JANUARY | FEBRUARY 2025
Official publication of the Virginia State Golf Association as a service to its more than 75,000 members .
THE SEASON AHEAD : YOUR 2025 VSGA , USGA , AND
PROFESSIONAL GOLF SCHEDULES
STAY STRONG : OFF-SEASON WORKOUTS TO
PERFORM AT YOUR PEAK
SOLVE YOUR SLICE : THREE KEYS TO A
BETTER SWING
Contents
JAN / FEB 2025
FEATURES
14
The Mystery of Sewells Point
For decades , the Norfolk course was believed to be designed by Donald Ross , until evidence emerged that it wasn ’ t .
18
Off to Iona , Laddie !
Middleburg mayor and VSGA member Bridge Littleton ’ s yearly trip to a quaint Scottish isle always brings new adventures .
30
North Florida Beckons
The latest and greatest courses worth visiting on Florida ’ s First Coast of Golf .
AROUND THE COMMONWEALTH
NEWS AND NOTES
5 Award Winners
Recognizing the VSGA ’ s service award winners for 2024 .
YEAR IN REVIEW
8 By the Numbers
A comprehensive look at the numbers that defined the VSGA in 2024 .
COLLEGE GOLF
10 Hoos ’ Time ?
UVA ’ s men look to earn their third straight trip to NCAA match play this spring . Is this the year the Cavaliers break through ?
Virginia Golfer
Exploring the surprising past of Sewells Point in Norfolk inside
ON THE COVER : Donald Ross or William Flynn : Who really designed Sewells Point ?
( Photos by Sewells Point , USGA Archives )
DEPARTMENTS
THE RULES
12 Honesty Above All Defying the spirit of the game landed one PGA Tour pro in hot water in 2024 .
GREAT HOLES
13 No . 13 at CC of Fairfax A tricky par 3 awaits at a course where Tom McKnight completed his famous “ McKnight Slam ” in 1985 .
INSTRUCTION
34 Stopping the Slice Josh Apple takes a deep dive into why slices happen , and how to fix them .
FIT FOR PLAY
36 Staying Strong Strength exercises to keep you in shape during the off-season and beyond .
EQUIPMENT
38 New Year , New Stuff Some of the hottest items to upgrade your bag in 2025 .
MY TURN
40 Eye test Ophthalmologist Roger Newsom spends most of his time fixing the eyes of others . But he has his eye on one major goal — winning the U . S . Senior Amateur .
USGA
2 V IRGINIA G OLFER | J ANUARY / F EBRUARY 2025 vsga . org