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2005 President Cup
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Grace Anne Braxton
HONORING THE PAST
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One of Gib Palmer’ s charges during his term as VSGA president was to create a living space to honor the rich history of the game in Virginia. In 2016, the Virginia Golf Hall of Fame( 19) was born, with an inaugural class featuring Virginia’ s golf elite, including Vinny Giles, Chandler Harper, Clyde Luther, Sam Snead, Curtis Strange, and Lanny Wadkins. The Virginia Golf Hall of Fame inducted its 10th class in 2025, bringing its membership to 45 individuals who have made tremendous contributions to golf in Virginia and beyond.
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Kinloch Golf Club & The Homestead
Cascades( Left)
( Left)
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Virginia Golf Hall of Fame inaugural class
PROGRAMMING
The VSGA-VIP Scholarship Foundation( 20) turned 40 in 2024, and the foundation continues to evolve. It now has 11 named scholarships, including four announced in 2025, continuing a mission to support the college goals of high-school seniors with an interest in golf in Virginia.
In 2022, the U. S. Adaptive Open( 21) debuted as part of the USGA’ s portfolio of national championships. Two Virginians— Judi Brush( lower limb) and Grace Anne Braxton( intellectual)— were part of the initial field of players with various impairments competing for titles. The VSGA has entered the adaptive programming space and offered a series of clinics and play days in fall 2025.
HIGH-LEVEL EVENTS
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Ballyhack Golf Club
Four-time Senior Open of Virginia champion( Rick Schuller)
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The USGA( 22) brought several national championships to the Commonwealth during the first quarter of the century, including the U. S. Senior Amateur( 2003, The Virginian GC; 2011 Kinloch GC), the U. S. Senior Women’ s Amateur( 2025, The Homestead Cascades), the U. S. Women’ s Mid-Amateur( 2011, Bayville GC), the U. S. Public Links( 2013, Laurel Hill GC), and the U. S. Mid-Amateur( 2024, Kinloch GC). Next up: The U. S. Women’ s Four-Ball at Farmington CC in 2027.
The VSGA and MAPGA introduced two new Open championships( 23) during the 2000s— the Senior Open of Virginia in 2006 and the Women’ s Open of Virginia in 2023.
FACILITIES
THE RISE OF THE INFLUENCER
Whether it’ s Fat Perez, Teal Barber, the DOD King, Bryce Cope, Gavin Parker, or Ben Kruper, the social media golf landscape( 25) is well represented in Virginia. In an evolving world of digital media, what might come next? That’ s one thing to keep an eye on as we look to the next quarter century and beyond.
The century’ s first year was a big one for new elite courses( 24) in the Commonwealth, as Independence Golf Club, Kinloch Golf Club, and Bay Creek Resort and Club all opened their first tees to play. More followed as the century evolved, including The Federal Club( 2006), Ballyhack Golf Club( 2009), and Cutalong at Lake Anna( 2020). Both Virginia( Birdwood Golf at Boar’ s Head Resort) and Virginia Tech( Pete Dye River Course of VT) oversaw extensive redesigns at their home courses as well, bringing them up to date in the era of the long-hitting college player.
PAUL PIERCE JR; CHRIS LANG; USGA; VSGA; ALAMY; LOGAN WHITTON; SCOTT K. BROWN; THE HOMESTEAD; KATELYNN BROWN
vsga. org J ANUARY / F EBRUARY 2026 | V IRGINIA G OLFER
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