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Virginia Golfer
A R O U N D T H E
COMMON WEALTH
MELANIE WALKER P . 12
compiled by CHRIS LANG
» Virginia golf & the people who make it great
6 OPENING DRIVE 7 TOURNAMENT ROUNDUPS 10 MEMBER STORIES 12 NEXT UP 14 RULES
Giving For The Greater Good
by MATT POCHILY
SARA BUECHLER
The idea of ‘ giving ’ in golf isn ’ t always a comfortable one . Often , it ’ s that we ’ re giving putts to a playing partner or competitor who hit it close to the hole , likely close enough they won ’ t miss , and now we ’ re forced to make our putt to tie the hole .
Giving comes in a lot of different forms though , even before golfers reach that level of competition . We give the gifts of clubs , balls and training aids at birthdays and holidays . PGA and LPGA professionals give lessons , and offer clinics and programs . We often give tips and swing thoughts , unsolicited , to struggling playing partners . And too often we give away shots coming down the stretch of a round by blocking a ball into the trees or missing a short putt .
We can see now how the idea of ‘ giving ’ is central to the golf experience .
As we close out the first full year with the VSGA as a 501 ( c )( 3 ), I want to recap for you how the collective financial giving of the VSGA membership has had an impact on golf in Virginia .
Starting at the Tour level , former VSGA member Lanto Griffin ’ s birdie pledge during
The annual Spencer-Wilkinson Benefit Tournament offers golfers a fun day on the course while also funding scholarships for college-bound girls with an interest in golf .
the four majors and Players Championship in 2021 raised enough money to pay for nearly 2,500 Youth on Course rounds here in the Commonwealth . Equally as exciting was the support of Lanto ' s pledge from the VSGA membership . More than two-thirds of the funds raised during the campaign came from VSGA member , rather than Lanto himself .
The enthusiasm all have seen for Youth on Course was inspiring throughout the year .
vsga . org N OVEMBER / D ECEMBER 2021 | V IRGINIA G OLFER 5