Contents
NOV/DEC 2019
FEATURES
14 24 28
From the fringes of
professional golf to earning
an invite to The Masters, how
Blacksburg’s Lanto Griffin made
his second chance on the PGA
Tour count. A pair of VSGA members
and self-professed golf
nerds have built a new-age
lifestyle around an old-boys’
tradition. Ireland native turned
Warrenton resident Barry
McMahon is teaching the
game that saved his life.
Lanto’s Leap
Sugar Rush
Barry’s
Breakthrough
AROUND THE COMMONWEALTH DEPARTMENTS
5 One World, One System RULES
Set to debut in January 2020, the World Handicap System
will ensure equitable competition across the globe.
12 Accidents Happen
I accidentally moved my ball. What do I do now?
GREAT HOLES
CHAMPIONSHIPS
8 T
he Fall Finish
Recapping the winners of the closing stretch of VSGA
championships in 2019.
NEWS AND NOTES
10 State Open Seeks New Home
The 2020 event will be the last held at Roanoke’s
Ballyhack Golf Club.
13 No. 8 at The Highland Course at Primland
This downhill par-3 provides a major challenge at
one of southern Virginia’s most picturesque venues.
VIRGINIA EXPLORER
30 South Carolina’s Island Playground
As the 60th anniversary of Hilton Head Island golf
approaches, the “Golf Island” is getting better with age.
INSTRUCTION
34 Get in Great Golf Shape
To improve your game, fitness and instruction should go
hand in hand.
EQUIPMENT
38 Wish List
Buying the golfers in your life a thoughtful gift has never
been easier.
MY TURN
40 A Familiar Voice
For Virginia Beach native Carl Paulson, radio is home.
inside
THE BEST OF 2019:
VSGA’S GOLFERS OF THE YEAR
Virginia Golfer
HILTON HEAD ISLAND:
TRAVELING TO SOUTH CAROLINA’S
PRESTIGIOUS GOLF PLAYGROUND
Offi cial publication of the Virginia
State Golf Association as a service
to its more than 72,000 members.
NOVEMBER | DECEMBER 2019
$2.95 vsga.org
Lanto’s
Leap
Virginia’s own
Lanto Griffin
is flying high
after his first
PGA Tour win
ON THE COVER:
Lanto Griffin’s moment
of triumph Oct. 13 at the
Houston Open. (AP photo)
Lanto Griffi n entered a new
chapter of his career by winning
the Houston Open on Oct. 13.
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