VSGA‘s Golf in the Commonwealth Podcast

This week we’re talking with PGA professional Troy Thorne. Troy is a Virginia native, graduate of Old Dominion University where he was a member of the golf team and now head golf professional at Hobbs Hole Golf Course in Tappahannock, not far from where he grew up…and, when Troy came out of high school he was a recipient of a scholarship from the VSGA-VIP Scholarship Foundation and is now giving back to the foundation through Hobbs Hole participating in the VSGA VIP Golf Card. Matt was actually at Hobbs Hole to produce a video on Hobbs Hole and their involvement with the VIP Golf Card and Youth on Course, keep an eye out for that on our social channels in the next few days.

This week we’re talking with Carrie Abernathy. You may recognize Carrie’s name from our weekly Clubhouse email where we’d featured her in the member spotlight a few weeks ago…but for those who don’t know…Carrie’s an event planner, podcast host and blogger through her blog A Woman with Drive where she shares ideas on leadership, elevating women and golf. She’s also recently begun contributing to Golf & Travel magazine. Carrie took up the game just seven years ago and in this conversation shares really relatable insight on how she came to it and how others can do the same so without further ado, we hope you enjoy our conversation with Carrie Abernathy.

This week we’re talking about the Golf Digest Hot List. As a VSGA member, you’re receiving a complimentary subscription to the magazine and by now have probably caught the issue which contained the 2021 Hot List of new clubs and products. In flipping through that you may have seen today’s guest, Buddy Christensen. Buddy is the owner and president of GolfDom, a golf store in McLean, Virginia which helps golfers live the game through a huge selection of products, gear, fittings and more. Buddy has been a part of Golf Digest Hot List panel for the past seven years and in this interview shares is experience with the panel and his journey in golf.

This week we’re talking with one of our VSGA staff members, Director of Championships and Golf Operations, Josh Coates. With the tournament season opening in the next few weeks we wanted to have Josh on to share news on the upcoming events and venues and how the schedule comes together. This conversation is co-hosted by Matt Pochily and Chris Lang. We hope this conversation inspires you to visit VSGA.org and find an event that’s right for you and join us on the course in 2021.

This week’s episode is with physical therapist and sports performance coach Dr. Kyle Adams. Kyle is the owner of Adams Performance in Richmond where he works with some of the area’s best athletes including golfers who are often seen atop VSGA junior, amateur and senior amateur leaderboards. In this conversation he shares how the things we see at the tour level work their way down to his athletes and how he works with folks to safely incorporate those things with their bodies and games.

This week’s episode is with writer, golfer, student and teenager Gwen Foddrell. Gwen is the author of the book series, The Golf Diaries. She began writing just a few years ago as a means to improve her writing in school, a figure skating injury lead her to golf and the two growing passions of writing and golf converged to create The Golf Diaries.

In our final episode of Black History Month on Black golfers in Virginia, Chris Lang is talking with Lee Coble. Lee is a longtime volunteer with the VSGA, including Board President in 2013-2014; he is currently the head men's golf coach at Virginia Union University and recent recipient of the USGA's Ike Grainger Award for 25 years of service to the USGA. We hope you enjoy this conversation with Lee Coble.

This week we have the pleasure of talking with comedian Micah 'Bam Bamm' White. Micah’s only been playing the game for about three years but is already down to a single-digit handicap and is continually seeking more ways to expose under-privileged juniors to the game through his community involvement in Richmond. We hope you enjoy our conversation with Micah 'Bam Bamm' White.

Our guest this week is Gavin Parker. Gavin is the Junior Golf Coach at Salisbury Country Club, he’s a former PJ Boatwright intern with the VSGA and graduate of Campbell University. In 2020 he received the VSGA’s Grow the Game Award for his work with junior golfers, he also made Golf Digest’s list of Best Young Teachers in January of 2021. You’ll hear this in his voice but Gavin is passionate about golf and removing the boundaries and barriers that anyone may face as they experience the game. We hope you enjoy our conversation with Gavin Parker.

This week Matt Pochily talks with Ashleigh McLaughlin of Youth on Course. Ashleigh is the Vice President of Marketing and Communications for the national non-profit dedicated to opening doors, supporting dreams and transforming the lives of young people through opportunities on and off the golf course.To-date, there are 24 courses across Virginia participating in Youth on Course and the list is growing as word spreads.