GreatHoles
HOLE NO.
17
Boonsboro Country Club By Lauren Greenlief
Set in the rolling hills of Virginia’ s Piedmont region, Boonsboro Country Club is a classic golf course that has hosted many notable events. In 1923, Willie Park Jr. approved the site of the golf course and routing. The design was later completed by Fred Findlay and opened for play in 1929. Findlay’ s design flows naturally with the land, features movement both left and right, and challenges golfers with small, heavily contoured greens.
Even though Boonsboro only measures 6,817 yards, the layout has stood the test of time and challenged the region’ s best golfers. The club has hosted 45 VSGA championships, including the 2023 VSGA Amateur Championship during the club’ s centennial year. Boonsboro has proudly hosted the Fox Puss Invitational since 1971 and the Donna Andrews Invitational since 2019, drawing top women’ s amateurs nationwide.
PIVOTAL CLOSING STRETCH
The last three holes at Boonsboro create an exciting finish to any tournament round. Players are given a scoring opportunity with the reachable par-5 16th hole but then face stern tests on 17 and 18. The 17th hole is a demanding par 3 with a small and sloping green. The 18th hole requires a well-hit tee shot and accurate approach shot back towards the scenic clubhouse. If players can navigate this stretch at even par or better, they have a good chance of hoisting a trophy.
A TRULY DEMANDING PAR 3
The tee boxes at the par-3 17th hole range from 70 yards all the way to 227 yards from the back tee. Regardless of the tee played, the shot is demanding and requires accuracy to a green complex that is only 14 paces wide and 24 paces deep. The green is surrounded by a small bunker short and left and another larger bunker to the right of the green. The green slopes severely back to front and towards the centerline. Approach shots that miss the green pin high and beyond will leave a very fast and difficult chip shot. Par is always a good score on Boonsboro’ s 17th hole, which played as the third-most difficult hole in both the 2023 VSGA Amateur Championship and the Donna Andrews Invitational( multiple years of play).
CHRIS LANG
10 V IRGINIA G OLFER | S EPTEMBER / O CTOBER 2026