THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, October 7, 1994 TAG: 9410060218
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 21 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY LEE TOLLIVER, BEACON SPORTS EDITOR
LENGTH: Medium: 68 lines
Golfers, beware.
At this year's Homearama, which opens Friday, there is a house that just might interest you.
It's the Golfer's Dream House - built by Albie Viola of Viola Building Corp. in Chesapeake.
The house - priced at $360,000 - is, indeed, a dream house. At 4,200 square feet of living space and a master suite that is to die for, the joint is everything anybody could ever want.
Throw in several rooms decorated in a golfing motif and it's a golfer's paradise.
But here's the killer - the place has a backyard designed like a hole on a golf course. Yep, you heard it right - a golf course hole in the back yard. And the green has three different holes for putting practice.
The ``course'' - along with the rest of the landscaping - was designed by Don Middlebrook of Tidewater Landworks, Inc.
``The buyer loves golf,'' Viola said. ``The golf stuff is not overpowering, just the room above the garage and the boys' room and except for the flags on the putting green, the back yard is like any other.
``But it makes this a special theme house and we like that.''
Located at Church Point, the house is close to Bayville Farm, where a future golf course is being planned.
Dream on, golfers.
Nice shot: Billy Garrington nailed the golf shot of a lifetime several weeks ago at the Crossing in Richmond when he scored a double-eagle on the par-5 15th hole.
Trouble is, he couldn't get anyone to believe him - even though he had Virginia Beach Sheriff Frank Drew as one of the foursome.
``Even when I told them that, most people didn't believe me,'' said Garrington, who said his handicap is short legs and bad breath. ``Oh, golf. I guess about a 10.''
Garrington followed with a par, double-bogey and par to finish with a 1-over 73. For the double-eagle, he used a driver and then nailed his 3-iron shot.
``Right in,'' he said.
Just ask partners Drew, Johnny Whitehurst and Bob Loher.
``They'll tell you,'' said Garrington with a laugh.
Kicks are for kids: The 11th annual Columbus Day Soccer Tournament takes place this weekend on fields across Virginia Beach and Norfolk.
Competing teams will come from Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Washington, D.C., Ohio, Connecticut and North Carolina, along with a contingent from Canada.
The field will include 305 teams totaling 4,800 players competing in divisions from under-10 through under-19.
The feature game of the tournament will be the under-19 premier division final Sunday at 7 p.m. at the ODU soccer stadium. MEMO: Staff writer Mike Mather contributed to this column.
Got an interesting sports-related story to tell. If so, call The
Beacon at 490-7228 or fax 490-7235. ILLUSTRATION: Photo by LEE TOLLIVER
Albie Viola of Viola Building Corp. tests out the green in the back
yard of a 4,200 square foot, $360,000 Homearama house at Church
Point.
by CNB