Belmont Golf Course

If you're ever in Richmond, VA and want to play golf, then my first recommendation is the Belmont Golf Course. It was the Hermitage Country Club, but Henrico County took it over and it is now a public course. It is the course where Sam Snead won the the 1949 P.G.A. Championship.

Green fees are $22 with a $3 discount for Henrico County residents. (Another $3 for twilight.) I love to play after 2:00 for only $16. The signature hole is the 5th hole. It is a 438-yard dogleg right. (470 yards for you blue-tee maniacs).

You can take a risk and try to cut the corner over some cottonwood trees, but if you miss, it is dead and probably destined for the lateral water hazard. The more cautious tee shot is straight down the fairway leaving most people about 200 yards to the hole. The second half of the fairway is slightly downhill to a creek and then uphill to the green. The overall effect is slightly uphill.

So the recommended way to play the hole is to hit 3-wood or driver to the safe part of the fairway, take a hybrid to the hole, and then use your short game to get par. A bogey is respectable. Take it and run like hell to the next tee.

Let's take a look at how I played it today:

1. Sliced it into the lateral water hazard.
2. Dropped.
3. Still no shot to the green, so punched it back into the fairway just short of the creek.
4. Played an easy 7 iron to the back of the green, 60 feet from the hole..
5. I love a good 3 putt!

A nice, smooth 7. Take that Sam Snead!

Today's Round:

51 on the front 9.
41 on the back 9.