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compiled by CHRIS LANG
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Distinctively Dye
Architect Pete Dye’s impact felt in Virginia |
H
ead to the website for Virgin-
ia Tech and Radford’s home
golf course—Pete Dye River
Course of Virginia Tech—and
you’ll find two words that encapsulate the
renowned architect: Distinctively Dye.
Dye, who died in January at age 94 fol-
lowing a lengthy battle with Alzheimer’s
disease, believed in building intimidating
courses—see TPC Sawgrass’ Stadium
Course, home of The Players Champi-
onship and the famed 17th island green.
Dye’s philosophy was simple: Providing
a challenge to advanced players without
creating so much frustration that begin-
ners leave the game of golf or migrate to
a less difficult course. His work can be
admired in all corners of Virginia. He was
instrumental in the redesign of the River
Course, an extremely challenging track
from the back tees that features distinc-
tive Dye bunkering in critical spots along
the fairways.
A member of the World Golf Hall of
Fame, Dye’s last great project was rebuild-
ing the course at Keswick Golf Club outside
Charlottesville. Known as “Full Cry,” the
course has hosted several VSGA champi-
onships, including the 2019 VSGA Amateur.
Upon completion of the course, Kes-
wick superintendent Peter McDonough
was impressed with the detail of Dye’s
work. “Pete really put together an incred-
ible design of holes based on what he
had to work with,” McDonough told the
Charlottesville Daily Progress. “We already
had homes in place, but he got the best out
of everything, plus made it more playable.”
vsga.org
by CHRIS LANG
Blackwolf Run in Wisconsin is one
of many of Pete Dye's designs that
hosted a major championship.
In Radford, Dye was tasked in 2004
with renovating the River Course, which
was renamed for Dye in 2006. Virginia
Tech sought a facility that was challenging
enough to host an NCAA regional, and the
Hokies did just that in 2011.
“There was a lot more land they had that
they could have used, so we used every inch
of it,” Dye told the Roanoke Times in 2004.
“To make this thing a great golf course for
intercollegiate play, you’ve got to go all the
way out, but you’ve got to get Joe Q. Public
around the golf course, too. And you can do
that when you have enough land.”
Like in many of his designs, Dye’s wife
Alice was heavily involved. As River Course
general manager John Norton told the
Roanoke Times, “It’s probably one of his
fairer golf courses. Lots of Pete golf cours-
es, you had to fly it 200 yards in order to
get it over the water, or that kind of thing.
You could play the whole (River) course on
the ground. That was a lot of Alice’s doing.
She made sure that women could play the
golf course.”
Dye also had his hand in renovat-
ing Kingsmill Resort’s River Course in
2004. And along with Curtis Strange, he
designed Virginia Beach National Golf
Club, which opened in 1999. Dye’s bril-
liant architectural legacy is sure to be pre-
served in these four top Virginia layouts.
M A R C H / A P R I L 2 0 2 0 | V I R G I N I A G O L F E R
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