USGA DIGITAL ARCHIVES |
Twenty tons of dynamite later , The Homestead ’ s Cascades course opened in 1923 . Today , Cascades , a par-70 , is consistently ranked among the top U . S . courses and considered a strategic and aesthetic gem . It ’ s also the course that legendary Sam Snead took on as head professional when he was 22 . “ If you can play the Cascades ,” he once said , “ you can play anywhere .” This from the Virginian who went on to win a record 82 PGA Tour titles .
Others agree . The USGA has chosen the Cascades for several national championships
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as well as the international women ’ s Curtis Cup competition . When the NCAA held its men ’ s championship at the Cascades in 2004 , only a handful of the long-hitting players were able to finish under par .
Perhaps the most notable of these national championships was the U . S . Women ’ s Open victory in 1967 by Catherine Lacoste . The 22-year-old French daughter of the great Roaring Twenties tennis star and founder of the sportswear company that bears his name , Catherine became ( and remains to this day ) the only amateur , the youngest and the first European winner of the U . S . Women ’ s Open .
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IT ’ S A PARTNERSHIP The value to Virginia golf hasn ’ t simply been the existence of The Homestead as an in-state , world-class resort that we can visit whenever we ’ d like to enjoy some mountain air , beautiful scenery and great golf . It seems as though the Commonwealth ’ s golfers have forged an uncommon relationship with The Homestead .
The Homestead has hosted at least one of almost every major championship the Virginia State Golf Association ( VSGA ) offers , including the State Open of Virginia , the Men ’ s and Women ’ s Amateurs , the Men ’ s and Women Senior Amateurs and the Men ’ s Mid-Amateur . The first events were held there 100 years ago and the numbers are eye-popping . The Men ’ s Amateur has been played on Cascades 41 times . The Women ’ s Amateur has been held on both the Old Course and the Cascades , now 50 times . The Old Course has hosted the Senior Women ’ s Amateur 61 times and
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remains the best attended event on the VSGA ’ s slate of women ’ s championships .
Boodie McGurn has had a catbird perspective to this relationship as a frequent participant in both state and national championships held at The Homestead , and as a board member of the VSGA . “ It ’ s been more like a partnership than simply a relationship ,” McGurn feels . “ The players , the VSGA and The Homestead are each pulling together in the same direction , and we ’ re all thankful .”
McGurn , a several-time winner of VSGA women ’ s championships held at The Homestead , loves the place so much she bought a home there . While McGurn has a fondness for the Old Course , where she continues to have success in events , she doesn ’ t hesitate to say , “ the Cascades is my favorite course in the world .”
“ The partnership between the VSGA and The Homestead is deep and it goes back decades with the resort leaders , like former General Manager Tom Lennon , who were all true golfers and vested in the VSGA ,” said Don Ryder , former Homestead director of golf . “ And it continues today . It ’ s not a formal thing , like a multiyear contract . It ’ s relationships among people who love the game .”
Almost as a side benefit , the contestants get to play wonderful courses in a gracious setting and The Homestead gets wonderful exposure . Said Ryder , “ Many guests are participants who plan their entire tournament and vacation schedules around these VSGA events at The Homestead .”
The symbiotic relationship between the VSGA and The Homestead is one of friendship and familiarity .
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