THE RIVER REPORT
PETE DYE RIVER COURSE OF VIRGINIA TECH
YOUR CLUB
HOURS OF OPERATION
PRESTON’S RESTAURANT*
Monday I CLOSED
Tuesday I 11:00am - 8:00pm (Bar 10:00am - 8:00pm)
Wednesday I 11:00am - 8:00pm (Bar 10:00am - 8:00pm)
Thursday I 11:00am - 8:00pm (Bar 10:00am - 8:00pm)
Friday I 11:00am - 8:00pm (Bar 10:00am - 8:00pm)
Saturday I 11:00am - 8:00pm (Bar 10:00am - 8:00pm)
Sunday I 11:00am - 5:00pm (Bar 10:00am - 5:00pm)
GOLF SHOP
Monday-Thursday I 7:00am - 6:00pm
Friday-Sunday I 6:30am - 6:00pm
PRACTICE FACILITIES
Open 30 minutes prior to first tee time
Closes at dusk
CLUB NUMBERS
Main Office Golf Shop
Restaurant Special Events
CLUB CONTACTS
CLUBHOUSE AND ADMINISTRATIVE
Michael Abraham | General Manager mabraham@petedyerivercourse.com
Fran Davis | Business Manager / Special Events fdavis@petedyerivercourse.com
FOOD AND BEVERAGE
Anastasia Kramer I Executive Chef chef@petedyerivercourse.com
Kari Kendall I Front of House & Catering Manager foh@petedyerivercourse.com
GOLF
Michael Abraham | PGA Director of Golf mabraham@petedyerivercourse com
DJ Shively | Assistant Golf Professional dj shively@petedyerivercourse com
GROUNDS
Greg Caldwell | Golf Course Superintendent greg.caldwell@petedyerivercourse.com
THE CORNER OFFICE
Dear Members,
These are my favorite two months of the year! I love the slight chill in the air and having to wear a pullover for the first part of the day This time of year takes me back to my high school golf days where the team would practice or have matches after school, leaving the course as the sun sets The leaves changing colors and falling on the ground Lots of good memories wrapped up in these next couple of months And, of course, who could forget about college and pro football resuming! I maintain my independent college team fandom, not planting a flag for one particular team; however am excited to see what the VT Hokies can do this fall We’ll also see if my San Francisco 49ers can win just one more game, one SUPER game, at this year’s end
The past two months saw two of our major golf tournaments, the Member-Guest and the Club Championship, both with favorable participation and comments from those
participants. If you haven’t had a chance to play in our tournaments this year, you need to try and get in one! There’s a perfect mix of competitiveness and fun within each event. DJ will talk more about the upcoming events later in this newsletter as there are still several events that you can take part in.
On the F&B and events side of things, we have a lot going on. We’ve been listening to feedback our members and guests have been giving us and have made some subtle changes. Our new Front of House and Catering Manager, Kari Kendall, has been doing an amazing job with coordination between the staff, the events and the bar. Kari joined our team on August 1, moving from Richmond, VA to join us. She’s an avid golfer herself, so if you don’t catch her in the restaurant, you may see her on the links! Please introduce yourself to Kari when you get a moment!
Thanks again for all the support, and we look forward to seeing you around the club soon!
Michael Abraham, PGA Master Professional General Manager / Director of Golf
The Pete Dye River Course mabraham@petedyerivercourse com
ON THE LINKS
Temperatures are cooling back down and that means it is almost time to cheer on our Hokie football team! Be on the lookout for our VT squares board on gamedays With home games, keep in mind we will experience more tee times than usual so make sure to book your times 14 days in advance to hold your place Reminder home game dates are Sep 10, Sep 21, Oct 17, Oct 26, Nov 9, and Nov 30
Congratulations to our recent champions! In July and August we held our Men’s Member-Guest and Club Championships
Men’s Member-Guest Winner - Ken Sherlock & Keith Anderson Mr Sherlock chipped in from 10 yards off the green on #18 to win the hole and the event! It was an incredible finish!
Club Champions - James Bradley (Men), Joe Rollison (Senior Men), Craig Waggaman (Super Senior Men) and Joi Crawford (Women)
We still have several golf events on the calendar! On September 12th we will be hosting a Callaway fitting day Check the weekly emails for sign-up information One week later, on the 19th, we will have our Ladies MemberGuest Then on the 22nd of September we will be holding our inaugural Ryder Cup event! Captains of this event were picked from the winner of our match play championship and the winner of our men's league Members have until the 15th to complete their qualifying rounds for this event
Some outside tournaments are coming up that will effect tee times:
Monday, Sept 9 | Western Region Jail Association
Monay, Sept 23 | Mountain Lake Vegetation Management Council
Sat/Sun, Sept 28 & 29 | National Collegiate Club Golf Association
Sat/Sun, Oct 5 & 6 | Drip Junior Golf Tour
Saturday, Oct 12 I Virginia Tech Turfgrass
Monday, Oct 14 I The Virginia Builders Foundation
DJ Shively
Assistant Golf Professional
dj shively@petedyerivercourse com
Ryder Cup Qualifying
Players have until September 15 to qualify. Play three rounds, count your two low net.
The Ryder Cup will consist of 24 players competing as two teams of twelve
There will be a draft party on Friday, September 20 and then the golf event is Sunday, September 22. We’ll play 27 holes in three 9-hole competitions formats, Alternate Shot, Better Ball and Singles.
Cost to play in the event is $75 and includes food Friday night, cart fees, a team hat, lunch Sunday and prize money for the winning team!
February
April
Pete Dye River Course
2024 Golf Schedule
July
August 10 Super Bowl Golf Tournament 6 Hokie Ball 10 Master’s Par 3 Shootout 26-28 Member-Member 12-14 Men’s Member-Guest 10-11 Club Championship
September 22 Ryder Cup
November 22 Turkey Shootout
*Events may be subject to change
Thursday Night Men’s League:
May 9 July 18
May 16 July 25
June 6 August 1
June 13 August 8
June 20 August 16
June 27
Hit N’ Giggle:
May 17 August 2
May 24 August 16
June 7 September 6
June 21 September 13
July 19
All times starting at 5:30pm for weekly formats!
TURF TALK
Lawn Maintenance in the Fall: A Guide to a Healthy Spring Yard
Fall is a critical time for lawn maintenance, as it sets the foundation for a healthy, lush yard in the spring During this season, cooler temperatures and increased rainfall create ideal conditions for lawn care tasks that promote root growth and strengthen the turf
Regards, Greg Caldwell Superintendent greg.caldwell@petedyerivercourse.com
WHAT’S COOKIN’?
CHEF ANASTASIA KRAMER
Where has the year gone? What has been your favor part of the year so far? I would have to say my favorite w our first wedding of the year. From the fun menu to the la night dance party, I could not have pictured a better nig to celebrate the newlyweds! We have hosted a lot of cl events so far this year, which ones have you attended? D you have a favorite? We have a few upcoming club even I know I am excited for Keep an eye on dates, we ha Septoberfest and Oysterfest coming soon!
These last few weeks I have been learning a new trade am nowhere close to perfect, but I am enjoying every st of it. Feel free to join in on learning the art of bread maki with me! The first recipe I attempted is:
Rustic Bread
Ingredients
3 cups warm water (100-115 degrees)
2 ¼ tbs active dry yeast
1 Tbsp sugar
6 cups flour
3 tsp salt
Instructions
Mix water, yeast, and sugar in a large mixing bowl stand mixer Let sit for about 10 minutes until bubbly
Add flour and salt Mix until combined into a s dough (The dough should be slightly sticky to t touch, but not so much that it comes off on your hand If it’s too sticky to handle, add ¼ cup of flour at a time.)
Cover loosely with plastic wrap and a kitchen towel. Let rise for 3 hours at room temperature. Preheat the oven to 450F and put a cookie sheet upside down to preheat.
Fill a cast iron skillet with 4 inches of water and place on the bottom rack to create steam for an extra crispy crust
Sprinkle flour on the counter, turn out the dough, fold on itself, divide in half and form it into two balls Don’t knead or handle it more than you need to.
Cut a line in the top of the ball with a sharp knife. Place on a lightly floured pan, then place on top of the cookie sheet.
Bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown and hollow sounding.
Show me how yours turned out!
I was born and raised in Chesterfield County, just south of Richmond When I was 17, I started working as a maintenance crewperson on a 9 hole golf course that was across the street from my Grandparents home. I had the job of watering the greens with a garden hose, digging crab grass with a butter knife and edging the sand traps with a spoon. Yes, low budget operations! Not as much fun as it sounds, but it was close to my gym where I trained as a competitive gymnast year around
I have been working in Food and Beverage for 30 years, almost 20 was specifically country club, golf and event related. Both of my daughters grew up playing in our Jr. PGA league and learning how to operate restaurants. My oldest is a sophomore at VSU and youngest is a High School Freshman
I am over the moon about being here with McConnell Golf, and more specifically at this course, with the amazing surroundings. It will take me some time to learn and remember everyone’s names, but I look forward to meeting you all.
KARI KENDALL
CLUB EVENTS
Paint Night with Terri Welch Returns!
Thursday, September 12 @ 6:00pm
Price is $35/person
MEMBER OF THE MONTH
John Clary
PDRC:Howlonghaveyoubeenamember?
John: Since 2002, when VT purchased the course
PDRC:What‘syourfavoriteholeatTheRiver?
John: #18
PDRC:Who‘sinyourdreamfoursome?
John: Myself, my father, Jack and Arnie
PDRC:YouareanavidVTathleticsfan. What’sthemost memorable footballgametoyou?
John: The 1999 National Championship game
PDRC:Whoisyourall-timefavoriteVTathlete?
John: I don’t really have a favorite athlete, but for what he did for the University, Frank Beamer
EMPLOYEE OF THE MONTH
Eric Holfield
PDRC:HowlonghaveyouworkedatPDRC?
Eric: I have worked at The River since September 2023.
PDRC:Didyoudoanythingfunthispastsummer?
Eric:: I traveled to Keyser, West Virginia for a VCHSS dirt bike race
PDRC:WhatdoyouliketodoforfunawayfromPDRC?
MK: I like to go to the gym, spend time with my family, friends, and travel.
PDRC:What‘ssomethinggoodthat hashappenedtoyou recently?
MK: I just completed Level 3 of Nursing School; which is said to be the most rigorous.
COOKIES OF THE MONTH
Sweet Tea Shortbread Cookies by Isaac Spencer, Executive Chef at Old North State Club
Cream Cheese Sugar Cookies by James Patterson, Corporate Executive Chef
INSTRUCTION
Golf is a beautifully frustrating game. It’s probably one of the only activities we do that we look forward to all week, hate it while we’re doing it, then can’t wait to come back and do it again! The powers that be in the game are cruel to usually have us start hot, suffer through the middle of the round, and then birdie the final hole, or at least string together a few good shots to end the round The euphoric high keeps us coming back!
What does this have to do with instruction? Well, we haven’t talked about the mental side of the game before. Managing the high’s and the low’s during a practice session or a round. The game is hard enough without being self-deprecating or soaring so high after a few good shots/holes that one bad one unravels the energy.
A few thoughts on the mental checklist:
-Have a routine. The most important shot is the one right in front of you. Do the same thing every time before every shot Get your head right to execute the shot
-A P E - speaking of execution, I call this next piece A P E mentality Assess, Prepare, Execute Once you get to the ball Assess the wind, lie, yardage, elevation. Any variable that could effect your shot. Prepare to hit by taking a practice swing. Feel the shot. Once you step into the ball now we Execute! All the thinking is done and now we are an athlete swinging. The last one, a new ending to A.P.E., is Acceptance! Accept the shot you hit, think about why the ball did what it did, and stay the course or make an adjustment on the next swing.
-Finally, I suggest my students journal. This means that I ask my students to write down every thought they have during the round, whether it’s positive or negative At the end of the round, put a checkmark next to each positive thought and an ‘X’ next to each negative thought You should have a 3:1 ratio, positive to negative If you don’t, you may need to work on your self-talk during the round
Michael Abraham, PGA Master Professional
River Course family! Thank you for all of your support this past summer. Our three PGA Camps were a huge hit, with two of the camps filling up with twelve campers apiece. It has been a blast to be able to work with so many of you in private lessons as well, and I’m looking forward to continuing this work with all of you
As the fall season approaches, I’m thrilled to share that our course will be fielding a sixplayer All-Star team to travel to North Carolina to compete against the other six Academies in our iGrow team Congratulations to William Ballard, Colton Tickle, Will Rackaway, Tillman Evans, Lucas Sawyers, and Ethan Woodall for earning their All-Star invites as our top-6 players in the Academy. I know these kids are excited to represent the River Course, give this tournament all they have, and hopefully bring the iGrow AllStars trophy back to its rightful place in the NRV!
Stay tuned for an official announcement for our Fall Operation 36 Adult-Junior Tournament, open to Academy families, River Course membership and their families, and the general public as well This is one of the more fun events we host every year, giving families extra opportunities to play golf with their kids/grandkids in a team format based on the Operation 36 on-course development model If you have any questions regarding the format or would like to be a part of our fall event, please never hesitate to give me a shout! We would love to have as many happy families as possible for a great day of golf and making memories.
Cheers to a fantastic fall and college football season, and let’s go Hokies (and Wolfpack)!
Nick Boyea, Academy Director - Op36
PDRC buzz
Never miss out on a club event, the latest McConnell Golf news or the chance to share your member experience Stay connected to Pete Dye River Course of Virginia Tech and McConnell Golf on social media and join the conversation today
@petedyerivercourse @mcconnellgolf @rivercourseofvt
eats
Enjoyed a four-course wine pairing at the River Course tonight Exceptional food and flavors! If you haven’t enjoyed food at the River Course yet, you’re missing out!
@loozy
Jackson Light
Pete Dye River Course and Texas Tavern. Top Shelf Sunday.