It started in 2004 when Shannon Mueller walked into Chris Hartig’ s Kingsmill office with a proposal:“ Let’ s work together on golf packages. I’ ll provide the rooms via my company, E Golf Williamsburg; you provide the golf.”

It was a natural fit. Mueller was involved in the hotel and marketing industry in Williamsburg, helping her family with several venues. In addition to being a PGA professional, Hartig had experience marketing the sport. He also carried a sense of disappointment that his vision for golf in the Commonwealth wasn’ t shared by the Virginia Tourism Corporation or other governing bodies of Virginia golf.

“ No hard feelings, no axe to grind,” Hartig says.“ I spent a couple of years trying to sell the golf story, what the economic impact could be for Virginia. There just isn’ t a lot of support for golf.”

Two years later came a second proposal— Chris asking for Shannon’ s hand in marriage— which led to a burgeoning business.

Since 2007, what is now Virginia Golf Vacations has grown from golf and total room-night sales of $ 250,000 to $ 3 million and 20,000 rounds. What once was a Williamsburg-centric operation now covers

an ever-increasing part of the state— and nearly 40 courses.

Also in 2007, with an economic meltdown fast approaching, a major player in the golf travel industry collapsed, Go Golf Travel. Shannon and Chris met with the participating courses and assured them they could handle the increased workload.

“ It went from a little bit of side work to totally nuts,” he recalls.“ We were both working 10- to 12-hour-a-day jobs, then coming home and making credit charges sitting in our bedroom. We had a girl in the basement of the hotel who would book the packages, and we’ d do the paperwork on the back end.

“ We either had to hire someone to run this or one of us had to do it.”

Chris took on the task. Hartig had been at Kingsmill for 10 years, the last five as director of golf. He loved his job, but he longed for a new challenge.

Money for marketing was scarce, so Hartig created the company’ s own co-op. He approached three well-known industry veterans: Wayne Nooe at Kingsmill, Glen Byrnes at Golden Horseshoe and Tom Stevenson at Bay Creek. All said yes; others joined in as well. There are constant challenges, the greatest of which is wooing customers away from Ocean City, Maryland, Pinehurst and Myrtle Beach.

Chris and

Shannon Hartig balance marriage and a thriving golf travel business.

Many drive through or fly over Viginia on their way to North or South Carolina.

That’ s like taking the mound to face Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig and Joe DiMaggio. At one time, courses in Ocean City paid $ 10,000 annually to participate in a marketing co-op. He’ s not sure what courses in Myrtle Beach pay, but he knows that South Carolina matches whatever amount. Pinehurst? Last year visitors and day trippers brought North Carolina $ 557.9 million in revenue.

“ They all have massive marketing campaigns,” he says.

You can’ t tell how much Virginia dedicates to promoting golf; the amount is mixed in with the state’ s general tourism budget. Hartig’ s members pay anywhere from a few hundred dollars to a few thousand and are guaranteed a return on their investment.

Eight years ago, after a complicated series of legal entanglements, the Hartigs transitioned from serving as consultants to an ownership group at 36-hole Williamsburg National to taking over— and ultimately resurrecting— the place.

Course conditions were abysmal. One course had to be closed. Membership had fallen to 54 who played just 19,000 rounds. As of January 2025, membership had grown to 289, playing 50,000 rounds. Williamsburg National is a viable destination for the traveler.

That challenge met, Hartig can return his attention to all aspects of the golf-package business. The Shenandoah Valley once was a favorite place for Canadian golfers. But the political climate between the two nations has eroded that bond. The question is, can it be repaired?

“ There are still areas we need to get into,” he says.“ I’ d love to get into Roanoke. We’ ve just added the Fredericksburg area, part of a campaign to highlight the I-95 corridor.”

Hartig said a couple of national golf-travel companies provide competition, though their focus is on Williamsburg.

“ When it comes to the state, we’ re kind of the experts,” he says.“ We try to give people a complete picture of how great Virginia golf is.”

CHRIS HARTIG