64,000-square-foot clubhouse and an athletic center that houses indoor tennis courts .
Among the noteworthy people who have played or visited Belle Haven are President Bill Clinton , Bob Hope , Arnold Palmer , former PGA Tour commissioner Deane Beman and major champions Ken Venturi and Rich Beem , as well as Vinny Giles , winner of both the U . S . and British Amateur titles and a past VSGA president .
Perhaps its most famous member was Bernard Schriever , who was a leading proponent of expanding the course to 18 holes in the 1940s He won the men ’ s club championship in 1947 and served as club president in 1949 . Schriever went on to attain the rank of general in the U . S . Air Force and became the architect of America ’ s intercontinental ballistic missile program , a Cold War achievement that landed him on the cover of Time magazine in 1957 .
Among current members , the most decorated golfer is Mimi Hoffman . She ’ s tied for seventh all-time in VSGA titles with seven , including the Women ’ s Amateur in 1999 , five Senior Women ’ s Amateurs ( 2006 , ’ 11 , ’ 14 , ’ 16 and ’ 19 ) and the Senior Women ’ s Stroke Play in 2014 . On the men ’ s side , member Jimmy Taylor won the VSGA Amateur in 2021 .
“ We ’ re a club that enjoys and appreciates golf played at a high level ,” said John Kauzlarich , Belle Haven ’ s PGA director of golf .
Held annually since 1949 , the Belle Haven Four-Ball tournament draws many of the top amateurs from across the mid-Atlantic region . It ’ s one of the most anticipated and prestigious four-ball events on the calendar for competitive amateur golfers . Over the years , participants have included champions of the U . S ., British and Senior British Amateurs , while others have gone on to compete successfully on the PGA , Champions and Korn Ferry tours .
For the past five years , the club also has been a host site for a U . S . Women ’ s Open sectional qualifying tournament .
The club is surrounded by the Belle Haven residential community and within view of many historic landmarks .
20 V IRGINIA G OLFER | M AY / J UNE 2024