GreatHoles
No . 17 by
OLE MONTEREY GOLF CLUB
DAVID PARTRIDGE
Ole Monterey Golf Club in Roanoke is celebrating
its centennial in 2020 . Originally named Mountain View Golf Club because of the beautiful , panoramic views the course offers of the Blue Ridge Mountains , downtown Roanoke , and Mill Mountain Star ( a symbolic , cultural landmark of the “ Star City ”), Ole Monterey has been serving golfers of the Roanoke Valley since 1920 .
Ole Monterey is one of only about a handful of courses in the commonwealth laid out by William Flynn , although his Virginia designs include such masterpieces as The Country Club of Virginia James River Course — site of two U . S . Amateurs and the Dominion Energy Charity Classic — and The Cascades Golf Course at The Omni Homestead Resort , which many experts consider the finest mountain course in the world .
Flynn , although not as heralded as such iconic architects like MacKenzie , Tillinghast , Macdonald , and Ross because he did not produce as many courses , was nonetheless a marvelous designer who rightfully belongs to golf ’ s pantheon of great architects . Famous for his meticulous , brilliant course routings , Flynn used the natural landscape in his designs — particularly his bunkering — to create such paragons as Shinnecock Hills , Merion East ( Hugh Wilson is credited , but Flynn played a major role ), The Country Club , Cherry Hills , Kittansett , as well as many others .
We see an excellent example of Flynn using the natural topography on the beautiful 17th hole at Ole Monterey . This straightaway par-5 sits ideally on the land and the bunkers are perfectly positioned to create a hole that is both in harmony with the geography and very pleasing to the eye . Combine this first-rate design with the beautiful vista of mountains and the city in the background , and you are left to admire an outstanding hole that is very symbolic of Flynn ’ s artistry .
Arnold Palmer has two historic connections with Ole Monterey Golf Club . Johnny Johnson , a former
Blue 521 yards
White 492 yards
Gold 435 yards
PAR 5
YARDAGES
Green 414 yards
Red 409 yards
pro at the club who also played and later coached at Wake Forest University , was very instrumental in recruiting Palmer to attend Wake . In 1957 , the year before his first victory in The Masters , Palmer captured the inaugural Mountain View Invitational and won $ 350 . Following his victory , the ever-gracious Palmer said , “ It was a mighty fine tournament and you folks here have a wonderful golf course .”
A five-time VSGA Player of the Year , David Partridge is a member of the 2020 Class of the Virginia Golf Hall of Fame . David lives in the Richmond area and works as a mortgage banker .
JON HOOD
18 V IRGINIA G OLFER | N OVEMBER / D ECEMBER 2020
vsga . org