GreatHoles
by DAVID PARTRIDGE
S
pring Creek Golf Club in Zion Crossroads is one of
the most ardent supporters of golf in Virginia. A
frequent host of VSGA championships and One-Day
Events, MAPGA tournaments, as well as mini-tour
competitions, Spring Creek is genuinely dedicated to
nurturing the sport and growing the game.
This October, Spring Creek will be the venue for the Captain’s
Putter Matches—a Ryder Cup style competition that pits 24-man
squads from Virginia and West Virginia against North and South
Carolina. On Aug. 20, SCGC will host the VSGA Mixed Four-Ball
Tournament, an event that partners female and male golfers of
all ages and skill levels that has quickly gained popularity over
recent years.
Opened in 2006 and designed by Ed Carton, Spring Creek is
rated No. 66 on Golf Digest’s 2017 America’s 100 Greatest Public
Courses. Carton, who worked with Tom Fazio for over six years
and co-designed with Sam Snead on the only course “The Slam-
mer” ever laid out (Amherst’s Poplar Grove), created a true gem
at Spring Creek.
One of the best designs at Spring Creek is the superb first hole
that launches the player on his/her way to a superior golfing
experience. An uphill, slight dogleg left that flows naturally with
the lay of the land and that is beautifully contoured between two
fairway bunkers, the opening hole at Spring Creek is one of finest
starting holes in Virginia.
The massive left fairway bunker, attractively scalloped and
perfectly positioned, requires a strong drive from any of the
tees to carry the hazard or the golfer may take a more conserva-
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V I R G I N I A G O L F E R | M AY / J U N E 2 0 1 8
tive line of play to the
right. While the land-
ing area is generous,
Carton ingeniously
YARDAGES
designed the hole to
make it appear that
the fairway is decep-
Championship:
Salmon:
tively narrower, add-
278 yards
467 yards
ing to the challenge
of this outstanding
Marble:
Pewter:
hole. The large green
425 yards
278 yards
includes a major
Onyx:
slope that bisects the
389 yards
putting surface and
creates a shelf on the
left for some splendid
“Sunday hole” flagstick locations as well as demanding recover-
ies, especially from anywhere over the green.
Apart from regularly serving as the venue for VSGA and
MAPGA events, Spring Creek Golf Club annually hosts the Can-
non Cup, one of the finest invitational championships conducted
in Virginia. Also this year from Oct. 1–3, Spring Creek will be the
site for the Society of Seniors Fall Classic.
PAR 4
A five-time VSGA Player of the Year and a multi-time winner of
the VSGA Amateur, Mid-Amateur and Senior Amateur, David
Partridge is the author of this series. David lives in the Richmond
area and works as a mortgage banker.
vsga.org
No. 1
SPRING CREEK GOLF CLUB