VSGA Member Spotlight
Tooch
OF A BLACKSMITH
by LEONARD SHAPIRO
Wayne VanSant’s exacting approach as
a blacksmith and care for horses has
served him well on the golf course
I
VICKY MOON
n Scotland, caddies often have an
endearing way of letting golfers
know exactly how they feel. Long
ago, VSGA member Wayne VanSant
took a trip to the Scottish resort,
Gleneagles. After he botched an easy
chip shot and four-putted for an
eventual triple bogey, his cheeky caddie yanked
away his putter.The looper dismissively shook
his head and proclaimed, “Boss, you have the
tooch (as in touch) of a blacksmith.”
VanSant, of Middleburg, most obviously
has the “tooch” of a blacksmith whenever he
sets foot on a golf course.
That’s because he is a blacksmith.
In addition to the care and shoeing of
more than 150 horses in his practice, VanSant
manages the horse operation at Trappe
Hill Farm in Upperville, for owners Bruce
and Edie Smart. Occasionally he gets away
for a round of golf, a game VanSant didn’t
really take up until he left behind a racetrack life 19 years ago as an assistant trainer
and foreman for some of the sport’s most
illustrious names.
These days, VanSant owns a single-digit
Handicap Index and is a VSGA member
at Bull Run Golf Club in Haymarket. He
competed in the VSGA Mid-Amateur
Championship in September at The Golf
Club at Lansdowne in Leesburg. The
three-day event included some of the
finest players in Virginia, ages 25 and older.
VanSant had participated in two previous
Mid-Amateurs, missing the 36-hole cut
at the 54-hole championship on both
occasions. His goal this time was to play
all three rounds.
After the first two days, it was mission
accomplished. He was tied for 11th place
heading into the closing round and hoping
to push into the top 10. Instead, a finalIn addition to shoeing horses, Wayne VanSant has
built up a strong interest in golf.
16
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 5
w w w. v s g a . o r g