A Bath County resident since the late 1990s, Christenbury helped oversee the fourth annual Virginia Highlands Youth Golf Academy outing in August, a fundraiser for the nonprofit organization she helped found.

The Academy offers weekend golf instruction five months a year for kids ages 6-12 and 13-18 from Bath, Highland, and Alleghany counties. Each July, it hosts a three-day gathering at the Omni Homestead— golf and all expenses paid.

Support comes from Christenbury’ s women’ s golf group, Challenge in the Mountains, in addition to Homestead Club members, private donors, and Omni Resorts, which donates the facilities and staff time.

Members of the 2025 Bath County Chargers golf team.

After bringing together 100 women for the Challenge in the Mountains event, which funneled money into the summer youth program, Christenbury approached Homestead director of golf Mark Fry to ask what more could be done.

Fry mentioned that Bath County High School hadn’ t fielded a golf team for several years.

He had a point. Despite the chance to call the historic Old Course home, participation dwindled from four players in 2019— most teams have about 12— to two players in 2023. Last season? None.

Now, BCHS golf is back, thanks to Kampf’ s persistence.

A former captain at South Lakes High School in Northern Virginia, Kampf made about 30 phone calls to prospective players after taking the job. Four ultimately joined him. Another five wandered in, including freshman Atticus Stauffer, now the team’ s best player. Three of his teammates are also freshmen. Two seniors, one junior, and one sophomore round out a roster people didn’ t think would exist.

“ Bret’ s done a remarkable job,” Christenbury said.“ He’ s just so good with the kids.”

Even though they started the season with no scheduled matches, Kampf’ s squad finished with a 7-7 record and a second-place finish in the Pioneer District tournament.

“ We have already caught up with the competition,” Kampf said,“ and we are looking to take the district title next year.”

From there, the story took a turn straight out of " The Twilight Zone." On the second day of practice, Kampf was teaching his players“ who’ d never played a full round and didn’ t know a birdie from a bogey” how to tend the flag. A ball landed two steps short of the 17th green, rolled through Kampf’ s legs, and into the hole— hit, fittingly, by a former BCHS player.

Then there was“ Sammy,” a hawk that nested above the practice green. Named by the players for local legend Sam Snead, the bird had been missing for years but began making regular flyovers during practices and matches.

“ I told every visiting team,” Kampf said,“‘ If you ever find yourself struggling, look up into the trees and listen to the wind. You might get a tip from Sam Snead.’”

Snead— and what Kampf calls his“ legend”— are frequent topics of conversation among the team. And who better to lend perspective than Don Ryder, longtime Homestead pro, Snead confidant, and Virginia Golf Hall of Fame member, who served as Kampf’ s assistant coach.

Kampf said local enthusiasm has been remarkable.“ Now that they see kids on the course, grandparents are asking about junior programs for next summer,” he noted.“ They want their grandkids to come live with them for a couple months.”

He didn’ t realize how much it meant for people to see a Bath County golf team back in action.“ Now that the team is here,” Kampf said,“ people tell me,‘ This is the way it should be.’”

COURTESY PHOTO