Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, July 25, 1993 TAG: 9307250014
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: E11 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RANDY KING
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
"I miss going to see the Orioles," said Rouse, who was an assistant pro at the Country Club of Maryland for eight years before taking the Botetourt post.
"I got to know a bunch of major-leaguers up there. All the teams would fly in, then come out to play. I got to know guys like Roger Clemens pretty well and I worked with a lot of the games of the Oriole players.
"I miss that, but I have no regrets. I've got a wife and two kids and I've entered a new stage of life."
Much like the Daleville club. The hiring of Rouse in October, and the subsequent additions of three assistant pros - Tom Purnell, Mark Crans and Chad Riddleberger - were the first big steps for a club that aspires to move up in class.
"We think we've got the club of the future here in the Roanoke Valley," said Botetourt president Don Meredith, "and now we're starting to do something about it. Until getting Chris, we hadn't had a teaching head pro since the early 1970s. We sort of felt like we had been standing still down here."
Rouse, 29, doesn't know how to stand still, Meredith said.
"Chris is a workaholic," Meredith said. "He's full of ideas and he's enthusiastic. It's his first head job and he's brought a lot of professionalism to us."
At a club where members used to simply tee a ball up and hit it, Rouse is now operating free clinics and pumping up Botetourt's junior programs. The 70-hour work weeks have included little time for his own game.
"I've probably played about 13 full rounds since I've been here," he said. "I'm simply too busy to play. I'm a hands-on guy, and it's my job to place around completely and give everybody a good country club atmosphere."
The next big move for Botetourt, Meredith said, is the addition of a full watering system for the course's front nine, built in 1962. The back nine, constructed in 1972, has fairway irrigation.
"We're working on all the permits now and hope to start construction by late fall so we can be ready for next spring," Meredith said.
Meredith said the club has bought 17 new acres and plans construction of a holding pond that will be the primary feeder for the watering system.
"I think once we get the watering system in, this place will really take off," Rouse said. "A good seeding and water will turn this course around completely."
While the course is not long - measuring 6,133 from the back tees - Rouse said the addition of more sand traps and bunkers will assure a good test for the low handicapper.
"We've got a fun course here," Meredith said. "It's not long, but it's tricky. There are not many flat lies out there and we can make the greens as tricky as we want."
After the watering problem is solved, Meredith said expansion of the current clubhouse is next on the club's list of things to do.
"We're on the move down here," Meredith said. "I tell you, I had no idea what I was getting into when I was named president. I'm spending three, four hours a day over here now trying to keep everything straight. It's a job, man."
\ BUSY SLATE: Tournament action won't be hard to find this week.
In Hot Springs, a sizable Southwest Virginia contingent will be on hand for the Women's State Amateur and Women's State Senior Amateur. Richmond's Jane Mack, who defeated Roanoke's Sara Cole in the finals, is the Women's Am defender. Alexandria's Kay Schiefelbein will gun for her third straight senior title.
Salem's Lee Shirley, who won the Roanoke Valley Golf Hall of Fame women's title in June, is bypassing the State Am to compete in an out-of-town junior event.
Qualifying for each of the women's events will be held Monday. Match play starts Tuesday and runs through Friday.
Also starting Monday is the third annual Smith Mountain Lake Junior Open at The Waterfront Country Club. A field of 120 boys and girls are entered in the 36-hole tournament that concludes Tuesday.
Defending champion Ryan Ketron of Roanoke, recent Haley Memorial winner Brandon Scruggs of Gretna and State Games overall champion Brian Hill of Roanoke head the entries in the 16-18 boys' division. Other returning champions include Glenvar's Nick Varney (14-15), Roanoke's Jason Orlando (12-13), Roanoke's Lee Taylor (Peewee) and Danville's Danielle Ware (girls).
After a day's rest, many of the same juniors will tee it up in the Roanoke Valley Golf Hall of Fame Junior-Senior, set for Thursday at Botetourt and Friday at Hunting Hills.
Ketron is the defending juniors champ, while 65-year-old Arman Fletcher will be vying for his third straight seniors title.
\ SHUCK LUCK: What a week it was on the links for the Shuck family. Within a span of 24 hours on Tuesday and Wednesday, Nancy Shuck and her 20-year-old son, Andrew, both scored their first-ever holes-in-one.
Nancy aced the 147-yard 15th hole at Hidden Valley on Tuesday. A day later, Andrew, said "take that Mom," acing Roanoke Country Club's 182-yard fifth hole.
"I have family bragging honors for exactly one day. Can you believe that?" Nancy said, grinning. "Here, it's just me and three men - Haven [her husband] and the two boys. They make it rough on the woman, don't they?"
\ SAND BLASTS: The annual Tee Off for Sight tournament will be held Sept. 21 at Hunting Hills. The guest PGA Tour player scheduled to be on hand for a clinic will be announced Tuesday. . . . Roanoke-area qualifying for the VSGA State Mid-Amateur Championship, to be played Aug. 20-22 in Lake Manassas, will be held Monday at Water's Edge. . . . Blue Hills pro Billy King shot a 1-under 70 to finish second, one shot behind Tom Dozier in a recent Middle Atlantic PGA event at River's Bend Country Club in Chester. Hanging Rock teaching pro Chip Sullivan (72) was third, while John Snyder (73) of Water's Edge tied for fourth. . . . The Carolinas team beat the Virginias team 55 1/2-34 in the recent women's team matches at Glade Springs, W.Va. It was the Carolinas' sixth straight win in the series it leads 20-16. Martinsville's Fran Hensley, Blacksburg's Juanita Petrone and Roanokers Dot Bolling and Marilyn Bussey were among the competitors for the Virginias squad.
by CNB