GreatHoles
No.2
PAR 4
YARDAGES
JAMES RIVER COUNTRY CLUB
BLACK:
by DAVID PARTRIDGE
JON HOOD
J
ames River Country Club in
Newport News is one of the
most ardent supporters of golf
in the commonwealth. Not
only does JRCC frequently and
generously play host to state and regional
golf championships, since 1932 the club
has been the permanent home to Golf
Museum, the oldest exhibition of golf
memorabilia in the world.
This year, James River Country Club
will be the site of the 91st VSGA Women’s
Amateur Championship, to be played July
19-22. With the strong, burgeoning talent
and depth in women’s golf in Virginia
today, this year’s state amateur promises
to be one of the most exciting championships ever and JRCC will be a great venue
for the event.
A superb, classic-style design with many
tight, tree-lined fairways built over beautifully rolling terrain, James River demands
vsga.org
369 yards
BLUE:
YELLOW:
392 yards
precision ball striking to score well. The
sloping putting surfaces can run up to 12 on
the stimpmeter for competitions, adding to
the challenge of this outstanding test of golf.
One of the best designs at James River
is the par-4 second, a medium-length
slight dogleg left, played through a tight
corridor of large trees. It is crucial to find
the fairway with your tee shot to set up
a favorable approach to the green; if not,
trees, heavy rough and intervening water
will probably require a mere pitch out to
get back in play.
Following an accurate drive, the
second shot is played over a wide lake to
a triangular-shaped green protected at
the back by a large bunker. The green is
well-designed, allowing for a variety of
interesting pin locations, and the slick
putting surface—sloped from back to
front—demands a deft putting touch.
Four is always an excellent score on this
WHITE:
400 yards
166 yards
challenging golf hole where “big numbers”
are a real possibility.
Golf Museum is home to literally thousands of fascinating artifacts including the
oldest identifiable golf club in the world,
the oldest golf ball in the world, a complete
set of Harry Vardon’s golf clubs and his
bag along with items donated by Bobby
Jones, Sam Snead, Gene Sarazen and Curtis Strange. A must-see attraction for golf
enthusiasts, there is no cost to tour Golf
Museum, however, it is recommended
that you call ahead to museum president
Raymond Suttle (757-595-3327 or 757-8738006) to ensure the museum is open.
Author David Partridge is a decorated
amateur standout on the Virginia golf scene,
as well as a member of the selection committee for the Virginia Golf Hall of Fame.
J U LY / A U G U ST 2 0 16 | V I R G I N I A G O L F E R
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