BACKED BY HISTORY Few courses in the world have a more unique origin story than Laurel Hill Golf Club in Lorton, which was constructed on the former site of a District of Columbia correctional facility. In the early 1900s, Congress authorized the purchase of land just north of the Occoquan River that would allow inmates access to nature, natural light, and clean air, and house them in dormitories rather than cell blocks. Lorton was an agricultural work camp. Inmates farmed and, at a kiln complex located along the river, produced bricks for prison buildings and roads. |
In 1998, U. S. Rep. Tom Davis introduced legislation to close the prison and transfer ownership of the 2,400-acre property to Fairfax County, with a requirement that it develop a reuse plan for public open space, parkland, or recreation. Laurel Hill’ s 7,000-yard golf course opened in 2005 with rolling hills, scenic vistas, and a logo that embraces its history— featuring a modern interpretation of the old prison’ s guard tower.
Over in Roanoke, Ballyhack Golf Club set out to update the club’ s logo after the company became part of the Dormie Network in 2016. Members and employees were part of a brainstorming process that ultimately focused on its beloved mascots: the African Boer goats that reside on the property. Raised to be friendly to humans, young goats are bottle-fed for socialization and the herd is monitored daily by a veterinarian. When they’ re not sunbathing on a patio, the goats feed on undesirable weeds such as briars and Johnson grass.
Then there’ s Beacon Hill Golf Club in Leesburg, which was shuttered for nearly two decades before reopening last year with a new 18-hole layout designed by Tom Clark. Its logo of a jockey riding a racehorse is inspired by the surrounding neighborhood, where all the streets are named after Kentucky Derby winners
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such as Winning Colors and Bold Venture. Loudoun County isn’ t just the data center capital of Virginia, after all; there’ s an equestrian center just down the street from the golf course.
MODERNIZING THE BRAND“ We’ re living in the age of maximizing the monetization of intellectual property. What is it going to take to bring new eyeballs? What’ s going to get the most attention? Everybody is looking for the next way to repackage and sell the same product,” said Cameron Robinett, president of Suffolk’ s Cedar Point Club and current member of the VSGA board.“ Especially if you’ ve had an ownership change, you’ re trying to breathe new life into a place and
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COURTESY OF CLUBS |