Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, October 3, 1993 TAG: 9310030020
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C13 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Randy King
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
After having its application voted down for five straight years, the plush Smith Mountain Lake course finally won acceptance this week in an 8-3 vote by the Hall of Fame's board of directors.
"I can't tell you how excited we were when we got the news," said John Snyder, head professional at Water's Edge. "Ron [Willard, Water's Edge owner] and I have been giving each other high-fives ever since."
Water's Edge becomes the 10th member club of the Hall of Fame, which was established in 1974. Blue Hills, Botetourt, Countryside, Hidden Valley, Hunting Hills, Ole Monterey and Roanoke Country Club are the charter members. Willard's other lake course, Waterfront, gained membership in 1986, and Hanging Rock became the ninth member last year.
Willard said it was now or never for his Penhook-based club. He said Water's Edge had been invited to join a similar organization in Lynchburg.
"I thought if we didn't get in this year I would pursue the other deal," Willard said. "It took us a while, but we got it done.
"I was never able to understand how Waterfront could be in and Water's Edge couldn't. I think a lot of the Roanoke clubs were worried we had so many members from other areas."
Willard said he thought it was important for Water's Edge to become a competing member in the Hall of Fame's annual events for men, women, seniors and juniors.
"It's a matter of principle, really," he said. "I think being a member of the Hall of Fame, from a marketing standpoint, will help Water's Edge. Every time somebody new comes down and sees this golf course, they become a potential buyer."
Snyder, who wrote letter after letter and politicked hard for his club's entry, said the majority of Water's Edge members consider Roanoke their home base.
"The majority of our members work in Roanoke and do their shopping in Roanoke," Snyder said. "We've always felt like we belonged in the Hall of Fame even though we're not located in Roanoke or Roanoke County."
The Hall of Fame's boundaries never have been defined, said Ned Baber, the organization's executive director.
"Boundaries are still a question," Baber said. "I think the biggest question in the past with Water's Edge has been our boundaries and how much are we going to extend them. Just what is the Roanoke Valley? It's hard to be definitive.
"But this time, the majority of the people thought Water's Edge would be a good addition and that it fit the definition of being a part of the Roanoke Valley."
Snyder predicated his club will field a formidable team in next year's men's event.
"We have a lot of good players," Snyder said. "We'll be competitive with the others."
The addition of another club does pose one problem for the Hall of Fame. With the men's field increasing to 120 players and the women's field going to 50 players, playing the events on the same day at the same courses will be virtually impossible.
One board member said the most feasible solution will be choosing separate sites for the tournaments.
\ SAND BLASTS: The annual Roanoke Valley Golf Hall of Fame banquet will be held Wednesday, Nov. 10, at 6:30 p.m. at the Tanglewood Holiday Inn. University of Virginia men's golf coach Mike Moraghan will be the guest speaker. Billy King, long-time head professional at Blue Hills, will be inducted into the Hall of Fame. . . . Noted sports psychologist Bob Rotella, who is a consultant to numerous PGA Tour players, has quite a game of his own. Rotella won the Charlottesville city championship and was selected the Charlottesville Daily Progress' player of the year. . . . The Cascades course in Hot Springs is rated No. 95 in Golf Digest's top 100 layouts in the United States. . . . The University of Virginia team is ranked 15th in the nation in the latest Golf World poll. The Cavaliers are in Dallas this weekend, which is the closest they play to Charlottesville in three fall tournaments.
by CNB