The two PGA tournament scores of 59 this year by Paul Goydos and, on Sunday, Stuart Appleby at The Greenbrier Classic generated the expected commentary about modern golf equipment making the game too easy.  But Appleby, at an average of 283 yards per drive, ranks 69^th on tour in terms of distance, and Goydos, at 270 yards per, is near the bottom at 183^rd.  It is not as if they are hitting nine iron or wedge to every green.  It’s not the golf clubs, although some speculate the distance and spin properties of the modern golf ball may have more to do with the low scores.

        What is it then?  Some believe this may be a watershed moment for golf.  All sports have magic barriers that cannot be broken –- until, of course, they are.  One theory holds that golf may have reached its “four-minute mile moment.”  At one time, no one thought the

        Golf is not the only professional sport this year that has seen barriers fall hard.  Witness the two perfect games in baseball, by Roy Halladay and Dallas Braden, the latter even less a luminary in his sport than either Goydos or Bannister.  (Note:  Armando Gallaraga, also not exactly a household name, pitched a third perfect game of the year but was denied his historic moment by a blown call by the first base umpire on the very last play of the game.)  In the post-1900 era of baseball, no two perfect games have been tossed in a single season, let alone three, before 2010.

        A quick check of properties available via the Greenbrier Sporting

        White Sulphur Springs, WV, may be well off the beaten track, but the resort provides many of the pleasant distractions of a good vacation to its permanent residents.  The golf is varied and refined, starting with the par 70 Old White Course, where this weekend’s tour event is being played out.  With a reputation for impeccable shape and intriguing throwback design, the C.B. McDonald/Seth Raynor classic has been luring the rich, famous and golf addicted since 1914.  (President Woodrow Wilson was one of the first to play the course.)  Its fairways are generous but, like many classic designs, most of the challenge is on and around the greens, forcing thoughtful approach shots from the fairways.  The Old White’s  slope ratings are a bit of an anomaly:  From the tips at 6,867 yards, the slope is 137 (rating 73.7); the next tees play at 500 yards less but with a slope of 136 (rating 71.4).

        The Greenbrier and Meadows golf courses, the resorts two other 18s may not have the reputation of Old White, but count on them to be in outstanding shape if you visit.  In June, the Greenbrier added a casino to its long list of amenities.  Resort owner Jim Justice is immensely wealthy and committed to making a success of the grand old resort;  in that regard, a home at the Greenbrier Sporting Club, though expensive, should not be too much of a gamble.

The many faces of Old White in just two holes, the 8th (top) and 12th.

Photos by Tim Gavrich.

        Fredericksburg, VA, was named for a prince (Frederick of England), but a King’s name is on the golf course at Fawn Lake.  When I visited the golf community in June, plenty of folks at the 20-year old development were abuzz and rolling out the red carpet for a visit the next day from golfing royalty.  Arnold Palmer was coming to town for a charity event and to check out his 15-year-old design.  The local ad hoc regiment of Arnie’s Army was in high gear.

        I quite enjoyed my round at Fawn Lake, a golf course that is much milder than many of the tough brutes credited to Arnie.  The

        Some tee shots also required forced carries over ravines but no chasm was so wide as to make me swing out of my Foot Joys.  Tougher were the ravines that separated the ends of a few fairways from the greens.  As it was for Confederate and Union forces that marched against each other in Civil War battles played out on these grounds, these deep carveouts in the landscape are best avoided by golfers as well.  A foursome of lady members I passed along the way responded to my question about the golf course by chiming almost in unison that, “We love it, except for those carries to the greens.”

The first tee at Fawn Lake gives a strong hint of the elements that will follow -- forced carry from tee, generous fairways and accompanying bunkers, and large greens.

        I found the greens themselves at Fawn Lake to be cleverly constructed -– large, undulating and deceiving.  When I have the time, which I did because I was playing alone, I like to read putts from both sides of the hole.  At Fawn Lake, I should not have strayed from behind the ball because, consistently, the putting line read differently from each side of the hole.  Faced with indecision, I did not putt well, but I can’t blame that on the putting surfaces, which were smooth.  I contemplated getting my eyes checked after the round.

        The course scenery was certainly pleasant to the eyes, more handsome than beautiful, with bunkering that, again, was uncharacteristically restrained for a Palmer design.  Homes, which range in price at Fawn Lake from the $400s to $1.7 million, were set well away from the fairways and hidden in the trees except for one hole on the front nine, where they lined the right side of the fairway.  Oddly, though, the first peek of the lake on the Fawn Lake golf course is after the approach shot at the 18^th.  There was a gap of eight years between the time the developers first started selling property (1988) and when the golf course opened (1996).  Clearly, the real estate won out over the golf course in planning discussions about the highest value use of the lake.

        The golf course does not offer any tees between 5,850 and 6,450 yards. The 5,850 tees (rating 68.8, slope 129) are girly man territory, but for us aging male baby boomers who can no longer bust drives of 250 yards or longer, 6,450 yards is pushing it (rating 71.3, slope 135).  That said, of the par 4s at Fawn Lake, only the 17^th and 18^th holes measure more than 400 yards (just 410 each) from the White tees.  In other words, it is a “short” 6,450-yard course.  For the longest hitters, the back tees measure 7,015 yards with a rating of 73.9 and slope of 140.

Although the lake for which Fawn Lake gets its name is never in play, an extension of it reaches across the 18th fairway to make the approach there the final challenge of the day.

        Fawn Lake, which is conveniently located within minutes of Interstate 95, is well established if not as well known as communities that advertise and market more extravagantly.  Of the development’s 1,400 lots, 975 have been sold and 700 houses have been built, all detached single-family dwelling (no condos or town homes).  Obviously the economy has affected Fawn Lake as it has other golf communities, but that is good news for those looking for bargain prices in a pleasant, established community.  Since the peak of 2005, prices in Fawn Lake are off an average 30%.  Among the current listings is a 3 BR, 3 BA, 3,900-square foot home on a cul de sac that is listed at $499,900.  For those eager to build their own home, lots begin at $95,000 (1/2 acre wooded); a golf view lot will run about $150,000, and a one-acre lake view property as much as $700,000.  Count on $150 per square foot or more to build.  One interesting consideration if you build your home at Fawn Lake:  Property taxes are waived for five years if the home is LEED certified (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design).

        The golf club, which the Fawn Lake Homeowners Association is expected to purchase from the developer in the next few months, has 250 members.  All residents are being asked to vote on the sale of the club, not just golf club members, and early tallies indicate that 75% are in favor of the acquisition (just six ‘No’ votes so far).  The purchase will precipitate a $250 annual assessment for all homeowners for the next three years, bringing the total annual HOA fees to $2,084.  That includes all the customary necessities such as common grounds landscaping and road maintenance, plus a more discretionary amenity, two manned gates.  Club dues are an especially reasonable $310 per month, with a food and beverage minimum of $165 per quarter.

        Fawn Lake should appeal to retirees and other empty nesters -- they currently make up 55% of the resident total -- but the numbers of families in the community has increased steadily in recent years in the growing Fredericksburg area.  With its proximity to the east coast’s primary north/south interstate route and a step-up in marketing, Fawn Lake should have little trouble diverting traffic to its gates.  Those who stop by will find reasonably priced real estate in an established golf community with substantial room to grow.  Importantly, members of the enjoyable and well-conditioned golf course thought enough of it to put their money where their mouths are.  That is always a good sign.

Contact me if you would like more information about Fawn Lake or would like me to make arrangements for you to visit the community as a “member for a day.”  That includes access to all amenities, a round of golf for two on the Palmer golf course and lunch or dinner.  Also, if you’d like to make it an overnight visit, I will be happy to arrange a specially priced “discovery” package.

At long last, the lake that gives Fawn Lake its name shows up just off the 18th green.

        A for-sale listing at the Ashley Plantation golf community outside of Roanoke, VA, describes the home on offer as follows:

        “Beautiful house overlooking 11 Green, 12 Tee at Ashley Plantation. Watch Golfers hit from your deck.  Buy now and pick out much of the interior!  Cul-de-sac lot!”