Looking ahead
Looking ahead
The Singletons want Hat Creek to be a community where everyone feels like family.
more vital Brookneal community gathering place. Pickleball courts are under construction just outside the clubhouse. The old cow barn next to the clubhouse— a relic of Hat Creek’ s farm days— could become a banquet hall. There are plans to add a big rock wall and a fireplace left of the clubhouse, along with a balcony overlooking the 9th green for tournaments, weddings, pickleball events, socials, and more.
The club purchased a launch monitor last year, stocks a full pro shop, and offers club fittings and lessons. And Glennie’ s secret recipe burger is a hit on the reasonably priced Glennie’ s Grill menu. You’ ll even see her in the back on occasion still, flipping burgers, making anyone who comes through feel like they’ re part of the family.
“ You want to give everybody in the community everything that they need here versus making them go someplace else to get that stuff,” Jacob said.
Jacob will get some help in June in the form of Hat Creek’ s first official golf professional. Ike Joy, who finishes his LU career this spring, is set to join the staff in June. Sometimes distance can be a gift, and Jacob’ s time away from home made him appreciate the mission in front of him. He could have never taken this on when he was 23, but now he says he’ s in it for the long haul.
“ I think I’ ve really caught wind and sign of the vision of just stewarding,” Jacob said.“ I see it as a stewardship of what the Lord has given our family.”
On this particular morning at Hat Creek, a lot of familiar faces come through the clubhouse. There’ s Rodney Pillow, father of Jacob’ s good friend Corbin and son of Reginald, who helped
I THINK I’ VE REALLY CAUGHT WIND AND SIGN OF THE VISION OF JUST STEWARDING. I SEE IT AS A STEWARDSHIP OF WHAT THE LORD HAS GIVEN
OUR FAMILY.
”
— JACOB SINGLETON
James build the original Hat Creek layout. There’ s George Clark, a longtime football and basketball coach at William Campbell who mentored Pro Football Hall of Famer Charles Haley, among others. There’ s Noah Jennings, a teammate of Josiah’ s on that state championship team, stopping by to hit a large bucket at the range.
Glennie sits at a table, taking it all in. Generations of her family working in tandem to make an old farm a thriving community hub as a golf course.
“ Oh, it means everything to me,” she said.“ That they’ ve loved it enough to keep it going.”
vsga. org M AY / J UNE 2026 | V IRGINIA G OLFER 29