From 2002 to 2003 , Belle Haven underwent a complete renovation by renowned architect Arthur Hills .
One of the unique things about Belle Haven is we ’ re right on the Potomac River overlooking D . C . and there ’ s no other club in Northern Virginia that offers that .”
“ We ’ re honored to have the VSGA come here . It ’ s great for the club and the golf course to have that recognition ,” said Tom Regnell , chair of Belle Haven ’ s centennial committee .
The land on which Belle Haven was constructed has a rich history that precedes that of the United States . In 1608 , Capt . John Smith encountered a Native American village in the area and recorded it on maps made during his trip . In the late 1600s , John Mathews opened a tavern to serve both travelers on the new Kings Highway and ships anchoring at the mouth of Hunting Creek .
The name Belle Haven dates to the early 1700s , when Scottish pioneers established a settlement along the Potomac River and named it after their countryman , the Earl of Bellhaven . It was later renamed Alexandria .
In the late 1800s , the Washington , Alexandria and Mount Vernon Railway operated between D . C . and Mount Vernon . Its tracks ran along the eastern boundary of Belle Haven ’ s new golf course — golfers would sometimes have to wait until the train rolled through to play their next shot because of the distraction — until the George Washington Parkway was constructed in 1932 .
Belle Haven added another nine holes to its golf course in 1948 . At that point , golfers had to cross Fort Hunt Road to play holes 11 and 12 and Belle Haven Road to play holes 5 and 6 . Eventually , the course ’ s footprint changed ; now all 18 holes are contained within an area bordered by Hunting Creek to the north , Fort Hunt Road to the west , the GW Parkway to the east and Belle Haven Road to the south .
ALL PHOTOS COURTESY OF BELLE HAVEN CC
18 V IRGINIA G OLFER | M AY / J UNE 2024 vsga . org