spring 2012 issue- virginia golf report

Spring 2012 FREE

INSIDE:•Amateur Results•College Conference Championships•Travel Section

Plus: Junior Section FeaturingCentral Virginia Golf Camps

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Central Va’s Golf InformatIon sourCe- Covering golf in: riChmond • Charlottesville • farmville • frederiCksburg • Williamsburg • northern neCk

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

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Area News

Just 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 Cross-roads exit. He suffered very serious internal and external injuries throughout his entire body and endured count-less 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 de-termination was noticed

by the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame, honoring Mullian as the very first recipient of their Cour-age 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 achieve-ments 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 seper-ates 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 amaz-ing family for this well deserved honor.

Irvington’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 Afford-able 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 meet-ing the current needs of our players as it is a com-mitment to the future stability of King Carter Golf Club,” said Mike Bennett, Vice-President of Opera-tions 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-

tion membership with no initiation fee and low monthly dues.More information can be found at :www. KingCarterGolfClub.com

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Area News

As a golf professional, Jack Bell reached the pinna-

cle of his profession, holding head professional positions at prestigious clubs such as La Jolla Country Club in San Di-ego, 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 tourna-ments, collecting conference championship titles, and devel-oping 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 knowl-edge, 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 Febru-ary trip the golf team would take to Kiawah Island in South Caro-lina. 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

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 play-ing 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 stay-ing in roadside motels four to a room, but we all loved it.” Richmonder Larry Lov-ing played for Bell in the early 90’s and admired him as a coach, but it was his relation-ship 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.”

Loving played for VCU when John Rollins was on the team and he saw first hand the role Bell played in helping Rol-lins reach the PGA Tour. “Jack really helped John get to the next level,” said Lov-ing. “John would listen to Jack and apply all the things he told him. Jack also made John believe in himself, al-ways telling him he was the best and that he had the game to make it on the PGA Tour.” Longtime Jefferson Lake-side head professional Tom Barry, whose pro shop was visited often by Bell, was al-ways 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 reach-ing into his own pocket to pay for clubs that were too expen-sive 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 play-ing record, having qualified to play in three U.S. Opens(played in one-1964 at Congressional), playing one PGA Champion-ship, 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 win-ner 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 entertain-ment. 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 person-ality that could grab the atten-tion 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.”

Remembering Former VCU Coach Jack Bell 1929-2012

-paTRICK KaNE

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Amateur Golf

University of Virginia sophomore David Pastore has some impressive wins

on his resume from his junior golf days in Connecticut and even captured the Con-necticut 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 cur-rently on the Cavalier squad, hadn’t played any competition since last summer, and only 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 made some key up and downs.” Pastore entered the final round with a three shot lead after an opening round 66 and was able to hold off one of the Commonwealth’s finest, Keith Decker, with his closing 73, for a three shot victory. Jimmy Angel and Herbie Sargent finished tied for third while Jerry Bur-ton and Bill Hamilton tied for fifth. Having never seen the Greene Hills Club lay-out before the event, Pastore relied on former teammate Mac McLaughlin, the 2009 GHI

champ, who he played a practice round with on Friday. “Mac pointed me around and that helped,” said Pastore. “I started hitting it really well and that carried over into the first round.” Pastore entered UVA as a highly recruited junior player who had been ranked as high as #31 nationally in the AJGA Polo Golf rankings. But he lost confidence and struggled with his swing. He did not play in any events for the Cavaliers in 2010/2011 and redshirted. After his fall layoff, Pastore realized he

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 Cava-lier 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.”

Pastore battles nerves to capture Greene Hills Invitational

david Pastore, greene hills invitational Champion.

D.J. Dougherty and John Reynolds teamed up to shoot

67-68, 9-under par, to win the Nelson Broach Memorial played

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

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 Andrews-Houck 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 68-70 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.

Team of Dougherty-Reynolds win Nelson Broach Memorial

d.J. dougherty (l) and partner John reynolds, winners of the nelson broach memorial.

results:

Championship flightJohn Reynolds/DJ Dougherty 67,68—135 ChampsSpence Andrews/Adam Houck 67,69—136 2ndGreg Marshalek/Scott Evans 68,70—138 3rdBen Keefer/Rich Jeremiah 68,71—139 4thBilly Meyer/Joe Jenkins 70,73—143Jon Hottinger/Tucker McNeil 68,78—146Jim Hudson/Steve Southern 70,77—147David Kopsick/Josiah Schuyler 68,79—1471st flightDoug Ayers/Bryan Burleigh 72,73—1451stLarry Loving/Mike Minicucci 73,74—147 2ndTom Flynn/Frank Wood 72,76—148 3rdAlec Sorrel/Fuller Parham 71,80—151Nathan Lash/Joey Colina 72,79—151Brian Gray/Austin Gray 73,79—152Mark Alonzi/Rod Young 73,80—153Jay Pickus/Jim Woodson 72,84—156Steve Isaacs/Len Isaacs 72,91—1632nd flightKevin South/Matt Farrell 74,70—144 1stGreg Gerczak/Marco Poccia 74,72—146 2ndMike Dowd/Casey Wadkins 75,73—148 3rdGreg Bales/David Burns 77,73—150 Ron DeCastro/David Wellman, Jr. 75,75—150Jay 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

1 David Pastore 66-73—1392 Keith Decker 69-73—142T3 James Angel 73-70—143 Herbie Sargent 71-72—143T5 Jerry Burton 72-73—145 Bill Hamilton 77-68—145T7 Chris Hickman 71-75—146 Mac McLaughlin 72-74—1469 Jon Hurst 78-69--147T10 Tony Good 76-72--148 Jeff Toms 74-74--148T12 Logan Yates 75-74--149 Rupe Taylor 73-76--149 Phillip Mahone 75-74--149 Jimmy Delp 76-73--149T16 Steve Demasters 74-76--150 Ray Dingledine 79-71--150 Cory Amory 71-79--150 Brad Ferguson 73--77--150 Gregor Orlando 79-71--150T21 Jay Zapko 72-79--151 David Bell 78-73--151

T23 Scott Richards 74-78--152 Ryan Clark 76-76--152T26 Chad Jones 75-78--153 Chris Leibl 76-77--153 Jim Woodson 75-78--153 Travis Benson 76-77--153T30 Donald Meyer 79-75--154 Kevin Archer 80-74--154 Pokey Buchanan 75-79--154 Matt Moyers 72-82--154 Joseph Megless 75-79--154T35 David Partridge 78-77--155 Nick Tremps 79-76--155 Lee Fisher 78-77--155 Quinn Boyle 80-75--155 Blair Engle 78--77--155T41 T.J. Austin 77-79--156 Marc Marcuson 79-77-156T43 Shawn Watkins 79-78--157 Jason Hylton 75-82--157 Bill Donathan 80-77-157 Jay Pickus 81-76--157

results

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renovated 12th green at Jefferson lakeside Country Club

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results:

Championship flightJohn Reynolds/DJ Dougherty 67,68—135 ChampsSpence Andrews/Adam Houck 67,69—136 2ndGreg Marshalek/Scott Evans 68,70—138 3rdBen Keefer/Rich Jeremiah 68,71—139 4thBilly Meyer/Joe Jenkins 70,73—143Jon Hottinger/Tucker McNeil 68,78—146Jim Hudson/Steve Southern 70,77—147David Kopsick/Josiah Schuyler 68,79—1471st flightDoug Ayers/Bryan Burleigh 72,73—1451stLarry Loving/Mike Minicucci 73,74—147 2ndTom Flynn/Frank Wood 72,76—148 3rdAlec Sorrel/Fuller Parham 71,80—151Nathan Lash/Joey Colina 72,79—151Brian Gray/Austin Gray 73,79—152Mark Alonzi/Rod Young 73,80—153Jay Pickus/Jim Woodson 72,84—156Steve Isaacs/Len Isaacs 72,91—1632nd flightKevin South/Matt Farrell 74,70—144 1stGreg Gerczak/Marco Poccia 74,72—146 2ndMike Dowd/Casey Wadkins 75,73—148 3rdGreg Bales/David Burns 77,73—150 Ron DeCastro/David Wellman, Jr. 75,75—150Jay 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


Fredericksburg resident Jon Hurst shot 66-69, 9-under par, to win

the Chatmoss Invitational played at Chatmoss Country Club in Martins-ville. Hurst fi nished seven shots ahead of second place fi nishers Buck Brit-tain(69-73) and Glen Allen resident Tony Good(70-72). Keith Decker,

an 18 time winner of the Chatmoss, fi nished 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.

Hurst, Kelley take Chatmoss titles

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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 [email protected] 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.

Staff:Editor/Publisher: Patrick K. Kane [email protected]

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

Contact: P.O. Box 5392 Glen Allen, VA804 346-0075 Fax 804-346-0081http://www.virginiagolfreport.com

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

ChampionshipJon 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--143Pat Tallent, Vienna, Va. - 70-73--143 Andrew Tilley, Ringgold, Va. - 70-74--144 Keith Decker, Martinsville, Va. - 72-73--145regular 1stDustin 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--151Brandon 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--154Roger Newsom, Virginia Beach, Va. - 77-77--154regular 2ndCasey 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--164senior ChampionshipTim 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--153Rob Leisy, Richmond, Va. - 74-80--154 Bill Sibbick, Martinsville, Va. - 74-81--155senior 1stHoward 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--161Jim Julian, Martinsville, Va. - 83-81--164 Jim Wilson, Martinsville, Va. - 83-82--165 Rudy O’Dell, Martinsville, Va. - 82-83--165senior 2ndSteve 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

results


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HOT TOPIC

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 Ma-chine 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 play-ers 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 ramifica-tions if our governing bodies take the stance of two types of equipment, one for the PGA Tour players, and the other for all ama-teurs. 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 technol-ogy 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 be-cause I can’t do it myself. Some may argue that the Tour players can’t play the classic golf courses because they are obso-lete. Let’s look at the 2012 major lineup: Masters - Augusta Nation-al 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!

Nobody 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.

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

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

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 [email protected]


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Former 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 in-clude 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 driv-ing distance(294.2-32nd), total driving(3rd), birdie average(4.08-13th) 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.

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

Former University of Virginia standout Steve Ma-rino has been out of action on the PGA Tour since

late January, his third tournament of the year.

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 great” and was looking forward to the start of the season. But after the third tournament he felt pain and had lots of swelling on the knee. 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

name hometoWn/Central virginia ConneCtion tourSam Beach Glen Allen/Univ. of Richmond Egolf TourRafa Campos VCU Egolf TourWill Collins UVA Egolf TourJames Driscoll UVA PGA TourSteven Gangluff Charlottesville PGA TourLanto Griffin VCU Egolf TourDustin Groves Keswick Egolf TourWhitney Neuhauser Barboursville/UVA LPGA Symetra TourMichael Shrader Midlothian/Univ. of Richmond Egolf TourKyle Stough UVA Canadian TourWill Strickler Charlottesville Canadian TourBobby Wadkins Richmond Champ. TourJay Woodson Powhatan NGA HootersCameron Yancey Blackstone/UVA Egolf Tour

Other pros with Central Virginia ties

Amateur Golf

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College

University of Virginia so-phomore 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

started birdie, birdie, eagle(hole-in-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

ACC career with a tie for twelfth after rounds of 67-72-74. “I thought the team played very well this week,” said UVA head coach Bowen Sar-gent, of Virginia’s 276-279-289, 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 impor-tance of trusting his game and in himself,” said Sargent. “I don’t know the entire conver-sation 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 I’ve ever seen.” Sargent calls Rusch “a very hard working young man” that deserves all the success he’s achieving. “He’s very motivated and disci-plined; I can assure you nobody in the ACC works any harder on their golf game,” said Sargent. “Ben possesses one of the most fundamentally sound golf swings in college golf.” Sargent added that winning the ACC could be a defining moment

that elevates Rusch to bigger and better things in his golf career. Virginia now will wait to find out which regional they will be sent to in their quest to qualify for the NCAA National Champion-ship and perhaps bring home the ultimate prize.

Rusch captures ACC ChampionshipSophomore helps UVA to runner-up finish

Senior Ben Kohles (Top) finished T.12th while freshman denny mcCarthy placed t.4th.

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VCU fourth, W&M sixth at CAA Championship

CoVer PHoto of aCC CHamPIon ben rusCH Is Courtesy of-jIm daVes, uVa medIa relatIons.


College

University of Richmond’s eight man squad defeated

Virginia Commonwealth Uni-versity 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 for-ward 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 non-starters 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.”

Spiders top Rams to win first Black and Blue Cup

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.

Rain 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 Wash-ington. “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 champi-onship.” 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 All-Conference team.

Richmond �th at A-10 Championship

Virginia Common-wealth University

shot 305-296-303 to finish fourth at the CAA Cham-pionship played at Wilm-ington 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 81-72-79 to finish tied for 32nd. UNC-Wilmington shot a final round 288 to win the championship and qualify for NCAA regional play.

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.


UVA, ranked 25th heading into the

ACC Championships in Greensboro, never got on track and struggled to a fifth place place finish after rounds of 303-300-300—903. Duke University won with a total of 875.

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

ment Brittany Altomare, UVA’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 as-signed to the NCAA Cen-tral 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.

College UVA women �th at ACC ChampionshipWill play in NCAA Central Regional

elizabeth brightwell

Longwood 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 Kingsmill’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.

Longwood women close out year with win and third

0 4 - 6 4 0 -1 0 5 0r i c h m o n d p u t t i n g g r e e n s

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.

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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College Area players score top 10’s at ODAC Championship

Williamsburg’s Nick Shedd, a freshman at Guilford College in North Carolina,

shot 72-75 to finish tied for 2nd and help Guil-ford 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 impres-sive collegiate career at Bridgewater College with a tie for 7th after rounds of 73-78. Phillips’ career highlights include hav-ing the fifth-best statistical stroke average in

program history. After the championship, the league an-nounced its annual honors for outstanding play. Phillips was named to the All-ODAC First

Team along with Hamp-den-Sydney sophomore Rick O’Connell, a Gooch-land resident. Weaver was selected to the All-ODAC Second Team while teammate Full-er picked up the conference Rookie of the Year award along with being named to the All-ODAC Third Team.John Phillips rick o’Connell

Virginia State University shot 294-298 to finish in second place, six shots back of

overall team winner Fayet-teville 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 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 State second at CIAA Championship

mason simpson

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.

Richmonder BRyce cHalKley closed out his sophomore year at Virgin-ia Tech with a tie for 14th finish at the ACC Champi-onship in North Carolina. Chalkley shot 74-71-69 and ended the year with a 73.91 scoring average.

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

Gray, Sumner close out college careers at Longwood

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 fin-ish tied for 12th. Callao resident Sumner fin-ished tied for 14th after rounds of 77-74-74.

austin gray ross sumner

kevin Clarke bryce Chalkley

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

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Area golfers at Conference Championships


I 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 obvious-ly 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 fi rst 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

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 fi ght 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 fl ip 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

#2) and then from there Whitney would continue to turn her shoul-ders 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 bal-anced fi nish. Anyone that knows Whit-ney 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 emo-tions in check Whitney is ready for the 2012 season on the LPGA Symetra Tour. Look for her name on the leaderboards this year.

Back on Track

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 [email protected]

5. 6. 7.

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3.2.1.

• 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 fi nal stage of the LPGA and LET Qualifying Schools 2011

student bioWhitney neuhauser

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Back on Track

Whitney neuhauser

There’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 San-dhills 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 afford-able 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

peak seasons are just a little too high for their budget,” said Joe Gay, General Manager of To-bacco 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 go-ing to scare them away. As for course conditions, some might argue that they actually may be as good or better in the sum-mer. 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 aerifica-tion, 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

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, mean-ing the same speed as golfers would find in spring and fall. Another advantage to sum-mer golf is the length of the day. Gay says the added daylight hours give golfers more op-tions on when they can play. “Overall, golfers have a lot more flexibility in the sum-mertime,” 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 oth-er 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 Pine-hurst #2. Both projects have

been getting rave reviews. Dormie Club, which was origi-nally going to be a highly exclu-sive 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

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 re-duced rates. This Donald Ross design that has hosted the U.S.

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 play-able 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 previ-ous 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 Pine-HuRst ResoRt courses. This is a treat that is worth explor-ing with a variety of courses designed by top architects like Tom Fazio, Rees Jones, and of course, Donald Ross. national golf cluB in Pine-hurst 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 rebuild-ing all 18 greens. Known for its

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 intimidat-ing 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. for more information on tobacco road travel visit http://www.tobaccoroadtravel.com/


By paTRICK KaNE

the new dormie Club (top photo) is getting rave reviews from national publications. tobacco road (above) is another highly ranked sandhills course.

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

Travel

(continued on next page)

SOME OF THE HIGHLY RANKED COURSES IN THE SANDHILLS

There’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 San-dhills 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 afford-able 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

peak seasons are just a little too high for their budget,” said Joe Gay, General Manager of To-bacco 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 go-ing to scare them away. As for course conditions, some might argue that they actually may be as good or better in the sum-mer. 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 aerifica-tion, 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

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, mean-ing the same speed as golfers would find in spring and fall. Another advantage to sum-mer golf is the length of the day. Gay says the added daylight hours give golfers more op-tions on when they can play. “Overall, golfers have a lot more flexibility in the sum-mertime,” 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 oth-er 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 Pine-hurst #2. Both projects have

been getting rave reviews. Dormie Club, which was origi-nally going to be a highly exclu-sive 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

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 re-duced rates. This Donald Ross design that has hosted the U.S.

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 play-able 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 previ-ous 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 Pine-HuRst ResoRt courses. This is a treat that is worth explor-ing with a variety of courses designed by top architects like Tom Fazio, Rees Jones, and of course, Donald Ross. national golf cluB in Pine-hurst 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 rebuild-ing all 18 greens. Known for its

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 intimidat-ing 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. for more information on tobacco road travel visit http://www.tobaccoroadtravel.com/

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

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

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

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 eas-ily accessed from Interstate 95, is also home to some incredible golf values. Three day late spring and sum-mer packages start at $210 per golfer. Popular cours-es 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.com22 Spring 2012Virginia Golf Report www.virginiagolfreport.com• • (continued)

Travel

road trip options

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

LINKS AT STONO FERRY 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

Golf 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

By: paRKER REyNolds

(continued) 23 Spring 2012Virginia Golf Report www.virginiagolfreport.com• •

Travel

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 Phonewww.viniterragolf.com

Where Golf, Wine, and Camaradarie Come Together

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 Vir-ginians can access the area by car in about four hours meaning golf on the fi rst and last day—a nice road trip bonus. Spring and fall are the peak seasons here but sum-mer golf in the Sandhills is a great opportunity for golf-ers to play courses that may normally be a little steep in price. Places like Pine Needles, Tobacco Road and Na-tional Golf Club offer some great deals in the summer. feature Courses: Tobacco Road, Pine Nee-dles, Mid-Pines, National Golf Club, Pinehurst Re-sort, Dormie Club, Talamore and Mid-South.

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

WILLIAMSBURG, VIRGINIA If gas prices continue to climb, this historic area fi lled with top level golf could be a great option for a day trip or weekend getaway. Top re-sorts like Kingsmill and the Golden Horseshoe offer multiple choices in terms of golf. Public golf in Williamsburg includes many in the Tradi-

tional 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 master-piece Viniterra, which is really just east of Richmond. The whole de-velopment is very upscale and includes a working winery on-site. Information—www.TraditionalGolfProperties.com www.Viniterra.com

Information—www.TobaccoRoadTravel.com www.HomeofGolf.com


World GolfHall of FamerLarry Nelson isa Believer

Instant Download or CD Box Set Available

Pro Golf IQ is a revolutionary new program which gets your mind into optimum shape for golf. A safe, highly ad-vanced, scientifically proven system, consisting of five simple weekly training sessions in the comfort of your own home.

vgrexGo to ProGolfIQ.com & enter

Promotional Code: at checkout

The gap between amateur and profes-sional 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.

“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 work-ing wonders for golfers of all levels looking to get that mental edge they might be missing, said Nelson”

Research proves that the average golfer uses only half the brain when contemplating a shot. Unfortunately, this is the side that is preoccu-pied 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.

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

$99RRP $219

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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’.

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.”

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.

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 improve-ment in their game they never thought was possible.

“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.

Endorsed by World Golf Hall of Famer & three-time major winner Larry Nelson


The Outer Banks of North Carolina

Carolina Club Currituck Club Kilmarlic Nags Head The Pointe

OBX GolfPlay

Special Summer Rates at All Courses!

Call for Late Summer Specials!

Vacationing at the Outer Banks this Summer? Visit our Web Site for Special Golf Rates!


Junior

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

Special Camp

Section


Junior

Bowen SargentHead Men’s Golf CoachUniversity 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

INSTRUCTORS

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

Cavalier Golf Camp

Boys & Girls Ages 10-18Jay FisherAsst. Men’s Golf CoachUniversity 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

EligibilityNCAA 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 oremail at [email protected]

Sponsored by

Golf CampsJuly 23 - July 25

DAY CAMPSite: University of Richmond

Golf FacilityLocated near Lewis Ginter

Botanical Gardens

Open to anyone ages 8 - 18

Camp OptionsSession I

8:00 am—12:00 pm(includes lunch)

Session II8:00 am—4:00 pm

(includes lunch)

2012University of Richmond Junior Golf Camps

Instruction from both Men’s & Women’s Golf Team Coaches

CAMP PROGRAMThe 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• For campers ages 8-18• Diversified instruction in all aspects of the game• Structured to take full advantage of instructional time• Individualized attention• Campers will be videotaped and receive a teaching manual for further game development• All skill levels encouraged to attend• Teams and Coaches encouraged to attend• Realistic on-course situations each day• 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.

lET’s Go CaMpINGWith 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 fi lled up quickly in the past so do your homework, decide which one fi ts 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.

manY oPtions available to ProsPeCtive golf CamP attendees

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

By paUl THoMas

Attending a golf camp conducted by college coaches, at the college golf team facilities, is an unbelievableopportunity 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

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.

Virginia’s home of golf, Independence Golf Club, is where you’ll fi nd 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

full-day camps are available. Meredith Loosse, PGA, a former assistant pro at Farmington CountryClub 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

fundamentals—grip, stance and posture—into a fun environment that includes a round of miniature golf before lunch. There are fi ve 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 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 pee-wee 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

major part of each session.

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.

Junior


Junior Summer Camp

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.

Time: 2:00pm – 4:00pm

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

Pee Wee Summer Camp (Ages 4 – 7)

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

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

(Ages 8 – 17)

1750 Piper Way Keswick, VA 22947 (434) 817.0500Email: [email protected]

Cost: $60.00/wk $20/day

Cost: $120.00/wk $40/day

Schedule and Registration Available online at:www.independencegolfclub.com [email protected]

600 FOUNDERS BRIDGE BLVD. MIDLOTHIAN, VIRGINIA 23113

Spring & Summer Golf Camps 6-17 Year Olds1/2 Day, Full Day and Overnight Camps Available

Scholarships are available(804) 897-8641 ext.112

Robins Junior Golf Program atINDEPENDENCE GOLF CLUB

RICHMOND AREA CAMPS

COLLEGE COACHES CAMPS

Attending a golf camp conducted by college coaches, at the college golf team facilities, is an unbelievableopportunity 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

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.

Virginia’s home of golf, Independence Golf Club, is where you’ll fi nd 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

full-day camps are available. Meredith Loosse, PGA, a former assistant pro at Farmington CountryClub 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

fundamentals—grip, stance and posture—into a fun environment that includes a round of miniature golf before lunch. There are fi ve 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 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 pee-wee 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

major part of each session.

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.

Junior


&

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

The Junior Golf Club&

LPGA-USGA Girls GolfAt

Junior Golf CampsCamp Descriptions:Camps are offered for kids ages 7-16. All are4 days, 3 hrs. per day and include lunch daily.There will be a focus on fundamentals of thegolf swing, rules of golf, etiquette,sportsmanship and competitive situations.Our teaching staff will use humor whenworking with the children. The learningenvironment is fun and non-threatening so thekids feel comfortable and safe.The low teacher student ratio will create anenvironment where each child receives oneon-one attention from the instructors in all ofour camps.A healthy snack will be provided each day aswell as a light lunch. We will make cold drinksavailable to the campers. Please advise us ofany special dietary needs for your child.

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

2012 Program ScheduleLPGA-USGA Girls Golf & Junior Golf ClubSession #1:April: 18th & 25thMay: 9th, 16th, 23rd & 30thJune: 6th, 13th, 20th & 27th

Session #2Aug: 1st, 8th, 15th, 22nd & 29thSept: 5th, 12th, 19th & 26thOct: 3rd & 10th

Level I & II 5:00-6:00pmLevel III & IV: 6:15-7:15pm Program Fees$25 Registration feeClass Fees: $14 TGP Members; $16 Non-Members

Contact:Dona Lerner, LPGA

For Registration Info.phone: (919) 542-5501email: [email protected]://donalernergolf.com/

Instructor/Student ratio: 1:10Lynn has one assistant instructor with her for each session, with a maximum of 20 campers per session.

•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.

1675 Ashland Road Richmond, VA 23233 804-784-1544 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

Bogeys Sports Park Junior Camps

Ages 6-13

Dates:

June 25 – June 29 July 9 – July 13

July 23 – July 27 July 30 – August 3

August 13 – August 17

Cost: $200Time: 8:30am – 12:00pm Monday through Friday

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.

CAVALIER GOLF CAMP- (434) 982-5727 or [email protected] universitY of riChmond Junior GOLF CAMP-www.richmondspiders.com

robins Junior GOLF PROGRAM-(804) 897-8641 ext. 112www.independencegolfclub.com

KANDI COMER GOLF- (434) 817-0500 [email protected]

dona lerner golf Jr. CamPs at kiskiaCk GOLF CLUB-(919) [email protected]

bogeYs sPorts Park JUNIOR CAMPS- (804) 784-1544 www.bogeyssportspark.com

belmont Junior golf CAMP- HENRICO COUNTY(804) 501-GOLF (4653)

CHARLOTTESVILLE AREA CAMPS

WILLIAMSBURG AREA CAMPS


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

mike ferguson, Pgaassistant Golf ProfessionalKinloch Golf [email protected]

“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, confi dence, 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.”

meredith loosse, Pgadirector of the robins junior ProgramsIndependence Golf [email protected]

PGA Best Practices for Junior Golf

Most 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 fi nding 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!

“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!”

adam decker, Pgauniversity of richmondmen’s Golf team [email protected]

play Your Best Golf !

By Adam C. Smith, PGAContributing Editor

Great Advice From Great ProsBe the Best You Can Be

ADAM C. SMITH,

golf digest Best in state 2011 / 20122008 maPga teacHeR of tHe yeaR Pga diRectoR of instRuction

salisBuRy countRy cluB midlotHian, va

Junior

“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!”

erika larkin, Pga2012 middle atlantic PGateacher of the year director of Instructionstonewall Golf [email protected]

“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 fi tness!”

allen Wronowski, PgaPresident of the PGa of americaHead Golf ProfessionalHillendale Country Club

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“The game of golf is an athletic event that requires strength, fl exibility 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 fi tness routine will enhance your golf performance! Get fi t and stay fi t for a lifetime of good golfi ng.”

adam C. smith, Pgadirector of Instructionsalisbury Country Club, midlothian, [email protected]

Junior

“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!”

bryan Zell, Pgadirector of InstructionWestfi elds Golf [email protected]

“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.”

matt evans, Pgadirector of InstructionHermitage Country Club [email protected]

“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 surveyor’s tape tacked down with golf tees. One team uses balls marked with an X and the other team O’s. The fi rst team with the touch to score three in a row – 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.”

brenda mayer, Pgamike mayer, PgaIndian Creek yacht & [email protected]@pga.com

“Juniors that play in as many competitive tournaments as possible and still have fun playing will succeed the most in the future.”

bob heintzmaPGa junior Golf [email protected]

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Introduction to the Game (PLAYer)

Finding Your “Comfort Zone” (Par)

Plan for Success (Birdie)

Testing Your Skills (Eagle)

The Next Level (Ace)

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 Chesterfi eld. 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 Chesterfi eld 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.

This is the second installment of a fi ve-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 fi nd 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 Certifi cation Program.

Craig Wood Paul sargent

Named after the second level of The First Tee Certifi cation 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 confi ned solely to the practice tee. However, as our juniors become more and more curious about golf, they may ask you to work on specifi c 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

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 specifi c target and then aiming the club at that target cannot be overstated. Another critical golf component is impact; what

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 fi re 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

Roadmap for Junior Golfers (and the Parents that love them) Stop #2: “Par”


Junior

INTRO TO

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

Here’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 fi elds that are almost entirely fi lled with experienced high-level junior players. Most juniors that aspire to play on those types of highly competitive tours need to gain confi dence 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.

“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 two-man 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.”

By RyaN KING

COMPETITIONrichmond Junior golf tour celebrates 15 years of bringing affordable and


Register Online! www.jamiefagansjuniorgolf.com

www.richmondjuniorgolftour.com

Single Day Junior Golf Events

Register today online for our 2012 Spring Series!

Open to juniors 8-18. Since 1997

2012 Junior Golf Summer Series

Monday, June 25 First Tee of Chesterfield Monday, July 2 The Highlands Monday, July 9 Richmond CC Monday, July 16 Meadowbrook CC Thursday, July 19 Dogwood Trace Two Man Event

Richmond Junior Golf Tour on

Monday, July 23 Jefferson Lakeside CC Monday, July 30 Lake Chesdin Monday, August 6 Hanover CC Monday, August 13 Stonehenge CC

brickshire golf Clubapril 21, 2012

8-11 Year Old Boys (9 holes)1. Justin LaRue 422. Nick McClelland 473. Chase Petri 4812-14 Year Old Boys1. Jabril Arnold 862. Bill Phillips 863. Rob Witherspoon 8715-18 Year Old Boys1. Zach Napier 832. Will Clifton 833. Trey Razetti 878-11 Year Old Girls (9 holes)1 Claire Owens 512 Lauren Clark15-18 Year Old Girls1. Michaela Barnett 972. Emmi Owens 105

Providence golf Clubapril 14, 2012

8-11 Year Old Boys (9 holes)1. Christian Andrews 442. Justin LaRue 453. Jacob Slagle 4612-14 Year Old Boys1. Kylan Roberts 752. Rob Witherspoon 773. Coleman Andrews 7815-18 Year Old Boys1. Brandon Herring 772. Nicholas Furbee 823. Zach Napier 838-11 Year Old Girls (9 holes)1 Claire Owens 512 Madison Herring 5912-14 Year Old Girls1. Kenedi Byard 882. Addie Parker 9615-18 Year Old Girls1. Samantha Garofalo 842. Liza Lewis 943. Emmi Owens 100

dogwood traceapril 7, 2012

8-11 Year Old Boys (9 holes)1. Zachary Valdes 412. Jacob Slagle 443. Chase Petri 4412-14 Year Old Boys1. Rob Witherspoon 762. Andrew Kennedy 893. Dilwyn Piner 9315-18 Year Old Boys1. Brandon Herring 682. Will Clifton 743. Curt Kennedy 788-11 Year Old Girls (9 holes)1 Claire Owens 492 Lauren Clark 523 Madison Herring 5412-14 Year Old Girls1. Celedon Ramsey 822. Addie Parker 8215-18 Year Old Girls1. Michaela Barnett 902. Emmie Owens 107

the federal Clubmarch 31, 2012

8-11 Year Old Boys (9 holes)1. Zachary Valdes2. Chase Petri3. Justin LaRue12-14 Year Old Boys1. Taylor Cunningham2. Jabril Arnold3. Alex Taylor15-18 Year Old Boys1. Will Clifton2. Nicholas Furbee3. Zach Napier8-11 Year Old Girls (9 holes)1 Claire Owens2 Lauren Clark3 Madison Herring12-14 Year Old Girls1. Celedon Ramsey15-18 Year Old Girls1. Samantha Garofalo2. Emme Owens3. Michaela Barnett

Junior Results

WilliamsburgMarch 10-11, 2012

Richmond Junior Golf TourSpring Series 2012

College Prep Golf TourSpring Series 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 1679th-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 849th-12th Kelsey Kirkman Chesapeake VA US 2015 1209th-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

Coming Next Issue:Mens-RGA AmateurCannon CupKenridgeVSGA Amateur

Women-RWGA Championship

Junior-Scott Robertson MemorialVSGA Junior Matchplay

and more..


In 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 under-stand 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.

IN THE RECRUITING GAME, PLAY AN OPEN HAND

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.

example #1 – the wrong way

Dear Coach Smith,

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

example #2 – the right way

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!

Go Tigers!John

mark slawterFounder Straight Shot to College GolfWake Forest, NCwww.sstcg.com

Let me provide a couple of examples:


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spring 2012 issue- virginia golf report

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