.

College

Spiders top Rams to win first Black and Blue Cup U

niversity of Richmond’s eight man squad defeated Virginia Commonwealth University by a score of 4.5 to 3.5 in the first Black & Blue Cup match pitting the two crosstown rivals. The event was held at Hermitage Country Club on the Sabot course. Richmond picked up wins from Nick Austin, Daniel Walker, Jack Wilkes and Austin Romeo. Jack Lessing earned a half point with his halved match. “We feel very fortunate to win the inaugural match and look forward to keeping the competition alive,” said winning coach Adam Decker, who along with VCU head coach Matt Ball came up with the idea for the two teams to go at it in a match play format. “We realized that we both had unused days of competition left on our schedule and decided that

it made sense to play some sort of event here in town,” said Decker. Ball called the match play format “one of the most pressure packed events of the year.” Five of the eight matches were decided on the 18th hole. Ball added that the format also allowed normal nonstarters to compete and feel the pressure that they normally aren’t exposed to. VCU match winners were Marc Dobias, Simon Taylor and Matt Smith. Gino Vandenberg picked up the half point. “The feedback was all very positive both leading up to and after the matches from my team,” said Decker. “We have a traveling trophy that the winning team is going to keep for the year and we hope to continue this event each spring.”

Central Virginians Nick Austin (L) and Daniel Walker were both victorious in the inaugural Black and Blue Cup. The duo also led the Spiders to a 4th place finish at the A-10 Championship. Austin finished T.4th, Walker T.11th.

VCU fourth, W&M sixth at CAA Championship

Marc Dobias (L) finished T.4th at the CAA Championship to lead VCU. Matt Ball, Jr., finished T.16th.

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Spring 2012

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irginia Commonwealth University shot 305-296-303 to finish fourth at the CAA Championship played at Wilmington CC in Delaware. The Rams entered the final round five shots behind leader Georgia State but struggled as number one player Marc Dobias, who led after the first round, shot 79. Dobias finished tied for 4th individually. Richmond’s Matt Ball Jr., a sophomore, finished tied for 16th after rounds of 77-74-75. William & Mary finished the tournament in sixth. Jeremy Wells, a junior from Hopewell, shot 8172-79 to finish tied for 32nd. UNC-Wilmington shot a final round 288 to win the championship and qualify for NCAA regional play.

Richmond 4th at A-10 Championship

ain forced the cancellation of the final round of the A-10 Championship, played at Heron Bay in Florida, and spoiled any chance of a comeback win for the Spiders. Richmond played well with rounds of 285-290, 1-under par, leaving them seven back of George Washington. “Really disappointed to not be able to play the final round,” Spider head coach Adam Decker said on RichmondSpiders.com. “Although we didn’t score great in the second round, the team was in good position to make a final round charge. Seven shots to make up is really not a lot over the five team-members and it’s unfortunate that we didn’t have a chance to play the complete championship.” Richmond junior Nick Austin, from Midlothian, led the Spiders with rounds of 72-70 to finish tied for 7th. Daniel Walker, a junior from Earlysville, finished tied for 11th after rounds of 70-74. Austin and senior Brad Miller were both named to the Atlantic 10 AllConference team.

College

UVA women 5th at ACC Championship

Elizabeth Brightwell

Photo courtesy of J. Daves, UVA Media Relations

Will play in NCAA Central Regional

VA, ranked 25th heading into the ACC Championships in Greensboro, never got on track and struggled to a fifth place place finish after rounds of 303-300300â&#x20AC;&#x201D;903. Duke University won with a total of 875.

Virginia was led by freshman Briana Mao who shot rounds of 75-74-75 to finish tied for 11th. Sophomore Elizabeth Brightwell, a sophomore from Nellysford, finished tied for 12th after rounds of 76-73-76. Shortly after the tourna-

ment Brittany Altomare, UVAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s leading player in 2012, was named to the All-ACC team for the third consecutive year. The Cavaliers also found out that they will be assigned to the NCAA Central Regional site. They

will attempt to be one of the top eight teams that will advance out of each Regional to the NCAA National Championships.

Longwood women close out year with win and third

ongwood finished out the spring season strong winning at William & Mary and finishing third at their final event in North Carolina. The win came at the C & F Bank Intercollegiate played at Kingsmillâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s River Course where

the Lancers shot 300-303-309 to win by ten shots over St. Johns. Senior Kameron Carter collected the individual crown as well after rounds of 71-73-76. She had won this event in 2010 and the victory was the fourth of her outstanding career. The Bassett

resident did not play last year due to back surgery and was given a medical hardship waiver by the NCAA for this year. In North Carolina it was much of the same. Carter shot 73-66-75 to place third individually and help Longwood to a third place

team finish. Her second round 66 and 36-hole score of 139 were both Longwood records. Longwood finished the year with a team scoring record of 303.35.

Area women shine at Conference Championships

Radford sophomore Paige Reese, of South Hill, shot 76-74-81 to finish 11th at the Big South Conference Championship.

Kelly Sumner of Callao, a sophomore at Pembroke State University, shot 77-82 to finish tied for 14th at the Peach Belt Conference Championship.

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Belmont University freshman Sydney Hudson, of Hopewell, shot rounds of 80-78-75 at the Atlantic Sun Conference Championship to finish tied for 24th.

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16 Virginia Golf Report â&#x20AC;˘

Spring 2012

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College

Area players score top 10’s at ODAC Championship

Photo courtesy of C. Kilcoyne, RMC Athletics

Photo courtesy of C.Kilcoyne, RMC Athletics

Photo courtesy of Guiliford College Athletics

Phillips and O’Connell named to All-ODAC First Team, Fuller named Rookie of the Year

Nick Shedd’s tie for 2nd finish helped Guilford to team title.

Hunter Weaver (L) and Kyle Fuller both recorded top 5 finishes in the ODAC Championship.

illiamsburg’s Nick Shedd, a freshman at Guilford College in North Carolina, shot 72-75 to finish tied for 2nd and help Guilford to the Old Dominion Athletic Conference Championship played at Bay Creek Resort on Virginia’s Eastern Shore. Shedd, a graduate of Lafayette High, had only played in three tournaments during his rookie campaign with a tie for 38th his best showing. Guilford is ranked 9th nationally in Division III and will move on to the the NCAA DIII National Championship to be played in mid-May. Other area players that picked up top 10’s in the ODAC Championship included Hunter Weaver and Kyle Fuller of Randolph Macon, and Bridgewater’s John Phillips. Weaver,

an Orange resident and junior at Randolph Macon, shot rounds of 76-73 to finish tied for 4th. Weaver was coming off a first place finish at the Roanoke Invitational. His teammate, freshman Kyle Fuller, a Deep Run High School graduate, also finished tied for 4th after rounds of 78-71. Meanwhile, Richmonder John Phillips wrapped up his impressive collegiate career at Bridgewater College with a tie for 7th after rounds John Phillips of 73-78. Phillips’ career highlights include having the fifth-best statistical stroke average in

Virginia State second at CIAA Championship

irginia State University shot 294-298 to finish in second place, six shots back of overall team winner Fayetteville State. VSU was led by Stephen Genchi who fired rounds of 70-72 to finish second individually. Mason Simpson, a junior at Virginia Union from Richmond, shot 73-72 to finish tied for fourth in Mason Simpson defense of the individual title he won last year. Simpson was named to the All-CIAA Team for the year as well as being tabbed for the All-Tournament Team for his performance at the CIAA Championship.

Virginia Golf Report • Spring 2012

program history. After the championship, the league announced its annual honors for outstanding play. Phillips was named to the All-ODAC First Team along with Hampden-Sydney sophomore Rick O’Connell, a Goochland resident. Weaver was selected to the All-ODAC Second Team while teammate Fuller picked up the conference Rookie of the Year award along with being named to Rick O’Connell the All-ODAC Third Team.

Gray, Sumner close out college Area golfers at Conference Championships careers at Longwood

Kevin Clarke Austin Gray

Ross Sumner

Area standouts Austin Gray and Ross Sumner wrapped up their collegiate careers at Longwood at the Manor Intercollegiate. Gray, from Midlothian, shot 77-70-76 to finish tied for 12th. Callao resident Sumner finished tied for 14th after rounds of 77-74-74.

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University of West Georgia freshman Kevin Clarke, of Midlothian, shot 80-72-80 at the Gulf South Conference Championship to finish tied for 14th.

Bryce Chalkley

Richmonder Bryce Chalkley closed out his sophomore year at Virginia Tech with a tie for 14th finish at the ACC Championship in North Carolina. Chalkley shot 74-71-69 and ended the year with a 73.91 scoring average.

In this year-long instructional series, former Curtis Cup team member and lPGa tour player Kandi Comer, who teaches at Glenmore Country Club in Keswick, spotlights a student that she works with and changes that they are working on in the golf swing. this month Kandi talks about the changes former uVa standout and current lPGa symetra tour member Whitney neuhauser is working on.

KANDI COMER

Kandi Comer Golf Glenmore Country Club 434.817.0500 kandi@kandicomergolf.com

am excited to discuss what Whitney Neuhauser and I have worked on with her golf swing. I started working with Whitney when she was 13 years old. When her mother, Susie, brought her to me she was an awesome baseball player. Yes, baseball and not softball, and she did play with the boys. She was obviously a very good athlete and I was excited about working with her. I have to say she has been one of the hardest working golfers I have seen in Charlottesville. She was very committed to seeing how good she could become and would do whatever I asked her to do. Her first big goal was to

play golf at UVA, which she did, and had a very successful career until her senior year (2010). I try to teach in very simple terms and teach the individual golfer based on their individual abilities. This is how Whitney was taught her entire junior career, and she got away from that her senior year. She became very analytical and overwhelmed with too many swing thoughts and a totally new method. Whitney actually took several months off from golf at the end of her senior year to re-group and then called me to start working again. Whitney’s second big goal was to play professional golf and she began

Back on Track that journey in 2011. I now feel her game is back on track and I expect to see great things from her this year. Whitney has always had the club very shut at the top of her swing and of course would fight the big hook. Because she was so shut at the top she would get the club coming too far from the inside on the way down which caused her to get stuck which resulted in the flip of the hands (hook) or the block (fade). We started with taking the club straight back as she turned her shoulders and getting the toe of the club pointing to the sky once she was at her hips (see photo 4.

#2) and then from there Whitney would continue to turn her shoulders to the top. At the top of her swing she would work on getting her thumbs under the shaft so the toe of the club points down to the ground (photo #4). If she can get in these two positions then we know the clubface is square and from there all she has to do is rotate through the ball to a balanced finish. Anyone that knows Whitney knows that she has a lot of energy and passion and there are times we have had to work on controlling her emotions on the golf course. She has a tendency to live and die with every shot. The goal for Whitney is to play every shot and be in the moment. She has 10 seconds after she hits a shot to dwell on it and then she has to move on to the next shot. With her golf swing and emotions in check Whitney is ready for the 2012 season on the LPGA Symetra Tour. Look for her name on the leaderboards this year.

18 Virginia Golf Report •

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Photo courtesy of J. Daves, UVA Media Relations

student bio

Whitney neuhauser

• VSGA Junior Golfer of the Year 2005 • 2009 VSGA Women’s Amateur Champion • 2009 VSGA Women’s Golfer of the Year • Four Time ACC All Academic Team • 2009 All ACC Selection • 2009 Third Team All American selection from Golfweek • 2009 Honorable Mention NGCA All American • Turned Professional in March 2011 • Played in the 2011 US Women’s Open • Made it to the final stage of the LPGA and LET Qualifying Schools 2011

When you awaken each morning in the Pinehurst, Southern Pines, Aberdeen Area of North Carolina, 43 courses will beckon. Many have achieved international acclaim.

GOLF, SLEEP, GOLF, SLEEP. REPEAT AS OFTEN AS NECESSARY. All will challenge your best game and fill your days with the kind of invigorating relaxation unique to the sport. Each night, you will retire knowing that tomorrow is another tee time. Though many would dispute the notion that man does not live by golf alone, we do offer up other forms of sustenance in the form of quiet pubs, vibrant sports bars and renowned restaurants featuring menus from continental to North Carolina home cooking. And that, as most golfers will agree, is the perfect prescription for the ideal vacation.

THE PERFECT GETAWAY AWAITS AT THE HOME OF AMERICAN GOLF®. VISIT WWW.HOMEOFGOLF.COM TO PLAN YOUR STAY.

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Experience one of the world’s premier golf destinations from SpringHill Suites by Marriott, located in close proximity to over 50 golf courses & resorts. This hotel offers spacious, comfortable suites for your golf getaway or corporate retreat. Customize a golf package for use on nearby championship courses. Begin each day with our complimentary hot breakfast. Practice on our on-site putting green, then venture out to a world-class golf course. Enjoy shopping & dining before retiring to spacious all-suite accommodations for a restful night’s sleep. Discover the ideal choice of hotels, where you’ll always feel like a champion.

19 Virginia Golf Report •

Spring 2012

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Located in the heart of the North Carolina Sandhills, just 4.5 miles from the Village of Pinehurst, Little River Golf & Resort offers guests a first-class experience. Our Dan Maplesdesigned championship golf course, warm and inviting clubhouse, private banquet facilities and full-service restaurant and lounge make Little River Golf & Resort a premiere destination for your next golf getaway. Little River Golf & Resort - time well spent.

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Looking for a golf vacation package that offers incredible golf and exquisite lodging, all located in the confines of The Home of American Golf™? Welcome to Talamore Golf Resort. Our Resort features first-class, on-course golf accommodations at our Talamore Golf Villas, and the well-appointed and luxurious Lodges at Mid South. After a thrilling round of golf, relax in the area’s finest lodging. One trip and you will see why Talamore Golf Resort is at the top of its class in the historic North Carolina Sandhills.

HAF= F==<D=K DG<?= ?GD> ;DM: Ahf^ h_ ma^ EZ]b^l @he_Zkb Site of three U.S. Women’s Open Championships, Pine Needles and Mid Pines have challenged golfers for more than 80 years. Whether you are planning a golf outing with friends, a vacation with the family or a romantic getaway our resort destination makes a most memorable experience among the beautiful Sandhills of North Carolina. Come experience a tradition like no other at Pine Needles Lodge and Mid Pines Resort.

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Travel

Sandhills SEcret Spring and fall are peak seasons in Pinehurst area, but summer is gaining traction with high-end golf course bargains available.

By paTRICK KANE

here’s never a bad time to hop in the car and head south from central Virginia to the Sandhills of North Carolina. After all, the area that oozes with golf history offers players quality golf courses combined with top accomodations and restaurants. For years, central Virginians have been visiting this hotbed of golf in spring and fall, when nearly perfect weather adds to the already magical surroundings. But what many golfers have not discovered about the Sandhills is the incredible value and opportunities that exist in the summer months. High-end nationally recognized courses like Pine Needles, Pinehurst Resort, Tobacco Road, National Golf Club, Mid-Pines, and the brand new highly acclaimed Dormie Club, suddenly become affordable to those that maybe had to bypass them in the spring and fall. “We have groups that come down every year that want to play some of the highly awarded top 100 type golf courses, but in

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Spring 2012

peak seasons are just a little too high for their budget,” said Joe Gay, General Manager of Tobacco Road Golf Club in Sanford who also operates Tobacco Road Travel, a golf packaging company that customizes golf trips to the Sandhills area. “In the summer, these courses are right in their wheelhouse and very affordable.” What’s the reason for the break in prices? Probably the heat, but for golfers in the south, looking for incredible value, high temperatures aren’t going to scare them away. As for course conditions, some might argue that they actually may be as good or better in the summer. If the area gets a cool spring the bermuda-grass fairways may not be fully plush until mid to late May. And early spring and fall both bring into play green aerification, something no golfer in town on a golf trip wants to deal with. “Tee to green the courses are as good as they’re going to get in the summer,” said Gay. “It’s possible if you hit an extremely hot stretch the courses with bent grass may need to keep

• www.virginiagolfreport.com

The new Dormie Club (Top photo) is getting rave reviews from national publications. Tobacco Road (above) is another highly ranked Sandhills course.

the greens a little slower, but that’s only in extreme heat.” Many of the area’s courses have actually alleviated the heat issue by reconstructing or reseeding the greens with newer strains of heat tolerant grasses, meaning the same speed as golfers would find in spring and fall. Another advantage to summer golf is the length of the day. Gay says the added daylight hours give golfers more options on when they can play. “Overall, golfers have a lot more flexibility in the summertime,” said Gay. “In terms of both budget and time.”

Late afternoon or even early evening is another great time to play in the summer. It opens up time for golfers to experience other surroundings of this unique area including the towns of Southern Pines, Aberdeen, and Pinehurst.

THE COURSES

Probably the course receiving the most attention in the area is the newest one to be built, the Dormie Club. It was designed by the team of Coore-Crenshaw, the same duo that performed the restoration of nearby Pinehurst #2. Both projects have

(continued on next page)

Travel

toughness and top conditioning, National is ranked #24 in the state by the North Carolina Golf Panel. A great course to play on either the first or last day is the very unique Mike Strantz design, Tobacco Road. It’s located about 30 minutes north of the Pinehurst area and the sandy soil that’s so prevalent on most Sandhills courses is nowhere to be found, replaced by distinct red-clay. Like other Strantz courses Tobacco Road can be visually intimidating but it’s fun and offers a lot of birdie opportunities if you can keep it away from the trouble. Great golf on highly rated courses that are available at significantly lower prices. That’s a secret that won’t last for long.

Pinehurst #4 (Top photo) and Pine Needles are two of the more highly ranked courses that become more affordable during summer months.

been getting rave reviews. Dormie Club, which was originally going to be a highly exclusive private club with a regional and national membership, is very similar to #2 in many ways. “Neither course has any rough,” says Gay, when talking about the comparison of Dormie and #2. “I’ve played it several times and I think it’s great. Every hole

21 Virginia Golf Report •

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is distinct and it’s only you and your playing partners on the hole. No houses, no tennis courts, no parallel fairways with other players. It’s really a neat place.” Pine Needles is another highly awarded course that Tobacco Road Travel can get golfers access to in the summer at reduced rates. This Donald Ross design that has hosted the U.S.

• www.virginiagolfreport.com

Women’s Open three times, is probably the course that best defines Pinehurst area golf. Pine tree lined fairways, sandy soil, and challenging yet very playable and fun. Pine Needles is one of those rare golf courses that everyone, from professional to high handicapper, raves about. Mid-Pines is right across the street from Pine Needles and is another Ross classic. It’s shorter than Pine Needles so typically plays a little easier, but like its sister course, it is one of the most enjoyable walks in golf. Most tees are mere steps from the previous green and if you do happen to hit a foul ball into the pines, it’s usually playable towards the green. The second shot to the 18th green is memorable with the iconic Inn backed up to the green. Tobacco Road Travel also has access to most of the Pinehurst Resort courses. This is a treat that is worth exploring with a variety of courses designed by top architects like Tom Fazio, Rees Jones, and of course, Donald Ross. National Golf Club in Pinehurst is a gated community near the traffic circle that is the only Jack Nicklaus designed course in the Sandhills. The golf course recently reopened after rebuilding all 18 greens. Known for its

For more information on Tobacco Road Travel visit http://www.tobaccoroadtravel.com/

SOME OF THE HIGHLY RANKED COURSES IN THE SANDHILLS DORMIE CLUB

•“Ranked 3rd Best New Course in Country, 2011” GOLFWEEK MAGAZINE •“Ranked #78 Top 100 Modern Courses” GOLFWEEK MAGAZINE

PINE NEEDLES

•“Ranked #76 Best Classic Courses in America” GOLFWEEK MAGAZINE •“Ranked #2 in North Carolina-Best Public Courses” GOLF MAGAZINE •“Ranked #48 “Best Public Courses in America” GOLF DIGEST

PINEHURST RESORT

•Course #2 “Ranked #37 Top 100 Courses in America” GOLF DIGEST •Course #4 “Ranked #6 in North Carolina-Best in state you can play” GOLF MAGAZINE •Course #8 “Ranked #5 in North Carolina-Best in state you can play” GOLF MAGAZINE

TOBACCO ROAD

•“Ranked #4 Best in state you can play” GOLF MAGAZINE •“Ranked #97 Best Courses you can play in Country” GOLF MAGAZINE •“Ranked #78 Top 100 Public Courses in America” GOLF DIGEST

MID PINES

•“Ranked #12 Best in state you can play” GOLF MAGAZINE

Travel

road trip options By: Parker Reynolds

olf trips are fun. And whether it’s just four friends driving an hour to play a new course, a group of sixteen that wants to try a new destination that they’ve heard or read about, or a business owner that is looking to entertain some clients, they are all fun to plan. I’ve picked out what I think are a great mix of options available for that next golf trip, from luxury to affordable, from a one hour drive to a flight across the Atlantic. Happy travels.

OUTER BANKS GOLF

Top quality golf is available in the Outer Banks of North Carolina. And while a trip to the beach in the summer usually means family time(unless you can sneak away) this area has become a favorite for golf groups in the spring and fall when the tourist traffic is a little lighter. OBX Golf has a fall promotion starting at $240 per person for a three day package. Accomodations at the beach have improved vastly and for an added treat why not book your group into a house right on the ocean. Feature courses: The Currituck Club, Kilmarlic Golf Club, The Carolina Club, Nags Head Golf Links and The Pointe. Information—www.PlayOBXGolf.com 800-916-6244

LINKS AT STONO FERRY

McCONNELL GOLF TRAIL

I’m going to go out on a limb here and say this is the most upscale “Golf Trail”, at least in the South. Alabama started the concept of golf trails and Virginia has even gotten into the game. But the McConnell Golf Trail in the Carolinas has created a whole new model. McConnell Golf has been purchasing some of the top private golf clubs in the Carolinas over the last few years. Courses like Sedgefield in Greensboro, Old North State Club near Asheboro and Raleigh Country Club. There are eight courses in all and some even have upscale golf cottages on-site. Every course is otherwise exclusively private making this a great little excursion for a business trip with clients or associates. Three, five and seven day customized golf packages are available with a minimum of four participants per party. FEATURE COURSES: Old North State Club, Musgrove Mill, Raleigh CC, Treyburn CC, The Reserve, Sedgefield CC, Wakefield Plantation and The Cardinal. Information—www.McConnellGolfTrail.com

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• www.virginiagolfreport.com

Here’s a great track to play on your next trip to the Lowcountry of South Carolina. In fact, if you are heading to the PGA Championship at Kiawah Island later this summer this is a “must play.” It’s located within 30 minutes of downtown Charleston on a spectacular setting along the pristine Intracoastal waters and salt marshes of South Carolina. In 2011 The Links at Stono Ferry was awarded “Charleston Area Golf Course of the Year” and South Carolina’s “Golf Course of the Year.” Information—www.stonoferrygolf.com

FAYETTEVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA

When people think of Fayetteville, North Carolina, they think of military and defense. After all the city is home to the 82nd Airborne. But this area that is easily accessed from Interstate 95, is also home to some incredible golf values. Three day late spring and summer packages start at $210 per golfer. Popular courses like the Davis Love III designed Anderson Creek and the course Ray Floyd grew up on—Cypress Lakes, are just a few of the many options available. Information—www.GolfontheReady.com

(continued)

Travel

SANDHILLS OF NORTH CAROLINA

There may not be a better road trip for golfers that want to experience pure golf than the Pinehurst, Southern Pines and Aberdeen area known as The Sandhills. Central Virginians can access the area by car in about four hours meaning golf on the first and last day—a nice road trip bonus. Spring and fall are the peak seasons here but summer golf in the Sandhills is a great opportunity for golfers to play courses that may normally be a little steep in price. Places like Pine Needles, Tobacco Road and National Golf Club offer some great deals in the summer. feature Courses: Tobacco Road, Pine Needles, Mid-Pines, National Golf Club, Pinehurst Resort, Dormie Club, Talamore and Mid-South. Information—www.TobaccoRoadTravel.com www.HomeofGolf.com

WILLIAMSBURG, VIRGINIA

If gas prices continue to climb, this historic area filled with top level golf could be a great option for a day trip or weekend getaway. Top resorts like Kingsmill and the Golden Horseshoe offer multiple choices in terms of golf. Public golf in Williamsburg includes many in the Traditional Golf Properties portfolio: Royal New Kent, Stonehouse, Kiskiack and Brickshire. Williamsburg National offers 36-holes of championship golf. The newest course to open in the area is the Rees Jones masterpiece Viniterra, which is really just east of Richmond. The whole development is very upscale and includes a working winery on-site. Information—www.TraditionalGolfProperties.com

BRITANNIA GOLF

Most golfers have a bucket list of places they have to visit, at least once. Destinations like Pebble Beach, Bandon Dunes, and Whistling Straits in the United States. As well as Ireland, Scotland and England across the ocean. Or maybe Teeth of the Dog at Casa de Campo in the Dominican Republic. Britannia Golf is a golf tour company based in the Richmond area that can set up these once in a lifetime customized golf trips. They have been specializing in making golf dreams a reality for over 17 years. Information—www.BritanniaGolf.com

23 Virginia Golf Report •

Spring 2012

• www.virginiagolfreport.com

www.Viniterra.com

Where Golf, Wine, and Camaradarie Come Together

The Club at Viniterra has an atmosphere of elegance and serenity that begins with the design of 18-hole Rees Jones designed championship semi-private golf course. Our course features working vineyards alongside fairways throughout, a signature hallmark of the new Viniterra community.

Open Monday through Sunday. Tee Times required. Tournaments/Outings welcome! 8400 Old Church Rd. New Kent, Virginia 23124 804.932.3888 Pro-Shop Phone www.viniterragolf.com

World Golf Hall of Famer Larry Nelson is a Believer

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Three-time major winner Larry Nelson has hailed it as a breakthrough for the golf industry, but just how far the new Pro Golf IQ program can take amateur golf is ‘scary’. The gap between amateur and professional golf has always been seen as huge, but as Nelson points out, that gap can be reduced significantly by simply training the amateur mind to think like a professional out on the course.

every right decision, and almost play “without thinking”... As someone that plays this game for a living, it is important for me to be in this mindset as often as possible. Pro Golf IQ helps to access this area of thinking on a regular basis.”

“Pro Golf IQ is the first program I have ever come across that really understands how a professional golfer approaches the game from a mental standpoint. I can see it working wonders for golfers of all levels looking to get that mental edge they might be missing, said Nelson”

The audio program takes just five weeks to complete, with golfers simply needing to sit back and relax for around 30 minutes, three times per week. Each week the golfer will listen to a different dynamic session with each segment building into an encyclopedia of guided imagery and relaxation techniques.

Research proves that the average golfer uses only half the brain when contemplating a shot. Unfortunately, this is the side that is preoccupied with half-remembered tips, advice and repetitive drills – the unwanted noise that clutters the mind and hampers your game. Professionals use both sides of the brain when setting up, so they can use the creative right side, which deals with rhythm, balance, timing, co-ordination and imagery. In doing so, they achieve perfect mental stability.

Pros pay thousands of dollars every year for sports psychologists to get their mind ready for play, but this program allows everyday amateurs an affordable way to gain improvement in their game they never thought was possible.

Nelson, a three-time Ryder Cup team member, uses Pro Golf IQ regularly to work on his mental game. “Every pro golfer has rounds of golf, or moments in their round where they see every line perfectly, make

2 Virginia Golf Report •

Spring 2012

• www.virginiagolfreport.com

“Over my career I have struggled with over thinking and getting in my own way. The Pro Golf IQ program continues to help me let my natural ability take over, so I can play at my best, said Nelson.” Now, no matter what type of golfer you are, you can access parts of your mind on the course the same way professional golfer’s do too.

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Junior

Special Camp Section

Page 27 Annual Summer Golf Camp Preview Page 30 Adam Smith/Pros Best Practices to Juniors Page 32 Junior Golf Roadmap - Step 2 Page 33 Richmond Junior Golf Tour Spotlight Page 3 Straight Shot to College Golf 2 Virginia Golf Report •

Spring 2012

• www.virginiagolfreport.com

Junior

lET’s Go CaMpING

By paUl THoMas

manY oPtions available to ProsPeCtive golf CamP attendees

ith so many quality golf camps available, the decision process deciding which camp to attend is not always easy. much depends on the level of the junior player. are they a beginner or undecided on their level of commitment to the game? are they trying to get good enough to play on the high school golf team and maybe even go farther with their aspirations by playing collegiate golf? are they an elite player, already good enough to garner interest from area college coaches? Central Virginia is loaded with opportunities for all level of junior golfers from beginner to competitive players. following is a sample of camps available in the readership area. Many of these camps have filled up quickly in the past so do your homework, decide which one fits your level and budget, and start learning from some of the best instructors in Virginia. there is not a better game for kids to be exposed to than golf.

Cavalier Golf Camp Conducted by UVA's Head Golf Coach Bowen Sargent at UVA's Golf Team Facilities at Birdwood Golf Course

INSTRUCTORS

2012 University of Richmond Junior Golf Camps Instruction from both Men’s & Women’s Golf Team Coaches Sponsored by

Bowen Sargent Head Men’s Golf Coach University of Virginia

• 8th season as Head Coach of the UVa Men’s Golf Team • 2010 ACC Coach of the Year • Coached UVa to 3 NCAA Championships • 3 time Virginia State Coach of the Year • Played collegiately at N.C. State and was a two time All-American • Qualified for the 2010 U.S. Amateur

Boys & Girls Ages 10-18

Eligibility NCAA rules require Cavalier Golf Camp to be open to any and all entrants. Only limited by age (10-18) and number (50). If you have any questions please contact Jay Fisher at (434) 982-5727 or email at uvagolfcamp@yahoo.com

27 Virginia Golf Report •

Spring 2012

Jay Fisher Asst. Men’s Golf Coach University of Virginia

• 5th season as Asst. Coach of the UVa Men’s Golf Team • Played collegiately at Furman University • Former Tournament Director for the American Junior Golf Association • Won the 1998 Virginia State Amateur • Qualified for the 2008 and 2009 U.S. Amateur

• www.virginiagolfreport.com

Golf Camps

July 23 - July 25 DAY CAMP Site: University of Richmond Golf Facility Located near Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens

CAMP PROGRAM The purpose of this camp is to educate young people on the game of golf and improve their golf skills. We will focus on the fundamentals of grip, stance, swing, putting, chip-ping, pitching, bunker play and proper etiquette. On course situations will be addressed as well. The companionship of other players and the learning of sportsmanship and athletic values are additional benefits.

MORE ABOUT THE CAMP

• Camp held at University of Richmond’s private Varsity Golf practice facility Open to anyone ages 8 - 18 • For campers ages 8-18 • Diversified instruction in all aspects of the game • Structured to take full advantage of instructional Camp Options time Session I • Individualized attention 8:00 am—12:00 pm • Campers will be videotaped and receive a teaching (includes lunch) manual for further game development • All skill levels encouraged to attend Session II • Teams and Coaches encouraged to attend 8:00 am—4:00 pm • Realistic on-course situations each day (includes lunch) • Drinks/Snacks provided—Lunch for all participants • Golf clubs can be provided – please indicate need For additional information check our golf website under camps at www.richmondspiders.com.

Junior COLLEGE COACHES CAMPS Attending a golf camp conducted by college coaches, at the college golf team facilities, is an unbelievable opportunity for juniors to experience. Kids get exposure to top facilities and instruction, and a glance into what it may look like if college golf is in future plans. Bowen Sargent, the head men’s golf coach at UVA, is conducting the cavalieR golf camP at UVA’s golf team facilities at Birdwood Golf Course in Charlottesville. Birdwood was named one of the top college golf courses in the country by Golfweek magazine. Sargent, a past

winner of both ACC Coach of the Year and Virginia Coach of the Year awards, along with his assistant Jay Fisher, gives junior golfers a rare opportunity to get instruction and advice from one of the nation’s top collegiate coaches that has grown UVA’s golf program into a consistent top 20 ranked team. Campers stay on-site at UVA student dorms giving them a keen insight into what college will be like no matter where they choose to go. In Richmond, both of the univeRsity of RicHmond head coaches conduct their annual golf camp. Men’s coach Adam Decker and women’s coach Jill Briles Hinton, will lead instruction at U of R’s beautiful golf team facility on the north side of

Time: 2:00pm – 4:00pm Cost: $120.00/wk $40/day

June 26th – June 29th July 10th – July 13th July 17th – July 20th July 24th – July 27th August 7th – August 10th

This is a FUN and creative four-day camp for one hour a day. This will be a FUN environment to learn not only the skills to play golf at a young age, but also drills and exercises to prepare the child for golf as the child grows and get stronger. We use SNAG (starting new at golf ) equipment for these camps.

Time: 4:00pm – 4:45pm Cost: $60.00/wk $20/day

1750 Piper Way Keswick, VA 22947 (434) 817.0500 Email: kandi@kandicomergolf.com Spring 2012

Virginia’s home of golf, Independence Golf Club, is where you’ll find another fantastic opportunity for junior golfers. The RoBins JunioR golf PRogRam offers many options for campers including boarding at the on-site cottages with a dining hall. Half-day and

Pee Wee Summer Camp (Ages 4 – 7)

June 26th – June 29th July 10th – July 13th July 17th – July 20th July 24th – July 27th August 7th – August 10th

28 Virginia Golf Report •

RICHMOND AREA CAMPS

full-day camps are available. Meredith Loosse, PGA, a former assistant pro at Farmington Country Club in Charlottesville, has taken over as the Program Director and leads a staff that includes one instructor for every six campers. One of the cool things here is that all of the counselors will come from Professional Golf Management college programs meaning they are training to one day enter the golf industry as a professional or in some other capacity. Located in the far west end of Richmond is the popular Bogey’s sPoRts PaRK JunioR camP. It is again being run by PGA professional Lynn Myers, a former University of Richmond alum. Myers incorporates the basic

Robins Junior Golf Program at INDEPENDENCE GOLF CLUB

Junior Summer Camp (Ages 8 – 17) The summer golf camps are a fun filled four-day event for 2 hours each day. The camps are designed to develop full swing fundamentals and short game skills. We will try to go on the course for some instruction as space allows. Basic rules and etiquette will be included. If you want to learn the game or improve the skills you are already have this is the place to be in this summer. Golfers will be grouped by skill level and age.

town. Both coaches played professionally as well, with Briles-Hinton playing on the LPGA Tour for 12 years. The three day camp will include all campers getting videotaped and given a DVD of their swing so that it can be used in the future. Half day and full day sessions are available.

• www.virginiagolfreport.com

Spring & Summer Golf Camps 6-17 Year Olds 1/2 Day, Full Day and Overnight Camps Available Scholarships are available (804) 897-8641 ext.112 Schedule and Registration Available online at:

www.independencegolfclub.com mloosse@independencegolfclub.com 600 FOUNDERS BRIDGE BLVD. MIDLOTHIAN, VIRGINIA 23113

Junior

fundamentals—grip, stance and posture—into a fun environment that includes a round of miniature golf before lunch. There are five different sessions during the summer for kids between the ages of 6—13, and a maximum of 20 campers are allowed per session. A big perk here is the ID card each camper gets after the camp that can be used for either a free round of mini-golf or a small bucket of range balls every day they come out to the park for the remainder of the calendar year. Belmont golf couRse is the home of the yearly summer golf camp put on by Henrico County for kids between the ages of 8 and 14. This is a good camp for children new to the game and clubs are supplied for those that don’t have them. At the end of the week the kids will go on the golf course to play. There is only one session, July 16-20, from 8 to 10am daily.

CHARLOTTESVILLE AREA CAMPS Charlottesville area professional Kandi comeR has developed quite a reputation when it comes to junior golf instruction. The former Curtis Cup team member has trained numerous young players that have gone on to play high school, college, and professional golf. Comer’s golf camps, located at Glenmore Country Club in Keswick, include a peewee camp for kids as young as four. Older kids will be grouped by age and skill level with full swing fundamentals and short game skills a 29 Virginia Golf Report •

Spring 2012

major part of each session.

WILLIAMSBURG AREA CAMPS dona leRneR brings her very successful junior camp to the Williamsburg area and Kiskiack Golf Club again in 2012. The award winning LPGA teaching professional takes pride in how she and her staff are able to make golf fun by using unique methods to communicate and teach. Each camp lasts four days, three hours a day, and they are open for kids between the ages of 7 and 16. Lerner’s camps focus on fundamentals, rules, etiquette, sportsmanship and competitive situations. CAVALIER GOLF CAMP(434) 982-5727 or uvagolfcamp@yahoo.com universitY of riChmond Junior GOLF CAMPwww.richmondspiders.com

& Junior Golf Camps Camp Descriptions:

The Junior Golf Club & LPGA-USGA Girls Golf At

Camps are offered for kids ages 7-16. All are 4 days, 3 hrs. per day and include lunch daily. There will be a focus on fundamentals of the golf swing, rules of golf, etiquette, sportsmanship and competitive situations. Our teaching staff will use humor when working with the children. The learning environment is fun and non-threatening so the kids feel comfortable and safe. The low teacher student ratio will create an environment where each child receives oneonone attention from the instructors in all of our camps. A healthy snack will be provided each day as well as a light lunch. We will make cold drinks available to the campers. Please advise us of any special dietary needs for your child.

Camp Schedule

8104 Club Drive Williamsburg, Va (757) 566-2200 1675 Ashland Road

#1:June 18-21 (Mon-Thurs) #2: July 9-12 (Mon-Thurs) #3: Aug 6-9 (Mon-Thurs) 9:30am-12:30pm Cost: $130 Traditional Golf Members $145 Non-Members Make checks payable to: Dona Lerner Golf

Richmond, VA 23233

804-784-1544

2012 Program Schedule LPGA-USGA Girls Golf & Junior Golf Club Session #1: April: 18th & 25th May: 9th, 16th, 23rd & 30th June: 6th, 13th, 20th & 27th Session #2 Aug: 1st, 8th, 15th, 22nd & 29th Sept: 5th, 12th, 19th & 26th Oct: 3rd & 10th Level I & II 5:00-6:00pm Level III & IV: 6:15-7:15pm Program Fees $25 Registration fee Class Fees: $14 TGP Members; $16 Non-Members

Contact: Dona Lerner, LPGA For Registration Info. phone: (919) 542-5501 email: practicetee@aol.com http://donalernergolf.com/

www.bogeyssportspark.com

Just 5 minutes west of Short Pump! Driving Range – Batting Cages – Miniature Golf – Golf Lessons – Group/Corporate Outings – Birthday Parties – Junior Camps

robins Junior GOLF PROGRAM(804) 897-8641 ext. 112 www.independencegolfclub.com KANDI COMER GOLF(434) 817-0500 kandi@kandicomergolf.com dona lerner golf Jr. CamPs at kiskiaCk GOLF CLUB(919) 542-5501 practicetee@aol.com bogeYs sPorts Park JUNIOR CAMPS(804) 784-1544 www.bogeyssportspark.com belmont Junior golf CAMP- HENRICO COUNTY (804) 501-GOLF (4653)

• www.virginiagolfreport.com

Bogeys Sports Park Junior Camps

Instructor:

Lynn Myers, Class A PGA Professional since 1995. Lynn is also level 1 certified with the Titleist Performance Institute, which teaches fitness as it relates to the golf swing. Lynn has been teaching our junior camps for the last 8 years.

Ages 6-13

Instructor/Student ratio: 1:10

Lynn has one assistant instructor with her for each session, with a maximum of 20 campers per session.

Dates:

June 25 – June 29 July 9 – July 13 July 23 – July 27 July 30 – August 3 August 13 – August 17 Cost: $200 Time: 8:30am – 12:00pm Monday through Friday

•Fundamentals •Grip/Stance/Posture •On-site at Bogeys •Putting Green & Driving Range •Daily Contests for Prizes •Etiquette •Snacks & Lunch Included At the end of each camp session, all campers are awarded a Bogeys Junior Camp t-shirt as well as an ID card that entitles them to either a free round of miniature golf or a free small bucket of range balls every day they come out to the park for the remainder of the calendar year.

Junior

play Your Best Golf !

ADAM C. SMITH,

Be the Best You Can Be

Great Advice From Great Pros PGA Best Practices for Junior Golf

golf digest Best in state 2011 / 2012 2008 maPga teacHeR of tHe yeaR Pga diRectoR of instRuction

salisBuRy countRy cluB midlotHian, va

WWW.adamsmitHgolf.com

By Adam C. Smith, PGA Contributing Editor

ost all of us who learned how to play golf, learned from someone who was older than us. The individuals who taught us the game were mentors to us. We have never forgotten them for what they have taught us. Junior golf programs have traditionally introduced golfers to the game for years. Private and public facilities run summer programs that focus on player development. And “young player” development is a passion for all PGA golf instructors. If you are an adult with a young junior golfer in your life, you certainly know the value of PGA golf instruction. If you have a young athlete in your life who is interested in golf, here is some advice: locate your nearest PGA professional and get a lesson for your youngster.

Furthermore, get them involved in group clinics and summer camps led by skilled PGA professionals. If you are interested in ﬁnding a golf professional in your area, do some research. Ask people you know who have had golf lessons. Call your local golf shop or driving range. Use the Internet. Or, simply contact the many PGA experts who contribute to The Virginia Golf Report Magazine. Our Middle Atlantic PGA section is full of award winning PGA professionals who love teaching kids! Here are some great words of advice from fellow PGA professionals, known for their success in teaching juniors, all over the state of Virginia. Don’t hesitate to contact us for further advice and for golf lessons, too!

allen Wronowski, Pga

“Junior golf has meant a great deal to me in my professional and personal life. No other sport would have my 30 year old son call my wife and say I am off Monday - Lets Play Golf. Golf is families, fun, friends and fitness!”

President of the PGa of america Head Golf Professional Hillendale Country Club

university of richmond men’s Golf team Coach adecker@richmond.edu

“Be sure to save some short game practice time to put yourself in real on-course situations. Making the shots around the greens tough on yourself with a consequence attached to it will get you ready for the pressures of tournament golf. You only get one chance on the course - from a good lie or a bad one. Practice getting it up and down with 1 ball; dropped not placed. Competing against a friend or parent is a great way to improve the scoring shots!”

mike ferguson, Pga assistant Golf Professional Kinloch Golf Club mferguson@pga.com

“The fundamentals taught to juniors are the foundation to which every golf swing can relate. Establishing the correct grip and posture are the two most important factors when developing a junior.”

30 Virginia Golf Report •

Spring 2012

• www.virginiagolfreport.com

Photo courtesy of the MAPGA.

adam decker, Pga

director of the robins junior Programs Independence Golf Club mloosse@independencegolfclub.com “Golf is a game that you can play for a lifetime. Everyone owns their own swing and I believe that the best way to develop a swing of your own is to start at a young age. I have recently accepted the position of Director of the Robins Junior program at Independence Golf Club. Our variety of camps provide many positives to a junior’s golfers career. Camps teach not only the golf swing, but it builds friendships, confidence, patience, kindness, etiquette, Rules of Golf and so much more. Our camps will have the juniors on the course every day to work on skills learned on the practice facilities. While on the course counselors will be able to teach juniors about golf course management. Learning golf at a young age could give you something to do for the rest of your life.”

erika larkin, Pga 2012 middle atlantic PGateacher of the year director of Instruction stonewall Golf Club erikalarkin@pga.com www.larkingolf.com

“When working with Juniors, I make FUN the priority- learning and building skills through individual and team games they can already relate to (ex. Angry Birds Chipping, Tic Tac Toe Putting, Team Golf Relay Races) is the best way to keep kids focused and engaged so they want to come back for more!” (continued on next page)

Junior matt evans, Pga

adam C. smith, Pga

director of Instruction Hermitage Country Club mmevans@pga.com

director of Instruction salisbury Country Club, midlothian, Va. adamsmithgolf@gmail.com

â&#x20AC;&#x153;I always recommend to my junior students that they learn a correct grip and learn to place their hands on the club the same way every time. I always try to convey to them the importance of the grip in golf because it is the only relationship a player has with the club.â&#x20AC;?

brenda mayer, Pga mike mayer, Pga Indian Creek yacht & CC mmayer@icycc.com mmevans@pga.com

â&#x20AC;&#x153;We are always looking for new ideas to keep the juniors interested and excited about golf. One of our best activities is tic-tac-toe putting. We create a tic-tac-toe board with surveyorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s tape tacked down with golf tees. One team uses balls marked with an X and the other team Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s. The first team with the touch to score three in a row â&#x20AC;&#x201C; tic-tac-toe wins. Most golfers spend the majority of their time focusing on rolling the ball down the correct line, when in fact distance control is much more important. This game allows for a fun way to improve their pace on the greens.â&#x20AC;?

â&#x20AC;&#x153;The game of golf is an athletic event that requires strength, flexibility and cardiovascular endurance. Outside of regular lessons, daily practice on the range and playing the game on the course, be sure to dedicate time in the gym! Healthy eating habits and a good fitness routine will enhance your golf performance! Get fit and stay fit for a lifetime of good golfing.â&#x20AC;?

PLAN TO ENJOY YOURSELF Identifying your retirement needs is the first step to help you design a financial strategy that will make the assets youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve worked hard to build keep working for you.

bob heintz

Whatever your plans for retirement, I can work with you to evaluate your needs and develop a customized strategy to help you achieve your goals.

maPGa junior Golf director bheintz@pgahq.com Photo courtesy of the MAPGA.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Juniors that play in as many competitive tournaments as possible and still have fun playing will succeed the most in the future.â&#x20AC;?

Call today for more information or to schedule a consultation.

bryan Zell, Pga

director of Instruction Westfields Golf Club bzell@pga.com â&#x20AC;&#x153;Whether the best players in the world hit the ball long or short relatively speaking, they all have great short games which have allowed them to excel in junior golf, amateur golf, and beyond. Learning to love the short game as a junior or amateur golfer is a key component to long term success in being a better player for life. Commit to improving your short game with your PGA professional and you will see lower scores this year!â&#x20AC;?

31 Virginia Golf Report â&#x20AC;˘

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Spring 2012

â&#x20AC;˘ www.virginiagolfreport.com

Junior

Roadmap for Junior Golfers

(and the Parents that love them) Stop #2: “Par”

Craig Wood, PGa is the Director of Youth Programs at The First Tee of Chesterﬁeld. Craig is a First Tee Coach and National Trainer with The First Tee Organization with over 18 years experience in golf instruction, the last 9 specializing in coaching junior golfers. Paul sargent, PGa is the Director of Golf at The First Tee of Chesterﬁeld who, over his 15 years in golf instruction, has watched many of his junior students go on to college golf and has worked with both current and past Virginia state high school golf champions.

Craig Wood

This is the second installment of a five-part series dealing with the different stages in the career of the junior golfer. We will address topics related to early exposure to competitive junior golf and college preparedness. If you are a parent, we hope you will find this series helpful in your attempts to support your child’s passion for golf. If you are a junior golfer of any level, we hope the information in this series will be helpful in achieving your golf goals! Each part of the series will be named for one of the levels of progression within The First Tee Certification Program.

Finding Your “Comfort Zone” (Par)

Introduction to the Game (PLAYer)

amed after the second level of The First Tee Certification Program, “Par” is our second stop on the roadmap of junior golf. At this stop, we discuss the importance of continuing the “PLAYer” model while beginning to introduce concepts of alignment, impact, and use of force. This is also a great time to encourage young players to ask for help when needed and to also equip them with strategies to manage their emotions. Consistent with our “PLAYer” strategy, children should be encouraged to “play” the game as often as possible rather than be confined solely to the practice tee. However, as our juniors become more and more curious about golf, they may ask you to work on specific golf skills, such as putting or approach shots. One of the First Tee concepts that we teach is the Three Tips for having fun where our participants are encouraged to be patient, have fun, and ask for help. Once they begin asking for help is the perfect time to introduce simple

32 Virginia Golf Report •

Spring 2012

Testing Your Skills (Eagle)

The Next Level (Ace) Plan for Success (Birdie)

instruction, on the child’s own timetable and in relation to what he or she really wants to know more about. One recommendation that is helpful for all skill areas would be to stress aim and target. The importance of identifying a specific target and then aiming the club at that target cannot be overstated. Another critical golf component is impact; what

• www.virginiagolfreport.com

Paul sargent

happens when the club meets the ball. Often times, beginners will attempt to scoop or lift the ball at impact and that should be addressed as soon as possible. The more that we can provide understanding about what the club does during the impact area, the more successful our junior will be in developing a solid swing foundation. This initial

coaching should not be focused only on swing fundamentals. It is also a perfect time to lead by example in emotional management. A child who sees his father or mother throw a club or get in a huff over a bad shot is much more likely to model that behavior. Provide your child strategies to help them deal with undesired results. For instance, The First Tee has a method called the 4 R’s which can assist with managing emotions. This strategy recommends that juniors take time to replay, relax, get ready and redo unsuccessful shot attempts. But, above all, always act as you would want them to act. Finally, make sure that you continue to encourage play on the course as much as possible which will continue to stoke the fire for the game that was kindled during the “PLAYer” stage. We’ll see you in the next issue of VGR as we chart our path through the roadmap of junior golf!

Junior

INTRO TO COMPETITION

richmond Junior golf tour celebrates 15 years of bringing affordable and competitive tournament exposure to central virginia youth. By RyaN KING

ere’s the scenario: You’re a parent of a junior golfer that is falling in love with the game and thinks they might want to try playing in some junior golf tournaments. What do you do? For 15 years, Jamie Fagan’s Junior Golf Tours and Events has been answering that question by operating the Richmond Junior Golf Tour. The Richmond based tour gives kids between the ages of 8 and 18 a chance to get acclimated to tournament type conditions and learn some important keys that are part of competitive golf such as keeping score, knowing basic rules, and getting comfortable in a competitive environment. “It’s a huge part of a developing junior golfer,” said Jamie Fagan, who runs the RJGT along with help from his staff of volunteers. “Juniors need to start somewhere competitively and we provide that.” Some of the Richmond areas top junior players got their start on the RJGT and Fagan said he loves to follow the success of juniors that have played on his tour before progressing to a higher level. Other junior golf tours that exist like the popular AJGA or IJGT consist of fields that are almost entirely filled with experienced high-level junior players. Most juniors that aspire to play on those types of highly competitive tours need to gain confidence before making that leap. And while the RJGT is competitive, it also realizes that golf is a game for life, so it emphasizes all the great things that go along with the game like friendship and having fun on beautiful golf courses. suPPort One of the keys that has allowed the RJGT to thrive is the support that Fagan gets from his fellow golf professionals who open up their golf courses to the tour.

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“We couldn’t do what we do without the help of both the PGA pros at these facilities and their membership,” said Fagan, who was named the Middle Atlantic PGA’s Junior Golf Leader award winner in 2009. “A lot of these professionals come in on their day off to help out. They really don’t get the credit they deserve for contributing to the growth of junior golf.” Pearson Honda is the longtime sponsor of the RJGT and has been an important element that has allowed Fagan to keep costs down and make the tour extremely affordable. “We’ve been so lucky to have Pearson and Bill Biddle and Keith Hightower support us,” said Fagan. “It has been a great relationship and everyone involved in the tour—the players, the parents, and the staff—do our best to let them know how much we appreciate it.” future As for growth, Fagan has added a twoman team event to the schedule this year and has aspirations for a parent-child event in the future.“We want to make sure we add some less competitive fun events to our schedule. A lot of our kids play competitive golf all year so it will be a nice change for them to have a partner for an event.” One of the areas that Fagan is most proud of is the focus that the RJGT has kept on their niche in the junior golf tour community. “We know what we are,” said Fagan. “We’re not trying to reach the elite level junior golfer. There are other opportunities for those players. But if a young player is anxious to get experience and really learn all the basics of competition so that they can one day play on their high school team or in AJGA events, then we think we’re the tour for them. We’ll prepare them to take on the next challenge.”

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Junior Results Richmond Junior Golf Tour Spring Series 2012

Dogwood Trace April 7, 2012

8-11 Year Old Boys (9 holes) 1. Justin LaRue 42 2. Nick McClelland 47 3. Chase Petri 48 12-14 Year Old Boys 1. Jabril Arnold 86 2. Bill Phillips 86 3. Rob Witherspoon 87 15-18 Year Old Boys 1. Zach Napier 83 2. Will Clifton 83 3. Trey Razetti 87 8-11 Year Old Girls (9 holes) 1 Claire Owens 51 2 Lauren Clark 15-18 Year Old Girls 1. Michaela Barnett 97 2. Emmi Owens 105

8-11 Year Old Boys (9 holes) 1. Zachary Valdes 41 2. Jacob Slagle 44 3. Chase Petri 44 12-14 Year Old Boys 1. Rob Witherspoon 76 2. Andrew Kennedy 89 3. Dilwyn Piner 93 15-18 Year Old Boys 1. Brandon Herring 68 2. Will Clifton 74 3. Curt Kennedy 78 8-11 Year Old Girls (9 holes) 1 Claire Owens 49 2 Lauren Clark 52 3 Madison Herring 54 12-14 Year Old Girls 1. Celedon Ramsey 82 2. Addie Parker 82 15-18 Year Old Girls 1. Michaela Barnett 90 2. Emmie Owens 107

Providence Golf Club April 14, 2012

The Federal Club March 31, 2012

8-11 Year Old Boys (9 holes) 1. Christian Andrews 44 2. Justin LaRue 45 3. Jacob Slagle 46 12-14 Year Old Boys 1. Kylan Roberts 75 2. Rob Witherspoon 77 3. Coleman Andrews 78 15-18 Year Old Boys 1. Brandon Herring 77 2. Nicholas Furbee 82 3. Zach Napier 83 8-11 Year Old Girls (9 holes) 1 Claire Owens 51 2 Madison Herring 59 12-14 Year Old Girls 1. Kenedi Byard 88 2. Addie Parker 96 15-18 Year Old Girls 1. Samantha Garofalo 84 2. Liza Lewis 94 3. Emmi Owens 100

8-11 Year Old Boys (9 holes) 1. Zachary Valdes 2. Chase Petri 3. Justin LaRue 12-14 Year Old Boys 1. Taylor Cunningham 2. Jabril Arnold 3. Alex Taylor 15-18 Year Old Boys 1. Will Clifton 2. Nicholas Furbee 3. Zach Napier 8-11 Year Old Girls (9 holes) 1 Claire Owens 2 Lauren Clark 3 Madison Herring 12-14 Year Old Girls 1. Celedon Ramsey 15-18 Year Old Girls 1. Samantha Garofalo 2. Emme Owens 3. Michaela Barnett

Brickshire Golf Club April 21, 2012

College Prep Golf Tour Spring Series 2012

Coming Next Issue:

Williamsburg March 10-11, 2012

College Prep Division Grades first name last name hometown state country grad year rd 1 rd 2 Total 9th-12th Adam Ball Richmond VA US 2013 71 72 143 9th-12th Randall “Ty” Herriott Brandywine MD US 2013 80 70 150 9th-12th Marcus Byrd Waldorf MD US 2015 79 76 155 9th-12th Zach Weaver Williamsburg VA US 2013 80 75 155 9th-12th Kyle Templeton Harrisonburg VA US 2014 81 76 157 9th-12th Riley Hollembaek Crofton MD US 2018 86 72 158 9th-12th Adam Szwed Woodbridge VA US 2015 80 78 158 9th-12th Connor Rinoski Yorktown VA US 2014 82 77 159 9th-12th Jason Park Harrisonburg VA US 2013 83 77 160 9th-12th Daniel Wine Penn Laird VA US 2014 86 76 162 9th-12th Keith Cooper Suffolk VA US 2015 83 79 162 9th-12th Robbie Fails Harrisonburg VA US 2013 85 78 163 9th-12th Blake Hearn VA Beach VA US 2014 82 82 164 9th-12th CJ Dreyfuss Yorktown VA US 2014 83 81 164 9th-12th Nathan McMillin Peoria Ill US 2014 85 80 165 9th-12th Taylor Osborne VA Beach VA US 2015 79 87 166 9th-12th Brennan Lloyd Waynesboro VA US 2013 83 83 166 9th-12th Patrick Ward Williamsburg VA US 2014 85 82 167 9th-12th Christina Herbert Williamsburg VA US 2014 85 82 167 9th-12th Paul Kyriakides VA Beach VA US 2012 86 82 168 9th-12th Ford Zehner Moseley VA US 2015 93 76 169 9th-12th Max Baldwin Newpt.News VA US 2013 83 88 171 9th-12th Tyler Bourne Carrollton VA US 2014 93 86 179 9th-12th Adam Bacon Fairfax Station VA US 2014 88 92 180 9th-12th Cole Delucas Harrisonburg VA US 2014 95 87 182 9th-12th Daniel Robinson Bolling AFB DC US 2013 93 90 183 9th-12th James King II Spotsylvania VA US 2015 94 95 189 9th-12th Connor Jones Keezletown VA US 2012 91 99 190 9th-12th Ryan Satira Williamsburg VA US 2015 110 101 211 9th-12th Jack Arbogast Williamsburg VA US 2015 110 110 220 High School Prep- HS Division Grades 9th-12th Andrew Hudencial Markham Ontario Canada 2015 84 9th-12th Kelsey Kirkman Chesapeake VA US 2015 120 9th-12th Elizabeth Stephenson VA Beach VA US 2015 133 High School Prep- MS Division Grades 8th & under John D’Aiutolo Glen Allen VA US 2017 80 8th & under LJ Kruszewski Chesapeake VA US 2017 83 8th & under Zachary Valdes Midlothian VA US 2020 94 8th & under Ralph Sun VA Beach VA US 2018 95 8th & under Christopher Montero Williamsburg VA US 2016 100

MensRGA Amateur Cannon Cup Kenridge VSGA Amateur WomenRWGA Championship Junior-

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Spring 2012

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Mark Slawter

IN THE RECRUITING GAME, PLAY AN OPEN HAND

Founder Straight Shot to College Golf Wake Forest, NC www.sstcg.com

n my last article, I talked about not being locked into Division I golf only. Again, the most important thing to do is to be realistic. The better you understand where your son/daughter stacks up, the more efficiently you will be able to go through the process. It’s also important to consider how you go about contacting these coaches and in particular, the information you share. Many of my clients have been surprised by the inconsistencies in correspondence with college coaches. One time they respond to your email straight away and seem very interested. Next time, days go by and no response. My advice: don’t read too much into this. Remember, these guys get tons of emails on a daily and weekly basis. Sometimes they are a little slow to respond. However, if you receive an email from them, I suggest you respond promptly (within 24 hours). The longer you wait, the less interested they may think you are. I know this seems crazy and a bit unfair, but it’s the way it works. I have had several college coaches attest to this. Your initial instincts might tell you they are playing a game and you need to play the game with them. If you follow college football recruiting, you know how nuts it can be. Please do not confuse the two. College golf recruiting is vastly different! The best thing you can do is play with an open hand. If you are interested in a school, make sure they know how interested you are. The more honest and upfront you are, the better positioned you will be with the school you desire the most. If you sit back and wait, it’s not going to work. The reason is pretty simple. College coaches average about 2.5 kids per recruiting class. They may start with a large recruiting net, but they will quickly narrow it down to the recruits they have developed relationships with and recruits they feel share mutual interest. I can’t tell you how many times I have had coaches tell me this: “I didn’t think that kid was interested. He emailed me a while back, but I never heard back from him. I just assumed he moved on.” This is certainly part of the strategy I incorporate within my program. However, students and parents sometimes begin feeling pushy if they have been emailing the coach frequently. The key is substance, not quantity. If done correctly, coaches love receiving updates on recruits. The thing to avoid is “sugar coating” results or making excuses for recent scores. The best thing to do is for the students to be honest about their current state of development. Also, they should have a plan for improvement. Let me provide a couple of examples: Example #1 – The wrong way

Example #2 – The right way

Dear Coach Smith,

Dear Coach Smith, Great playing last week in the Bridgestone Intercollegiate! You guys seem to be playing really well right now. Keep it up! Lately, I have been working really hard on my game. I shot 79-76 last weekend in a local event and finished 27th out of 59 players. I was disappointed in the outcome, but I went through my stats and determined a few things. My driving and putting were my two biggest weaknesses. Consequently, I have put together a practice routine for the week that will focus on these two areas. If you have a second, I have attached my stats and practice schedule for the week. Any advice you could share would be greatly appreciated! Good luck to you guys next week! I’ll be pulling for you!

Last week I played in a local junior event. A bunch of the best players in the state were there. It was really cold and windy and the course was in bad shape. Something was wrong with my driver because I was hooking it left. I had a bunch of bad breaks that cost me several shots. Some of the best players in the state played bad too. See you soon, John

Go Tigers! John Coaches love to hear prospects give honest assessments of their game. If a prospect says he has no weaknesses, it tells the coach he doesn’t plan to work hard. Consequently, if a prospect admits flaws and provides a plan for improvement, he will fare much more favorably in the coaches eyes. Trust me, it works with the coaches and it’s a better way for the student to improve his/her development! In summary, my advice to any family is to be realistic, be honest, and have a plan. Once you have found the programs you are most interested in, make sure they know! Contact them on a weekly basis, and make your student’s development an open book. The coaches will love this! More importantly, it will give your son/daughter the advantage they need to remain on the coach’s short list of recruits. Mark Slawter is the Founder of Straight Shot to College Golf, a service that assists juniors in their quest to play college golf. Slawter played collegiately for North Carolina State University where he was named an All-American in 1994. He was also a three time All-ACC selection and played professionally for six years.

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