River-Bound in Radford

BY J. MORGAN MCCALLUM

A deeper look into the rewarding challenges of the Pete Dye River Course of Virginia Tech

Golf

On twisting links-style greens in Radford, Virginia, everything leads to the river: your gaze, the next challenge, and the sloping fairways.

Pete Dye River Course of Virginia Tech sits on a uniquely scenic site, tucked onto a horseshoe-shaped peninsula that for 2.5 miles is fronted by the New River, one of the oldest rivers in the world — and one of only a handful that flow north. Perched on a ledge overlooking the front nine from one direction and the back nine from another, a 15,000-square-foot clubhouse offers sweeping views and delicious post-round bites in a relaxed upscale atmosphere.

“You’re never more than about 400 yards away from the river at any given point on the entire golf course,” says TJ Baggett, PGA, General Manager. “We’re considered core golfing in that there are no homes within the middle of the course — just the game and nature. It’s a unique experience for everyone.”

“When was the last time during a round of golf you saw bald eagles, pileated woodpeckers, kingfishers, green herons, or Baltimore orioles? That can happen any day at the river,” insists member Bobby Swain. “Or even a flyover by the Navy or Air Force, all while enjoying the peaceful, tranquil surroundings,” adds Swain.

It was this naturally immersive — and challenging — layout that captivated Pete Dye. “The River Course originally opened in 1999, and the Virginia Tech Foundation purchased it in 2002,” says Baggett. “A Virginia Tech alumnus named Bill Goodwin brought in Pete Dye to redesign the course in 2006.”

When Pete Dye stepped onto the fairways, “he was just taken with the river,” says Pete Beller, a member and Rad ford local. “Of course, he put his signature into it with the bunkers and the layout of the course. It’s unique for golfers because this isn’t a basic course with no undulations or bunkers. It has professional design features built into it, and we’ve had to learn those features by playing them, which is fun for me,” laughs Beller.

Those same challenging features are why The River Course’s fiercely loyal members can’t seem to stay away — even in the winter months, when the practice facilities, indoor simulator and driving range are bustling. “The course has a very unique character: it has a links ‘flavor’ to it that you see in European golf courses, but isn’t a links course as you would know one to be,” says Beller. “You need to really place your shots and control your misses. That’s one of the hallmarks of the course, in that it makes you think when you play — the way a real championship golf course should.”

Bentgrass turf keeps the course firm and fast in the summertime, where “golfers can get a tighter lie, with lots of opportunities to run the Flat Stick around the greens,” adds Swain.

“And the Pete Dye design features four par 3s that all go in different directions. There is basically a 90-degree bend in the river between holes 9 and 10.”

The result? Golfers truly have to plot the course ahead of time. “Golf is the hardest game ever, in my opinion, and Pete Dye courses are more difficult than most,” says Quinton Nottingham, member. “When you’re approaching any hole on The River Course, you have to carry the ball all the way onto the grid — otherwise, you’d better have a really good short game, because they’re not going to roll up on the greens. Plus, there are very few trees on the course, so you need to keep the ball in play. It really does make you think through every hole, rather than just gripping and ripping. You need to play the hole in your head before you can really attack it. It certainly forces you to become a better golfer.”

“I believe we have about eight holes that bring the river in play, which speaks to the difficulty — and keeps you focused,” says Baggett. “I’d argue that the most challenging hole on the course is the fourth hole. It’s about a 415-yard par 4, but it’s a 90 degree dogleg left around one of the lakes that sits on the golf course. So, most players are going to have to carry the lake a little bit on their second shots,” adds Baggett.