I had been thinking about making a trip out to Richmond to play the Belmont Golf Course for over a month but there was no real plan in place.

It was June, which is a tricky time if you have a young family. Blame it on work, vacation planning, the NBA Finals, what have you, the trip was a goal but not a necessity. I am sure most middle aged golfers with a few toddlers running around at home can relate.

But… as sometimes happens in life, a combination of factors came together that allowed me a guilt free opening to take a solid 8 hours off from my regular life to go and play a round. At age 43, I know how rare this circumstance is and I was not going to pass it up by playing my standard 9-hole round at Jefferson District in Falls Church. 

The first question one may ask if you are not a Virginia golf history buff (which I am not) is “Why Belmont?”. 

Well, for a while now I have been thinking about how the game of golf offers something that most activities in life cannot. Something that combines what we love doing with a tangible connection to history.

So, as I drove down I-95 on the Friday after July 4th, I was contemplating the question:

What is the closest we can get to actually experiencing history?

Staring up at the ceiling in Sistine Chapel counts for sure.  Watching a Shakespearean play in its original text, definitely. Watching an old movie or a sporting event in its entirety for the first time, somewhat eye opening. But one common denominator in these examples is that we are passive observers. 

Playing a round of golf on a historic golf course may be one of the last true vessels that allow us, in a way, to travel back in time to both experience and engage with a historical setting.

In Virginia, the one course that is unrivaled with historical significance is the Belmont Golf Course in Richmond, and here is why….

The Hermitage: One of Virginia’s first Golf Club 

At the turn of the century, the game of golf was still relatively new to the Americas, and even more so in Virginia. Around the year 1900, there were only a handful of golf clubs that had an official presence in the Commonwealth, some of which are still around today.  

That list includes the Washington Golf Club which is still present in Arlington, the Hampton Roads Golf & Country Club, the Roanoke Country Club (also still around today) and the Hermitage Golf Club. 

The Hermitage Club was officially opened in 1900, led by the efforts of Berkeley Williams,  a local purchasing agent for the Richmond Traction Company, who believed that the establishment of a golf course would drive traffic along newly built trolley lines running to the west end of Richmond. He gathered a few of his business buddies and pretty soon the Hermitage opened its first 9-hole course near the city’s Fair Grounds. 

17 years later the city approved the construction of the new Broad Street railway station on the same land where the Hermitage Club was located and so the club decided to move to a new location on Hilliard Road in Henrico County, the same site as the Belmont Course today.

The new course was designed by A.W. Tillinghast, who would become one of the most prolific golf course architects in history, working on at least 265 courses spanning his career.

Tillinghast worked hard and played hard. He loved himself a stiff drink, a poker game and whatever other pleasure he could find. He was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2015. Many say that the defining feature of his courses is the lack of a defining feature. 

If you have a spare 8 minutes, I highly suggest you watch the video below that provides real insights into Tillinghast’s fascinating life career.

The 1949 PGA Championship

In 1949, the Hermitage Club hosted the PGA Championship, the only men’s major tournament ever hosted in the state of Virginia. That alone makes this course iconic for any Virginia Golfer…but there’s more. 

Going into the tournament the last week of May, the two favorites were Johnny Palmer and Virginia’s own Sam Snead who had just won the Masters Tournament a month or so before. 

I am not going to deep dive into Sam Snead’s career today, but I do want to inform/remind anyone who is reading this of one of his records that remains unbeaten: 82 PGA Tour Victories tied with none other than Tiger Woods. If you want a deep dive on Snead, check out the video below:

Back to the tournament. Palmer and Snead breezed through the open rounds and met in the Final on May 31st. Believe it or not, the format of play during this time required both finalists to play 36 holes on the final day, broken up between morning and afternoon rounds.. Brutal. 

At the end of the first round both men were even after Snead birdied the 17th hole and Palmer bogeyed the 18th. It was early in the second round that Snead started to pull away. He birdied holes 4, 6 and 7 establishing a 3 stroke lead. Despite a bogey on the 9th hole, Snead reestablished a 3 stroke lead on the 31st hole which he maintained with the championship.

Here is how it all played out. 

Sam Snead, at 37, became the oldest winner of the PGA Championship, a record he still holds. This victory marked the second of his three PGA Championship wins and his fourth of seven major titles. Snead had an exceptional year in 1949, having already won the Masters in April. His victory at the PGA Championship made him the first golfer to win both the Masters and the PGA Championship in the same calendar year, a feat that has only been accomplished four times in history. Snead was followed by Jack Burke Jr. in 1956, and Jack Nicklaus in 1963 and 1975.

My Most Memorable Round of 2024

My journey to Belmont Golf Course in Richmond, VA, began with a drive on I-95 past Fredericksburg. As you get past Quantico, the landscape starts to open up with more trees, signaling the beginning of the actual golf trip. This is where you feel like you've left Fairfax County and started your adventure. Passing Quantico and Prince William Forest Park offers a more scenic route, touching on a bit of history.

For those looking for a truly nostalgic experience, take Route 1 South and get off at I-95. The drive feels like a step back in time, with cornfields, farms, furniture shops, and rundown shacks reminiscent of 1949. As you pass into Hanover County, you feel far removed from Northern Virginia life, in a very good way.

Upon arriving at Billard Road off Highway 1, you find yourself a few minutes away from history. Initially, the parking and finding the clubhouse can be a bit confusing, as there isn't a traditional clubhouse or pro shop. Instead, there's a little shack where you sign in and can get a medium bucket of balls for $11.50. The putting practice facility is nice, though you have to walk a bit to reach the first tee. The surroundings are quiet and serene, albeit slightly underwhelming at first glance.

My Round Details & Course Notes

Hole 1: The first hole is a par 4 with a straightforward layout and some challenging bunkers in front. I had a decent tee shot that curved right. The starter, Matt, advised avoiding the deep bunkers, which turned out to be sound advice. My second shot was one of the best of my life, landing right in the middle of the green, though I ended up with a five after a missed putt.

Hole 2: This par 4 hole is 375 yards long. I had a great drive over the right-side bunker but ended up with a 7 after struggling in a deep bunker.

Hole 3: A par 5, 485 yards, with a hard-to-see hole from the tee. I had a great second shot with my hybrid and parred the hole.

Hole 4: Another par 5, 505 yards, and the longest hole on the course. I had my first bad tee shot of the day but managed to save a bogey.

Hole 5: A tough hole for me, where I ended up with an eight after multiple mishaps, including two bad chip shots and a bunker.

Hole 6: A decent tee shot and a challenging second shot that I topped. A good chip shot got me on the green, but I ended up with a double bogey.

Hole 7: The first par 3 of the day. I missed the green off the drive and ended up with a bogey.

Hole 8: A good drive kept me on the fairway, but a poor second shot under the trees led to a double bogey.

Hole 9: I sliced my drive but managed to keep it in play. After a decent second shot and a close chip, I ended up with a bogey.

Hole 10: A completely sliced first drive led to a mulligan and a shot into the bunker. I saved a double bogey.

Hole 11: A par 4 with one of my best tee shots of the day. I saved a bogey after a decent second shot and a good chip.

Walking under the tunnel to the 12th hole provided a nice break from the sun on a hot day.

Hole 12: The last par 3 of the day, 170 yards. My tee shot landed 10 feet from the pin, but I ended with a bogey after some putting issues.

Overall, it was a good first round on a great course despite being only 12 holes. The fairways were wide and forgiving, and the course was clean and flat, making it easy to see the ball. It was a round steeped in history and a memorable adventure at Belmont Golf Course.

For those of you looking to connect with a historical golf experience, for which you did need to dig into your own suspension of disbelief, I highly recommend Belmont. You won’t be disappointed.