The new six-hole short
course format will be
managed by the First
Tee of Richmond.
“The First Tee of
Greater Richmond’s
proposal was a
clear winner in terms
of everything we
needed and wanted.”
—Neal Luther,
director of Henrico County
Recreation and Parks
was closed. It will remain open to the pub-
lic once completed.
“The First Tee of Greater Richmond’s
proposal was a clear winner in terms of
everything we needed and wanted,” said
Neil Luther, director of Henrico County
Recreation and Parks. “The organization
has a proven track record of operating
and managing golf facilities in addition
vsga.org
to impacting children and teens from all
over Richmond through its golf programs.”
First Tee serves more than 70,000
children in the Richmond region, and
is involved with two other facilities: the
Elson Redmond Memorial Driving Range
in downtown Richmond, and the Tattersall
Youth Development Center in Chesterfield.
Hermitage Country Club sold the course
to Henrico County in 1977. A slow decline
ensued, to the point where in the last 10
years there had been a 40-percent drop in
rounds played. The course had operated at
a deficit since 2014, and the county consid-
ered closing the course. But two grassroots
groups, Preserve Belmont and Friends of
Belmont Golf Club, persuaded the county
to seek a private management company
and a renovation/restoration.
The announced choice for Belmont
drew initial disappointment from each
group, which sought to improve, but main-
tain, the original 18-hole layout. While
praising the work and mission of First Tee
and the amount of money it has committed
to the project, both organizations admitted
some frustration.
Bert Clark of Friends of Belmont Golf
Course called it “mixed feelings.”
“On the good side, Belmont remains
a golf facility,” Clark said. “ At any other
‘regular’ municipal golf course, this would
be a great vision as to how to engage the
community, introduce golf to kids. I just
wish there was a way to keep an 18-hole
Tillinghast course and accomplish the
First Tee’s mission.”
Peter Grainger of Preserve Belmont
argued that the county had many tracts
“of land lying fallow” it could have donated
to First Tee “for a facility to cater to their
aspirations.”
“Instead,” he said, “they were given the
keys to this historic golf course and per-
mission to destroy more than 100 years of
our heritage.”
Schneider said he is aware that there are
people not pleased with the project. He
acknowledged their passion for a course
that has had a large impact in their lives.
He hopes they reserve judgment until they
see the finished product.
“Our hope is that with the end result,
we will welcome them to the new Bel-
mont and they will want to be part of it,”
he said.
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