Virginia Golfer Jul / Aug 2020 | Page 27

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 25