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FARMINGTON COUNTRY CLUB
DAVID PARTRIDGE
The 2018 VSGA Women ’ s Amateur Championship will be played July 9 – 12 at Farmington Country Club in Charlottesville . A strong field , including defending champion and 2015 USGA Mid-Amateur Champion Lauren Greenlief , will vie for the 93rd Amateur Championship .
Long recognized as one of the commonwealth ’ s premier and most challenging , traditional courses , Farmington opened in 1927 . Designed by Fred Findlay who laid out over 50 courses in Virginia — more than any other architect — Farmington is a true gem . Findlay skillfully capitalized on the beautiful rolling terrain of the Piedmont region of Virginia to produce superb shot values throughout all 18 holes .
While not exceedingly long ( the ladies will play the course at about 6,000 yards ), Farmington ’ s great defense is its ultra-fast , sloping greens that place an exacting premium on approach shots . Farmington is a splendidly-maintained , outstanding test of golf that will crown a superb ladies ’ champion in July . In May , it will also host a U . S . Open local qualifier for the second straight year .
One of the best holes at Farmington is the classic par-4 third , a slight dogleg right that stretches to 443 yards from the tips ; the ladies will play at a little less than 400 yards . Bordered by penalizing trees on the right and heavy rough on the left with sloping topography that makes finding the fairway even more difficult , the third demands a strong , accurate drive to set up the crucial approach shot .
The second shot is played slightly downhill to a green guarded by three bunkers and a tactical false front that will reject poorly struck or defensive approach shots . The putting surface , reasonably flat by Farmington standards but still containing strategic slopes that must be both well-read and properly managed , create many intriguing putts and even more challenging recovery shots after a missed green . The third at Farmington is simply and truly a superb par 4 where par is always a good score .
Black : 443 yards
Orange : 414 yards
Blue / Gold : 399 yards
PAR 4
YARDAGES
Silver : 355 yards
Green : 351 yards
White / Lime : 295 yards
A longtime , passionate supporter of the VSGA , Farmington will be a splendid venue for the Women ’ s Amateur Championship . Apart from its support of the Association and serving as the site for many past VSGA events , Farmington annually hosts The Kenridge Invitational , one of the premier men ’ s invitational championships throughout the mid-Atlantic region .
A five-time VSGA Player of the Year and a multi-time winner of the VSGA Amateur , Mid-Amateur and Senior Amateur , David Partridge is the author of this series . David lives in the Richmond area and works as a mortgage banker .
FARMINGTON CC
16 V IRGINIA G OLFER | M ARCH / A PRIL 2018 vsga . org