FARMINGTON COUNTRY CLUB
At the beginning of his new life in America , Fred ( who was now in his early 50s ), and his son-in-law , Franklin “ Ben ” Loving , created a golf architecture business . This multigenerational approach was extended when Ben ’ s son , Buddy , eventually joined the firm , worked closely with Fred and became a well-known force in Virginia golf .
A REMARKABLE BODY OF VIRGINIA WORK Fred quickly established himself as a talented golf architect in the Mid-Atlantic area , where he is credited with the design of more than 40 courses . While leaving his footprint in Maryland , the Carolinas , Pennsylvania and West Virginia , the overwhelming majority of Findlay ’ s architectural work was in Virginia .
Largely neglected by even golf historians , Findlay is known by some as the architect of the Charlottesville ’ s Farmington Country Club , Lynchburg ’ s Boonsboro Country Club , and as the greens superintendent who helped shape the James River Course at the Country Club of Virginia in Richmond . Even less well-known is his influence throughout Virginia , where upwards of 20 existing courses have a Fred Finlay pedigree ( see table ).
Charlottesville sports columnist Jerry Ratcliffe felt Findlay was remarkable . “ The most amazing thing about Findlay ’ s golf course architecture is that he never used a blueprint , did it right out of his imagination .”
Findlay himself said , “ I just walk over the site for a couple of days and study nature ’ s own work . Nature herself gives me most of my ideas .”
Findlay ’ s masterpiece remains the Main course at the Farmington Country Club . Site of the 1993 U . S . Senior Amateur Championship and the decades-old , annual conclave of top regional amateurs known as the Kenridge Invitational , Farmington is rightfully considered among Virginia ’ s very best courses .
It still reflects Findlay ’ s design philosophies , which emphasized working with minimal disruption to what nature offered . The result is a beautiful routing woven through small valleys and streams combined with stop-and-stare views of the surrounding Southwest Mountains .
As Findlay got older , Farmington — where he lived — filled his days . With family close by ( son-in-law Ben was the long-time club general manager ), he was able to indulge his many passions , including observing nature , music and creating poetry . He developed a fondness and talent for painting the views around Charlottesville and , by memory , of his beloved Scotland . Today , one of his oil paintings adorns the Jefferson Room in the Farmington clubhouse .
Of course , golf was in the mix . Newspaper clippings from October 1957 , reported
YEAR
1925
1926
1927
1928
1929
1929
1930
1930
1938 /' 48
1939
1935- ' 45
1946
1947
1950
1955
1959
1961
1963
Early 1960 ' s
1965
COURSE
Ole Monterey GC
Spotswood CC
Glenwood GC
Ingleside Golf Resort
Boonsboro CC
Farmington CC , Main ( formerly North and South )
Wytheville GC
Emporia CC
The Keswick Club
Cypress Cove CC
CC of Virginia
Mecklenburg CC
Tides Inn , Baby Eagle Course
Orchard Creek Course ( formerly Waynesboro CC )
Bide-a-Wee GC
Meadowbrook CC
South Hill CC
Lakeview GC / Mountain
Dogwood Trace GC ( formerly Lee Park GC )
Falling River CC
LOCATION
Roanoke
Harrisonburg
Richmond
Staunton
Lynchburg
Charlottesville
Wytheville
Emporia
Keswick
Franklin
Richmond
Chase City
Irvington
Waynesboro
Portsmouth
Richmond
La Crosse
Harrisonburg
Petersburg
Appomattox
that the 85-year-old Findlay shot rounds of 84 and 85 at Farmington . The word is , shooting his age was something he did on a regular basis .
Fred Findlay died in 1966 , but not before he ’ d served a career in the British Army , led military and civilian bands , developed into a top-rate golfer , designed dozens of golf courses on two continents , served as a green superintendent at a top club , and become an accomplished painter and a poet .
In short , Findlay ’ s was a life well-lived . Mr . Jefferson would have approved .
COMMENTS
18 ; public
18 ; private
18 ; private ; recently closed
18 ; resort
18 ; private
28 ; private
18 ; private ; with Buddy Loving
18 ; private
18 ; resort ; since redesigned first by Arnold Palmer and finally by Pete Dye
18 ; private
54 ; private ; architect was William Flynn ; but influenced by green superintendent Findlay , 1935-45 .
9 ; private
9 ; par 3 ; resort
18 ; private
18 ; municipal ; redesigned by Tom Clark and Curtis Strange
18 ; private
9 ; private
9 ; semiprivate ; with Ray Loving
18 ; municipal ; with Algie Pulley
18 ; private
vsga . org J ANUARY / F EBRUARY 2023 | V IRGINIA G OLFER
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