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Opening Drive
Rounds Up As Another Successful Year Comes To A Close
by CHRIS LANG
THIS WILL NOT COME AS A NEWS FLASH TO ANYONE who has been paying attention to nationwide trends in golf , but the sport is continuing to thrive on the participation front , even as the pandemic ( thankfully ) wanes and people return to the office in some capacity .
Last year was a very good year for golf participation at VSGA member clubs , with 68,584 golfers posting 1.63 million rounds over the course of 2020 . That number comes with a big caveat , as numerous facilities in Virginia were shuttered for weeks at the onset of COVID in March and April .
The numbers for 2021 are even better . As of Nov . 11 , 89,053 golfers had posted 1,514,765 rounds . That ’ s a giant increase in the amount of golfers — a number that undoubtedly represents the return of interstate travel — with a projected increase to 1.75 million rounds posted by the end of the year . Compare the last two years to 2019 , when 1.1 million rounds were counted , and you can see the upward trajectory of golf participation in Virginia is continuing and shows no sign of waning .
Army Navy Country Club in Northern Virginia led the way in rounds posted in 2021 , with players at the two 27- hole facilities posting 42,664 rounds through Nov . 11 .
Golfers at the Country Club of Virginia , Ford ’ s Colony Country Club , and Hermitage Country Club all eclipsed the 25,000-round mark in 2021 .
Who led the way for public facilities ? Rock Harbor Golf Course in Winchester saw 15,750 rounds posted , one of four public facilities with over 10,000 rounds . Magnolia Green Golf Club in Moseley , Virginia Beach National Golf Club , and Twin Lakes Golf Course in Fairfax were the others . ( Again , all numbers as of Nov . 11 .)
What ’ s the forecast for 2022 ? It ’ s hard to tell . That seems like a copout answer , but much depends on how companies across the state and country handle a return to normalcy , whatever that may mean . For now , at least , the traditional workweek seems like it may become a part of the pre-pandemic past . There ’ s ample evidence of companies large and small permanently moving to a hybrid work model that values employee flexibility over a five-day , in-office regimen .
Either way , the surge in participation has been a welcome by-product of a trying couple of years . We ’ re excited to see the growth continue in 2022 .
One piece of housekeeping to note : Due to unforeseen circumstances , Jim Ducibella ’ s My Turn column will not appear in this issue . Expect it to return early in 2022 .
As always , my email inbox is open for any story ideas . Thank you to all VSGA members for a great 2021 !
Chris Lang , Editor clang @ vsga . org
Giving For The Greater Good cont ' d ...
Top amateurs , weekend golfers and club pros alike were struck by the opportunity to give access to golf for youth and put together their own fundraisers to support Youth on Course , raising enough to cover the estimated 500 Youth on Course rounds to be played in Virginia this year .
In 2021 , the Virginia Golf Hall of Fame was the recipient of spectacular corporate giving with multi-year commitments from Hourigan Construction , Lansing Building Supplies , Markel , Marsh McLennan Agency , and Virginia Green , with additional support from TSW . This demonstration of corporate philanthropy is a tremendous gift to the Hall of Fame and statement of the value it has in the Virginia golf landscape .
In 2021 , the VSGA-VIP Scholarship Foundation awarded $ 91,500
to 31 students with an interest in golf .
The VSGA-VIP Scholarship Foundation again experienced a banner year both on the giving and receiving ends . The Foundation continues to benefit from generous donors making donations on top of their VIP Golf Card purchases , as well as generous donors and events that support the named scholarships within the VSGA-VIP Scholarship Foundation . On the giving end of the VIP Scholarship Foundation , the organization gave $ 91,500 to 31 deserving college-bound and turfgrass students to continue their education .
With such generosity across the Commonwealth , it becomes easier to see the concept of ‘ giving ’ within golf as being a good thing that has a tremendous impact on the health and future of the game in Virginia . To make a gift of your own , please visit
VSGA . org / Engage / Donate and select the fund you would like to support .
6 V IRGINIA G OLFER | N OVEMBER / D ECEMBER 2021
vsga . org