Virginia Golfer Sep / Oct 2018 | Page 19

GreatHoles No. 7 T EVERGREEN COUNTRY CLUB by DAVID PARTRIDGE his year marks the 50th anniversary of the opening of Evergreen Country Club in Haymarket. Located in western Prince William County at the foot of Bull Run Mountain, the club was built on a beautiful former 600-acre farm that features gently rolling terrain, open fields, and woodlands that combine with several strategic water hazards to form a picturesque setting for this superb course designed by Algie Pulley. To commemorate Evergreen’s 50th anniversary, club mem- bers—both past and present—will hold a special golf tournament on Columbus Day. This celebration, entitled Honoring our Past and Starting a New Tradition of Giving, will include a party for all the participants, and a local charity to be selected by the winner of the tournament will be awarded the proceeds of what promises to be a fantastic event. One of the finest holes at Evergreen is the lovely 7th, a short but challenging par-3 played completely over water to a very deep green that falls off on all sides. The hazard borders very close to the putting surface—especially on the left side—and four tees provide different angles of play and elevations to keep this hole a fresh challenge round after round. With the nearby water lying in wait and two flanking bunkers guarding the green, the 7th demands an accurate tee shot and excellent distance control. While the relatively open right side appears to be the place to miss, heavy rough and the elevated put- ting surface make it very difficult to recover for par from that side. The green is steadily pitched from the back to front so tee shots fin- ishing below the hole are at a distinct advantage on the slick, slop- vsga.org ing putting sur- face. Par is always a good score on this devilish hole. Evergreen has a YARDAGES long, storied his- tory of supporting White: Black: and nurturing golf 155 yards 151 yards in the Common- wealth. The club Blue: Green/Red/Gold: has played host to 133 yards 154 yards numerous VSGA events over the years including the State Open and the Four-Ball Champion- ship as well as numerous One-Day Events and USGA qualifiers for national championships. In August, it hosted the 72nd VSGA Women’s State Team Matches. Apart from these tournaments, the club is the annual venue for the Dave King Senior Invitational as well as the club’s signature event, the Evergreen Autumn Invitational. The Dave King Senior Invitational—a Golfweek national ranking event—is a premier tournament for older golfers and every year this championship draws a superb field of senior players from across the country. PAR 3 A five-time VSGA Player of the Year and a multi-time winner of the VSGA Amateur, Mid-Amateur and Senior Amateur, David Partridge is the author of this series. David lives in the Richmond area and works as a mortgage banker. S E P T E M B E R / O C T O B E R 2 0 18 | V I R G I N I A G O L F E R 17