LONG BEFORE THE FIRST TEE SHOT at the Korn Ferry Tour Championship, preparations were underway at The Federal Club for what promises to be the most significant tournament in the club’ s history. While the goal is to prepare a championship golf course, Director of Agronomy Ryan Holbrook knows the real work extends far beyond the turf: He’ s also preparing the people who will bring it all to life.
Every agronomic decision— from mowing heights and irrigation to bunker preparation and course setup— has been made with championship week in mind. The same is true of personnel decisions. Yet unlike so many aspects of tournament planning, course conditions remain at the mercy of Virginia’ s unpredictable weather, where weeks of preparation can be altered by a single storm or heat wave.
Success won’ t be measured in compliments or headlines for Holbrook. In fact, the best outcome is for no one to notice his work at all. His goal is to simply present a golf course that is demanding, fair, and never becomes part of the story.
“ I don’ t want it to come down to a stroke that we did something on or someone didn’ t like something we did,” Holbrook said.
At The Federal Club, that pursuit begins with creating consistent playing conditions. That’ s no small task in Virginia’ s transition zone, an area the United States Golf Association defines as“ too far north to grow warm-season grasses well and too far south to grow cool-season grasses well,” forcing turf managers to adapt constantly.
Each morning begins while the course is still wrapped in darkness, as Holbrook’ s crew mows greens, rakes bunkers, sets tees and hole locations, and prepares the course for member play. The Federal Club is one of the few courses in the Richmond area maintained entirely with cool-season turf, featuring bentgrass greens, tees, and fairways framed by turftype tall fescue rough. While those grasses reach their peak in October— perfect timing for the Korn Ferry Tour Championship— they require careful management to survive Virginia’ s punishing summer.
When the final putt drops on Oct. 11, 20 players will earn PGA TOUR cards, making every shot and every bounce matter. That reality only heightens the responsibility on Holbrook and his maintenance team to deliver a golf course worthy of deciding careers.
Preparing The Federal Club for the Korn Ferry Tour Championship
12 V IRGINIA G OLFER | S EPTEMBER / O CTOBER 2026