By Jim Brewer For the rural Virginian
The Faulconer Invitational, one of the most prestigious golf tournaments in Central Virginia, is returning to Lake Monticello on May 17 and 18.
After a three-year absence, the tournament will resume its place among the tournaments which determine the winner of the Battle Trophy, awarded each year to the local golfer who accumulates the highest point standing in the slate of events.
Mark Marshall the Golf Pro at the Lake Monticello Golf Club, who is in charge of the pro shop and golf operations, is excited to have the event return.
“We had some problems with the greens a few years back and could not hold the tournament, but the course is now in excellent shape,” he confirmed.
Marshall said that Billy Casper Golf took over the course maintenance in the spring of 2012. The Casper organization brought in Jim Prucnal from Delaware to head up the course’s maintenance operation.
Fairways on the course are now generally thick and very playable. Prucnal and his crew have been seeding with fescue in thin areas and this prudent use of seed has not only thickened the fairways, but has also made some of the rough areas less rocky and more golf club-friendly. Most of the greens are now beautiful and running true. The greens that were rebuilt recently are coming along nicely.
There has been a lot of trimming around the ponds and streams. Fewer golf balls are going into deep weeds where they can’t be found.
Much of the invasive goose grass that has been a problem on fringes, collars and greens is now gone. Collars have been seeded with a rye grass that Prucnal believes will result in important improvements in these areas as well.
The field for the Faulconer Invitational will be limited to 120 players, Marshall noted. There will be three divisions – the Championship Division, open to any player; the Senior’s Division, limited to those between 50 and 69 years; and the Super Senior Division for golfers 70 and older. The field will be “flighted” allowing golfers within their divisions to compete with those with similar handicaps. The fee for the two-day event is $100, which also includes green fees for a free practice round.
Built in 1972 under the direction of noted golf architects, Buddy Loving and Algie Puller, Lake Monticello is one of the most pristine golf courses in central Virginia. The course plays at 6,925 yards from the championship tees. The course winds its way through trees and over and around numerous water hazards. It is a splendid place for a round of golf, and it is only fitting that Faulconer Invitational returns to this wonderful venue. For more information on the tournament, contact Marshall at (434) 589-3075.(original: http://www.dailyprogress.com/ruralvirginian/faulconer-invitational-returns-after-hiatus/article_240360b2-d06f-11e3-bb65-0017a43b2370.html)
