Last week, I was finally able to talk my regular golf buddies into a round at Harrisonburg’s Heritage Oaks. After our round, both Kevin and Greg were left admiring the fun and friendly course and we all shot good rounds, Heritage Oaks, about 65 minutes from Charlottesville, is owned and operated by the City of Harrisonburg. The course is player friendly with wide fairways and large … [Read more...]

I don’t know how many times I’ve played with fellow golfers who said: “You know – I should leave my driver in the bag and just hit my three-wood” -  or maybe it’s a fairway iron or some other club they hit fairly long and usually straight. Recently, I have been leaving my driver in the bag – actually it was at the pro shop, because I had taken my driver in for a new grip and they cut the old … [Read more...]

The Waynesboro golf course nearly bit the dust a couple years back. It was hemorrhaging money - not enough players or members, and it was on the auction block. Many feared the course would be bulldozed and sold off as residential lots, lost to golf forever. But someone stepped in, bought the property, spent some money in renovations and now the course is once again challenging golfers of all … [Read more...]

Remember Monopoly? Get Out of Jail Free? That was a nice card to have, even though sometimes it was better to stay in Jail for three rolls rather than to head down to the yellow and green properties stacked with hotels. But how about a Get Out of Sand Free card? In this case, it’s a golf club, not a card, and if you get in the sand, it’ll get you out. It’s a 55-degree utility wedge and it … [Read more...]

I took out my 3 wood and put a new stick in my golf bag. It’s not a golf club, though. It’s a golf ball retriever by Callaway. I decided to order one after a near-death experience at Greene Hills. We were on Hole 13, a long (for me) Par 3.  I needed all the help I could get, so I pulled out my last new Chrome Soft golf ball that my son Jimmie had given me for Christmas. Then I proceeded to … [Read more...]

Mark Marshall, PGA Professional, Lake Monticello   When it comes to practicing, the first thing that we can all improve on is putting. I would like for you to own putts 6 feet and in. Putting accounts for forty percent of your overall score and working effectively on the practice green can be time well spent. The first part of your practice should be skill building with a drill … [Read more...]

  I had heard that Waynesboro Country Club was open to the public and again accepting VSGA Cards and thought that would be a nice venue for a round of golf. But I went to the VSGA booklet and Waynesboro was not listed. There was, however, a flyer that had three additional courses open to VSGA and Waynesboro was included. But the phone number on the flyer was no good, so I went to their … [Read more...]

It’s my favorite course and I’ve played a lot of courses. It’s Heritage Oaks, a public golf course in Harrisonburg, and it’s fantastic. I played yesterday with Mike Perry and had one of my best rounds ever. When you enjoy a course and can relax, you play better – like Tiger did at Augusta. The course was simply beautiful. It was lush and green and in tip-top condition. The tee boxes were … [Read more...]

Golf can be an expensive game. A set of new Callaway Clubs can cost as much as a used car. Golf balls push $50 a dozen and it takes a lot of time, usually five- or six-hours including travel time to get in a round. And that doesn’t count greens fees. Last week, our regular foursome picked Old Trail as our designated course. Nobody bothered to ask about prices. It was still March, on a … [Read more...]

If you get tired of fishing and water skiing at Smith Mountain Lake, there’s always golf, and there are a couple nice courses open to the public. Mariner’s Landing, for example, is an 18-hole layout designed by Robert Trent Jones. It’s a semi-private course with practice facilities and a nice grill on site. Another opportunity exists at the Westlake Golf & Country Club. I had the … [Read more...]