No . 18 PETE DYE RIVER COURSE OF VIRGINIA TECH
By David Partridge
LOGAN WHITTON
T
PAR 4 he Pete Dye River Course of Virginia Tech is currently ranked sixth in Golf Digest ’ s 25 Greatest College Courses in America . A previous venue for the Virginia State Amateur Championship in 2016 , the VSGA was delighted to return to the Pete Dye River Course for the VSGA Four-Ball Championship in May .
Colloquially known as “ The River Course ,” the layout was initially constructed in 1999 . In 2003 , through the generosity of Bill and Alice Goodwin , legendary architect Pete Dye was brought in to revamp the original design into a premier , world-class course that is home to both Virginia Tech ' s and Radford University ’ s golf programs . Mr . Goodwin , a proud alumnus of Virginia Tech and the 2020 Recipient of the Outstanding Virginian Award , had a close personal relationship with Dye through the Goodwin family ’ s ownership of Kiawah Island Golf Resort , as well as Pete ’ s design of the famous Ocean Course — the site of the 1991 Ryder Cup that became known as “ The War by the Shore .”
Located in Radford only 12 miles from the Virginia Tech campus , The River Course borders the New River — the oldest river in North America and the second oldest river in the world — and winds along over two miles of the waterway , with eight holes directly affected by the presence of the tributary . One of the few waterways on our continent that flows in a northerly direction , the New River provides many scenic , panoramic views of this beautiful part of the commonwealth along with frequent sightings of local waterfowl , including bald eagles , ospreys , egrets and many other species that call the New River Valley home .
One of the designs that borders the river is the demanding finishing hole , a straightaway par-4 that measures 495 yards from the championship tee . Players will strongly favor the left side of the fairway on their drive to play away from and avoid the water ; furthermore , tee shots that land in the right rough frequently end up in the river . A large bordering mound
Black : 495 yards
Maroon : 430 yards
Orange : 381 yards
YARDAGES
Khaki : 351 yards
Gray : 304 yards
Yellow : 270 yards
that runs down the left side of the hole can sometimes create favorable bounces to direct the golfer ’ s ball back toward the fairway . Finding the short grass with your drive is crucial on this difficult hole for the green structure , while extremely deep , is very narrow for such a lengthy hole and playing from the rough makes the green effectively play much smaller .
Apart from the green being very slender ( less than 20 yards wide ), the putting surface contains a variety of slopes and ridges that require an accurate approach shot to both find and hold the green ; it also demands a truly precise second shot to create a good birdie putt . These same slopes , together with three small but strategically placed flanking bunkers and a large , deep collection area over the green , along with the water and heavy rough on the right , make recovery for par a major challenge from virtually any missed green in regulation . The 18th at The River Course is almost universally considered the most difficult hole on a comprehensively challenging course — 7,685 yards and a slope rating of 145 from the tips — and is unquestionably an outstanding design , as well as one of the hardest closing holes in all of Virginia .
A six-time VSGA Player of the Year , David Partridge was elected to the Virginia Golf Hall of Fame in 2020 . He lives in the Richmond area and works as a mortgage banker serving clients throughout Virginia .
vsga . org J ULY / A UGUST 2024 | V IRGINIA G OLFER 17