Birdwood’s newfound length will help UVa’s men’s and
women’s programs take huge steps forward. “We’ve
been given the tools to now recruit and attract some
of the best players in the country,” UVa men’s coach
Bowen Sargent said.
CHRIS LANG, BOARS HEAD RESORT
With the longest hole measuring around
135 yards, the course is easily walkable
(no carts allowed) so that golfers can get
their six in under an hour and get back to
the office. Three sets of tees will provide
options for players to learn the game
or work on their short game. Winters
believes it’s an awesome space for Boar’s
Head Golf Academy, a place to teach new
golfers and for juniors to improve.
Passion Project
It’s impossible for Love to hide his emotions
when he talks about the project.
“I think we have some challenging
holes where you have forced carries, but
for the most part, for the average players
from forward tees, we simplified the golf
course with wider fairways, more run-ups
in front,” Love said. “It’s a challenging golf
course that can play tough.
“The par-3s can all play pretty long
and there are a couple of long par-5s, so
I think it’s going to be challenging from
the back tees. From the forward tees,
I think it’s actually going to be probably
an easier golf course, a friendlier
golf course.”
Once Love was persuaded to take on
the redesign by longtime friends Dr. Bob
Rotella and Bill Goodwin, and he toured
the facility, he became passionate about
incorporating the old Birdwood mansion
(built in the early 1800s) and distinctive
lighthouse-shaped water tower into the
course. Mission accomplished.
“It’s so cool,” Love said. “It’s a focal point
of the property. It and the Boar’s Head
Resort are anchors and we wanted holes
around the mansion. Some of my favorite
holes are the views looking away from the
clubhouse or looking up toward the Birdwood
mansion.”
“This is really
an exciting time
for our golf
programs.”
—Ria Scott
Love’s team took out enough trees to
open those views and add to the course’s
eye candy in designing a short par-4 16th
and a par-3 17th for dramatic effect on the
historic property.
“My main goal, like a project we did for
the Sea Island Resort (a Goodwin property),
was that we wanted it to look like
the course had been there for a hundred
years,” Love said. “We didn’t want it to look
modern, but rather classic and timeless.”
Recruits Taking Notice
Another of Love’s goals was to help
UVa’s golf programs grow into national
championship contenders, a venue that
would equal the school’s football and
basketball facilities.
“We’re proud to help these kids have a
great place to practice and play,” Love said.
“Not only that, but to help build membership,
and to be a host club for the resort.
Our goal was to make sure every constituency
will have what they needed, and
the short course, the practice short game
range, and the golf course all works together
for the resort and for the golf teams.”
UVa women’s coach Ria Scott said her
team is champing at the bit to see the
new layout.
“This is really an exciting time for our
golf programs,” Scott said. “You can see
that our recruits are excited about it
as well. We’ve got three top-10 recruits
coming to our program in the next couple
of years, and more recruits interested
in UVa because of the facilities we
now offer.”
Sargent, who noted all the other facilities
already added, believes the “new”
Birdwood is the icing on the cake.
Said Sargent, who has directed the
Cavaliers to 12 consecutive postseason
appearances. “I can’t imagine any kid in
the country not wanting to take a look at
what we have here.”
vsga.org
J ULY/A UGUST 2020 | V IRGINIA G OLFER
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