EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR MESSAGE
2025 was another year of growth and progress for golf in Virginia— and your support helped make it possible. Your charitable contribution empowered the VSGA, the VSGA-VIP Scholarship Foundation, and the Virginia Golf Hall of Fame to advance their missions in meaningful ways.
Celebrating its 10th induction class, the Virginia Golf Hall of Fame welcomed the Class of 2025 in October at Salisbury Country Club. This distinguished class— Bill Battle, Don Ryder, Matt Sughrue, and Pat Tallent— brings total Hall membership to 45 individuals. Through its virtual presence and annual in-person ceremony each fall, the Hall of Fame continues to celebrate excellence while preserving Virginia’ s rich golf heritage. The Class of 2026 will be announced soon.
The VSGA-VIP Scholarship Foundation awarded a record amount in scholarships in 2025, distributing more than $ 196,000 to deserving high school seniors with a passion for golf. Notably, more than two-thirds of the recipients either worked at a Virginia golf course or are dependents of a current club employee. As college costs continue to rise, the Foundation remains committed to increasing scholarship awards to ensure meaningful financial impact. Your generosity makes this continued growth possible.
The expansion of Youth on Course in Virginia has exceeded expectations. Membership reached a record high, with more than 8,000 golfers ages 6 – 18 participating and over 21,000 rounds subsidized by the VSGA. This momentum reflects the program’ s growing value statewide. With your support, junior golfers continue to play for $ 5 or less per round, while participating courses receive supplemental funding from the VSGA. We anticipate even greater growth in 2026.
The Fleming Fund— named in honor of VSGA Women’ s Division Past President Barbara Fleming— once again provided unforgettable experiences for junior girls. 16 participants from First Tee chapters across Virginia attended a four-day golf camp at Williamsburg National Golf Club at no cost, including instruction, lodging, meals, and special events in Williamsburg. Additionally, the Fund covered camp expenses for two girls to attend a golf camp at the University of Virginia, further expanding their opportunities within the game.
As we begin 2026, we are excited to build upon two of our newest initiatives: military engagement and adaptive golf.
Our military engagement efforts focus on strengthening Virginia’ s military golf network— supporting courses on military installations, active-duty and retired service members, and junior golfers who are
military dependents. While we have made noteworthy progress in recent years, we are committed to expanding our outreach and deepening our impact within this important segment of the Virginia golf community. In fall 2025, the VSGA hosted its first series of adaptive golf clinics and play days at three facilities across the state— Bide-A-Wee, Burke Lake, and Independence. These impactful events welcomed golfers with a range of impairments and created positive experiences for all participants, whether new to the game or returning after time away. We look forward to expanding our adaptive golf programming in 2026 and introducing even more adaptive athletes across Virginia to the game.
Please feel free to reach out with any questions or to learn more about the programs supported by charitable contributions. Your continued generosity makes a lasting difference and strengthens our ability to achieve even greater goals in the years ahead.
Matt Smiley, Executive Director
P. S. New for this year’ s report, we are proud to recognize our large and active volunteer base that allows us to serve the game each and every day.