VSGA‘s Golf in the Commonwealth Podcast

Goodwill Golfing - Bargain Finds and Custom Rebuilds

Shopping for clubs at local thrift stores was the most affordable way for a then 22-year-old to get into the game. That quickly became an obsession of searching for bargain clubs that he’d then rebuild and play with himself or sell to others. Five years later, the Goodwill Golfing Instagram account is informing new golfers on clubs from the past and scratching the itch for hipsters looking for niche brands.

Alexandra Austin - Enjoying the Game Again

This week we're returning to our conversations with women who qualified for the 2021 US Women’s Mid-Am and we’re talking with Alexandra Austin. Alex was medalist at the Fredericksburg Country Club qualifier making birdie on the 18^th hole to shoot a one-under par 71. Alex was also the runner-up in the 2021 VSGA Women’s Amateur and earlier in the season partnered with Lauren Greenlief to win their second VSGA Women’s Four-Ball. In this conversation, Alex shares her journey in golf from growing up, playing in college at Radford, to then turning professional and now back to amateur golf.

Giving Tuesday! Have an Impact on Golf

It's Giving Tuesday 2021 and your opportunity to have an impact on golf in Virginia!

 

Visit VSGA.org/engage/donate to make a donation today.

Kristine Rohrbaugh - Opportunities to Play are Motivators

We’re returning this week to our conversations with women who qualified for the 2021 US Women’s Mid-Am and this week we’re talking with Kristine Rohrbaugh. Kristine is a Richmond native who attended the College of William and Mary and has really been in and around golf most of her life with her father having been a professional and owning a couple golf stores in the Richmond area. Kristine shares the fascinating perspective of a thirty something female golfer who works a full-time job, practices a little and plays as much as she can but that still only adds up to Saturdays and Sundays and yet somehow still maintains a competitive edge.

Mark Lynch, PGA - A Veteran‘s Service to Golf

This week we're sharing a conversation focused on our veterans, their service to our country and involvement with golf. That led us to Mark Lynch the PGA professional and Vice President of Golf Operations for the First Tee of Greater Richmond and US Army veteran. Mark shares how he enlisted shortly after the attacks of September 11, 2001 and through his deployments in Africa began to find golf as a great way to support his mental health. We also get into how he came to Richmond and hear updates on Belmont now that it’s been reopened for almost six months. Oh, and shameless plug that Belmont is now a participating Youth on Course Club. Meaning that Youth on Course members can play Belmont or Little Bell, the six-hole short course, for $5 or less during the designated playing window. Visit VSGA.org/YouthOnCourse to see more.

Andrea Miller -An Invitation to Join the Golf Scene

This week we’re talking with Andrea Miller. Andrea qualified for the US Senior Women’s Open this year and in VSGA play won her second consecutive VSGA Senior Women’s Amateur title.

For the next few weeks we’re going to be sharing conversations with the Virginia women who competed in the US Women’s Mid-Am in September. Qualifying for a USGA championship is always a big deal and the diversity of age and work / playing balance the five Virginia women who qualified is fascinating…and they’re all women who are over 25…because that’s what a mid-am is but in the golf industry, that’s the age when many women drift away from the game to focus on families or careers so to see how these five do we thought would be fascinating.

Abby Liebenthal talks about golf Fore the Ladies

This week we’re sharing a conversation Matt had over the summer with Abby Liebenthal. Abby’s full-time job is the Senior Manager of US Open Fan Engagement for the USGA, a position she’s been in for almost the last two years. She’s been in the golf industry her entire career including time at Acushnet and the Tiger Woods Foundation but her side hustle is what we’re really talking about in this conversation and that’s the non-profit she founded almost three years ago, Fore the Ladies. For the Ladies is a female-based community with the intent to introduce more women to the game and bring women together to play, watch and participate in everything golf has to offer. She also has a podcast called Fore the Ladies that you can find wherever you get your podcasts and for our listeners that have been with us a while you’ll appreciate that her fiancée is former VSGA intern Brendan Ahrnsbrak. Okay, here’s our conversation with Abby Liebenthal.

Meet the Hiker - Lance Lemon

We're now a full month after the 100-Hole Hike and sharing our conversation with Lance Lemon. Lance and Matt Pochily have been friends for a few years leading up to the hike and had the chance to playing the first 36 holes or so with each other during the event. While everyone had a different strategy for carrying their bag and making it through the day, Lance alternated from carrying his bag on his should to carrying like a briefcase. In this conversation we talk with Lance about his growth in the game and full-time work as an entrepreneur and actor. Big thanks to our 100-Hole Hike sponsors Adams Performance, Cutter & Buck, Fore Craft Cocktails, GolfDom, Srixon and Turtleson.

Lauren Greenlief - Long-term Goals for a Lifelong Amateur

Just a couple weeks after US Women’s Mid-Am in which five Virginia women competed at Berkley Hall in South Carolina, it seemed appropriate that we finally catch up with the 2015 champion, Virginia’s own Lauren Greenlief. While many listeners have seen or heard of Lauren in some way, this interview offers a different look at her journey to college golf at UVA and why an amateur at her level chooses to stay that way and not pursue playing professionally.

Meet the Hiker - Rachel Collins

This week we’re returning to meet another one of hikers from September’s 100-Hole Hike and will bounce between hiker profiles and other relevant Virginia golf interviews in the coming weeks. This week we’re talking with hiker Rachel Collins who came down from the northern Virginia area to join us at The Hollows. Rachel married into a big golf family and after not too long got into the game herself and during the pandemic dove all in and has ultimately built a business around it with her company called The Events Caddie. Big thanks to our sponsors of the 100-Hole Hike, Adams Performance, Cutter and Back, Fore Craft Cocktails, GolfDom, Srixon and Turtleson for supporting the VSGA and our hikers on the journey that has led us to raise more than $53 thousand dollars to date. Enjoy our conversation with Rachel Collins.