Virginia Golfer Jul / Aug 2019 | Page 18

GreatHoles by DAVID PARTRIDGE T he Golden Eagle Golf Club in Irvington has long been considered one of the best-designed courses in the commonwealth. Part of the historic Tides Inn that dates back more than 65 years, The Golden Eagle was laid out by famed architect George W. Cobb and opened for play in 1976. A prolific designer with well over 100 courses to his credit including such classics as Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte (the site of the Wells Fargo Championship and the 2017 PGA Cham- pionship) and Green Island Country Club (venue for the former Southern Open for over 20 years on the tour), Cobb is perhaps most famous for serving as the design consultant at Augusta National Golf Club for more than 20 years. While there Cobb created the wonderful par-3 course that has been a special part of the Masters Week since 1960. Carved out of beautiful wooded landscape and built around a 50-acre lake, The Golden Eagle features a number of dramatic elevation changes, strategically placed bunkers, and numerous water hazards. The course is a superb test of golf that Cobb considered one of his best creations. Cobb’s routing includes a number of outstanding holes and certainly one of the best is the splendid par-4 5th that is among the finest four pars in Virginia. A classic cape hole made even more challenging given its length, the golfer must carry his/her tee shot over the large 5 lake that borders the entire left side of the hole. Players who take a more conservative line of play off the tee not only bring the huge trees that hug the right side of the fairway into play, but also create a longer, more demand- ing approach shot. YARDAGES The green is well protected by two large Gold: White: flanking bunkers on 445 yards 412 yards the right and water on the left. The putting Blue: Red: surface slopes toward 428 yards 361 yards the water so golfers who bail out to the right will face a diffi- cult recovery from the sand or deep bermuda rough. Trouble abounds on this difficult hole where par is always a great score. The Golden Eagle Golf Club is an avid supporter of the VSGA and has been the venue for numerous state championships including two State Amateurs, the VSGA Four-Ball and Senior Four-ball events, as well as the VSGA Women’s Stroke Play Championship. It is also a regular site for VSGA One-Day Events and this year Golden Eagle will host a One-Day on August 29; register early at VSGA.org as this is always a very popular site. PAR 4 A five-time VSGA Player of the Year and a multi-time winner of the VSGA Amateur, Mid-Amateur and Senior Amateur, David Partridge is the author of this series. David lives in Richmond area and works as a mortgage banker. 16 V I R G I N I A G O L F E R | J U LY / A U G U ST 2 0 1 9 vsga.org No. 5 GOLDEN EAGLE GOLF CLUB