Augustine Golf Club The Logo Ball Traveler site had its beginnings due to my Quest to play every golf course that has ever made an appearance on Golf Magazine's biennial "Top 100 You Can Play" list. On this list have been 202 courses since first published in 1996. An important consideration of my 2014 Spring Trip was to play the remaining Virginia courses on the list. Augustine Golf Club in Stafford, VA was one of the five I intended to play. But it almost didn't work out.
My road schedule called for a Sunday morning tee time on April 6. But when I first inquired in late February, I was told by Augustine's Head Golf Professional, Dave Finocchiaro that play would be open on a limited basis (four tee times for 16 members only) that morning due to one of the club's largest outings of the year that afternoon. The course had to be clear for a shotgun start. Of course, I asked Dave to consider me for one of the 16 slots if by chance, the tee times were not filled. Dave asked me to call back April 1 to see if my request could be accommodated. As it turned out, I was in luck and Augustine became the 155th course I've played from the list.
My road schedule called for a Sunday morning tee time on April 6. But when I first inquired in late February, I was told by Augustine's Head Golf Professional, Dave Finocchiaro that play would be open on a limited basis (four tee times for 16 members only) that morning due to one of the club's largest outings of the year that afternoon. The course had to be clear for a shotgun start. Of course, I asked Dave to consider me for one of the 16 slots if by chance, the tee times were not filled. Dave asked me to call back April 1 to see if my request could be accommodated. As it turned out, I was in luck and Augustine became the 155th course I've played from the list.
Rob Broxtan, Dave Burlinson, Don Ryalls Augustine Golf Club made its appearance on the 1998 List at number 94. Augustine Washington, the father of our first president, owned the Ferry Farm in Stafford County and the home on the Ferry Farm is also known as George Washington's boyhood home. This piece of Virginia is dripping with American History and the town of Stafford, also the county seat of Stafford County, is 42 miles south of Washington DC on I-95.
Augustine, designed by Rick Jacobson (a Jack Nicklaus protege), opened in 1995. The course is built on rolling hills surrounded by many hardwood trees with streams and natural wetlands in play throughout. The club, like many in an industry so dependent on a healthy economy, has had its challenges but after being acquired by Raspberry Golf Management in 2011, is clearly on the upswing. The course is located in the middle of residential housing but interestingly, only a few of the homes can be seen from the course and they are situated such that they rarely come into play. The club is blessed with a sprawling 14,000 square foot clubhouse with a veranda that overlooks the 18th green below.
When I arrived, the staff at Augustine rolled out the red carpet for me. I was introduced to my cart partner for the day, Don Ryalls, who took me on a tour of the clubhouse, all the while providing kernels of trivia about the course's history since he's been at Augustine from the start. Augustine had a spectacular beginning but the economy and a foreign absentee owner took its toll on the club and it fell into a state of disrepair due to diminishing funds.
Rescued by Raspberry Golf Management, the injection of funds provided a needed refurbishment of the clubhouse but more importantly, the golf course itself. The course was closed for 10 months in 2011 while the greens were reseeded and many trees, which had overgrown into the original course's intended line of play, were trimmed back or removed.
The morning was crisp and clear as Don introduced me to many of the members playing that morning. Don and I were paired with Rob Broxtan and Dave Burlinson. A colder than usual late winter and early spring still had the course in a state of dormancy. After a warm up on Augustine's excellent practice facility, we began play.
Augustine has five sets of tees with a par of 71. There are four par 3's but only three par 5's. It plays 6725 yards from the back (black) tees. The member tees play at 6309 yards to a course rating of 71.4 and a slope of 137. The course was still wet from a recent freak early spring snowstorm which made it play much longer than the stated yardage and early on, the dew on the greens made putting even more challenging.
Augustine, designed by Rick Jacobson (a Jack Nicklaus protege), opened in 1995. The course is built on rolling hills surrounded by many hardwood trees with streams and natural wetlands in play throughout. The club, like many in an industry so dependent on a healthy economy, has had its challenges but after being acquired by Raspberry Golf Management in 2011, is clearly on the upswing. The course is located in the middle of residential housing but interestingly, only a few of the homes can be seen from the course and they are situated such that they rarely come into play. The club is blessed with a sprawling 14,000 square foot clubhouse with a veranda that overlooks the 18th green below.
When I arrived, the staff at Augustine rolled out the red carpet for me. I was introduced to my cart partner for the day, Don Ryalls, who took me on a tour of the clubhouse, all the while providing kernels of trivia about the course's history since he's been at Augustine from the start. Augustine had a spectacular beginning but the economy and a foreign absentee owner took its toll on the club and it fell into a state of disrepair due to diminishing funds.
Rescued by Raspberry Golf Management, the injection of funds provided a needed refurbishment of the clubhouse but more importantly, the golf course itself. The course was closed for 10 months in 2011 while the greens were reseeded and many trees, which had overgrown into the original course's intended line of play, were trimmed back or removed.
The morning was crisp and clear as Don introduced me to many of the members playing that morning. Don and I were paired with Rob Broxtan and Dave Burlinson. A colder than usual late winter and early spring still had the course in a state of dormancy. After a warm up on Augustine's excellent practice facility, we began play.
Augustine has five sets of tees with a par of 71. There are four par 3's but only three par 5's. It plays 6725 yards from the back (black) tees. The member tees play at 6309 yards to a course rating of 71.4 and a slope of 137. The course was still wet from a recent freak early spring snowstorm which made it play much longer than the stated yardage and early on, the dew on the greens made putting even more challenging.
As I had expected, playing the course with members, people who appreciate the course and understand its nuances and who can provide local knowledge, was an absolute joy. I did not have my "A" game or even my "B" game that Sunday morning but the others did not seem to care. The lay of the land is such that the course is fair to both faders and drawers of the ball. The terrain allows for many downhill drives but uphill, blind shots are kept to a minimum. And the par 3's have an excellent variance in length (124 yards to 200 yards) with a short hole and a longer hole on each side.
Par 3 6th Hole at Augustine Golf Club
At the end of the round, I was greeted by Dave Finocchiaro, the Head Golf Professional, and thanked him for allowing me to enjoy the morning with some of his members. After a beer and a dog on the Augustine clubhouse veranda, I said my good-byes and was off to an afternoon of golf at the next stop on my trip.
Par 5 18th hole at Augustine Golf Club Looking To the Clubhouse Veranda
THE RASPBERRY GOLF TRAIL
Now that I am aware of The Raspberry Golf Trail, there is no question I will return to Augustine Golf Club. I now have The Raspberry Golf Trail in my sights. I am a sucker for Golf Trails, having played nearly every course on Alabama's Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail, North Dakota's Lewis and Clark Golf Trail, the Tennessee Golf Trail, and the Central Oregon Golf Trail among others. And in October, 2014, I'll be playing and writing about Warrior Golf Management's Eastern US Golf Trail, eleven courses scattered from southern Indiana to northern Florida. Warrior now owns 18 golf courses throughout the United States.
Augustine Golf Club is one of sixteen courses (and the southernmost) on The Raspberry Golf Trail which is made up of courses in Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Maryland. Learn more about The Raspberry Golf Trail at http://www.raspberrygolftrail.com and of course here at The Logo Ball Traveler.
Now that I am aware of The Raspberry Golf Trail, there is no question I will return to Augustine Golf Club. I now have The Raspberry Golf Trail in my sights. I am a sucker for Golf Trails, having played nearly every course on Alabama's Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail, North Dakota's Lewis and Clark Golf Trail, the Tennessee Golf Trail, and the Central Oregon Golf Trail among others. And in October, 2014, I'll be playing and writing about Warrior Golf Management's Eastern US Golf Trail, eleven courses scattered from southern Indiana to northern Florida. Warrior now owns 18 golf courses throughout the United States.
Augustine Golf Club is one of sixteen courses (and the southernmost) on The Raspberry Golf Trail which is made up of courses in Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Maryland. Learn more about The Raspberry Golf Trail at http://www.raspberrygolftrail.com and of course here at The Logo Ball Traveler.
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