Virginia Golfer Mar / Apr 2021 | Page 19

COUNTRY CLUB OF PETERSBURG

GreatHoles

No .

5 BY

COUNTRY CLUB OF PETERSBURG

DAVID PARTRIDGE
JON HOOD

The VSGA Amateur Championship will be played this year at the Country Club of Petersburg in its now traditional dates in late June . The Country Club of Petersburg is celebrating its 100th year of existence in 2021 , and the club is commemorating its landmark centennial by hosting this prestigious event .

Founded in 1921 at a different location , the original CCP course opened in 1928 and was designed by the doyen of golf course architects , Donald Ross . Over time the club outgrew its former facilities and in 1969 — after relocating to Prince George County — the Country Club of Petersburg premiered its current course laid out by Ed Ault and later renovated by Lester George .
The Country Club of Petersburg “ comes at you right out of the gate ” with a series of ultra-demanding tests from the opening hole through the nearly 600-yard seventh . Even after adjusting for just one par-3 in the initial seven holes , the distance
of those first seven extrapolates to a full-course distance of nearly 7,350 yards . Certainly , one of the best designs among this challenging group is the beautiful par-3 fifth hole .
Measuring 221 yards from the championship tees and playing slightly downhill across a tranquil lake , the fifth demands a strong , accurate strike with a long iron or a hybrid to a large green protected by two cavernous bunkers . The deep putting surface slopes toward the tee to better receive long approach shots , however , this same pitch can create some delicate putts and recovery shots from off the green . The Country Club of Petersburg is renowned for its consistently superb putting surfaces and the speedy greens add to the challenge of this outstanding test of golf . Par is always an excellent score on the demanding fifth at CCP .
A longtime , passionate supporter of the VSGA , the Country Club of Petersburg has been the venue for many state championships including the State Open , a previous State Amateur , a Mid-Amateur ,
Blue : 221 yards
White : 207 yards

PAR 3

YARDAGES
Gold : 168 yards
Red : 105 yards
as well as the VSGA Four-Ball Championship along with many VSGA One-Day events . In keeping with its century-long tradition of great golf , Country Club of Petersburg will be an ideal host for this year ’ s State Amateur .
A five-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 .
vsga . org M ARCH / A PRIL 2021 | V IRGINIA G OLFER 17