VSGA Member Clubs
At Salisbury,
STRATEGIC IMPROVEMENTS
SOLIDIFY CLUB’S STANDING
T
THE YEAR THAT GAVE US WOODSTOCK AND THE LAST
LIVE PERFORMANCE OF THE BEATLES WAS ALSO THE
YEAR A MIDLOTHIAN CLUB first gathered members for its impromptu
“rock parties.” This was 1969, Salisbury Country Club’s inaugural season. Their
“rock parties” had nothing to do with music.
“This part of the world has pretty inhospitable soil for building golf courses,”
explains Mike Hott, the Richmond-area club’s veteran head PGA professional.
“Rock parties were get-togethers where you walked the course with a beer or two,
carrying a bucket and filling it with stones that had worked their way to the surface.”
Designed by Ed Ault as the amenity to a residential community, Salisbury
Country Club began as 18 holes meandering through a residential neighborhood,
with only a few homes actually in view along fairways.
“The idea was to build wide hole corridors that allowed for generous drive zones
and give you a friendly course off the tee,” Hott says.
The original 18 could be set up to defend par stoutly, but the fun element
was integral to Ault’s design. That quality, combined with the proximity of so
many members who lived in the neighborhood, led to an easy togetherness that
has endured.
“This is really an awesome membership,” Hott says plainly. “I’ve been here 22
years and our superintendent Jeff Holliday has been here 14 years. That’s the sign of
a club that has great families and a positive environment.”
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V I R G I N I A G O L F E R | J U LY / A U G U S T 2 0 1 4
CONSISTENT CREDO AMID CHANGES
In 1998, Ault’s 18-hole course underwent
a wholesale renovation by course architect
Lester George. The tees, bunkers and green
complexes emerged in sleek, modernized form
with bermudagrass tees and fairways and L93
bentgrass as their putting surface. During the
renovation project, a comfort level with George’s
judgment and talents was established, leading to a
breakthrough capital improvement several years
later—the addition of a third nine holes.
“When our club added the Huguenot nine, it
was a game-changer,” says Gib Palmer, a New
England-bred insurance executive and longtime
member of Salisbury.
Having belonged for many years to a 27-hole
club outside Hartford, Conn., Palmer knew the
value of having three nines.
“The benefit is that you can always get a game
together on short notice, you can take care of
outing groups, there’s room for juniors—it’s a
w w w. v s g a . o r g
WESTHAM GOLF CLUB
Enhancements to the layout complement sound governance and good
fun among members | by DAVID GOULD Photography by SCOTT K. BROWN