Peter Knade ’16 signs to play golf at University of Maryland

"When I first met Peter as a prospect," said Head Varsity Golf Coach Marc Hogan, "he told me his goal was to play golf at a division I school.  Today brings him one step closer to doing that."

Peter Knade ’16, surrounded by golf teammates, friends, coaches, and his parents in the Dick Gym lobby on November 12, 2015, signed paperwork committing to play for the University of Maryland Terrapins in the fall of 2016.

Colin Dunn ’04 makes a difference with golf

Check out this great Washington Post story about Colin Dunn ’04 and the power of golf!

Woodberry Forest wins Fall Golf Invitational

Woodberry Forest won the 17th WFS/OCHS Fall Golf Invitational 303-332 over second place William Monroe Friday. Fourth former Noel Turlington was the medalist with a 72. New boy fourth former Will Long finished 3rd, and classmate Woodson Smith was 5th.

17th WFS/OCHS Fall Golf Invitational

Woodberry Forest GC

18 holes, Par 70

Woodberry Forest A 303

William Monroe        332

Orange County        345

Woodberry Forest B 348

All tournament team

Noel Turlington, WFS A    72

Austin Crenshaw, WM     74

Will Long, WFS B            75

Ryan Dodson, OC           76

Woodson Smith, WFS A  77

Basil Boyd, WFS A          79

Mac Boney, WFS A         80

Crawford Humphreys, WFS B 80

Colby Romasco, OC       80

Jack Stein, WFS B          82

Yancey Harrison, WM      82

Other Woodberry scores

Charles Hargrove, WFS A     86

Philip McManamy, WFS B    87

Warner Cohen, WFS B         99

Sam Hull, WFS B                  99

More photos are in the Woodberry Forest Photo Album.

Aerial photo depicts golf course

Madison County photographer John Berry was recently on campus to capture images using his drone.  Enjoys this great shot of the Woodberry Forest Golf Course.

Basil Boyd ’17 finishes third at Northern Virginia Shootout

Woodberry Forest's Basil Boyd shot 78-70 (148) to finish third at the Hurricane Junior Golf Tour's Northern Virginia Junior Shootout this past weekend, September 19-20, 2015. Basil's 1-under par second round was the low round of the tournament at the 6500 yard, par 71 Augustine Golf Club in Stafford. Basil scored an eagle three on the 493 yard, par 5 18th hole to clinch third place. 

Woodson Smith 81-88 (169), Mac Boney 85-85 (170), and Jack Stein (93-WD) also completed for the Tigers during this off-season contest. 

Full results can be found at the Hurricane Junior Golf Tour page.

William Knibbs ’13 joins Elon University golf team

William Knibbs ’13, a two-year varsity golfer at the Forest, has been invited to join the Elon Phoenix golf team this fall.  Congratulations, William!

Thomas D. Bond Footbridge is dedicated

Bill Goetzenberger ’79 honored Tom Bond, his Woodberry adviser, and those of his sons, Ryan ’14 and Will ’17, by donating a beautiful stone footbridge crossing a small stream near the seventh hole of the Woodberry Forest Golf Course.

The Thomas D. Bond Footbridge, dedicated in a ceremony on August 29, 2015, was constructed by Bill's construction company, Buchanan Construction, in Bethesda.  Tom taught Spanish and French and coached golf at Woodberry from 1970 to 2001. He received the Distinguished Service Award in 2001 upon his retirement.

Members of the golf coaching staff and representatives of the Woodberry Forest Golf Club were on hand to thank the Goetzenbergers for their gift on behalf of the many golfers who use the course.  

Peter Knade ’16 featured in The Star Democrat

Check out coverage of the AGJA tournament held last week, featuring Peter Knade ’16.

Knade Strong In Finale

Tiger golfers play in Ireland

Head varsity golf coach Marc Hogan is serving this week as a chaperone for the Kerry Cup, a junior golf-learning program in Waterville, Ireland.  The Kerry Cup brings accomplished high school golfers together with prominent college coaches to play at one of the world’s top links courses. 

Among the young golfers participating are two Tigers, Bo Pettegrew ’16 and Mac Boney ’18.

Learn more about the Kerry Cup and follow Coach Hogan on Twitter @hoganmarc.

Peter Knade finishes third at Argyle CC

Peter Knade '16 (left) shot 69-67 at Argyle CC to finish 3rd in the PGA Junior National Qualifier tournament.

Image courtesy of Susan Knade.

Woodberry coaches depart for 2015 Swifts Exchange

Varsity coach Marc Hogan and JV coach John Amos departed today for England where they'll be accompanying a group of American high school golfers as they play matches against teams from various British prep schools.  Learn more about the Blair-Wellington Golf Exchange.

An Interview with Coach Marc Hogan

How did you get involved in golf?

I have been playing golf since I could walk. I have pictures when I was three or four years old carrying clubs and playing golf with my dad in our yard in Greensboro. My fondest memories of my childhood are playing golf every Sunday after church with my dad and his friends at a local course.

Why is it important that golf is played at Woodberry? 

Golf is one of the oldest sports here at Woodberry. The current routing of the WFS golf course dates back to 1924-25 and was designed by Donald Ross. The golf team started shortly afterwards.

What are some important events in the history of golf at Woodberry Forest?

The William H. White Golf Trophy was first awarded in 1930 to the Woodberry golfer with the lowest score in the Woodberry Invitational, a high school tournament hosted here at the school. Local legend says that a talented high school golfer from Hot Springs, VA once played in the Invitational. He later went on to become one of the most stories professionals ever -- Sam Snead.

Woodberry participated in the inaugural Virginia Preparatory League golf championship in 1976 and has been dominant, winning twenty-eight titles, including thirteen in a row from 1992-2004.

With the help of Tom Bond and Coach Caughron, I coached the first JV golf team in 1989. Tom then funded the construction of the Graves Practice Area in honor of R. Preston Graves, WFS math teacher and golf course manager, in 1991. The school added a B Varsity golf team in 1995.

In 2006, we received a gift from Mitch Hull '77 to create an indoor teaching studio, complete with software and video cameras to capture golf swings. We also contracted with Ron Gring, PGA teaching professional, to come yearly to work with our varsity players. We now work with Andrew Rice, PGA teaching professional based in Bluffton, SC.

Beginning in 2008, Woodberry has competed in every VISAA state golf championship and has won twice (2013-2014).

What experiences stand out for you when you played golf?

I played in middle school and high school, but was never very good. I didn't play that often in college (UVA), but was thrilled to pick up the game again when I started teaching here at Woodberry. I have won the WFS club championship five times, the most recent being in 2011, when I set the competitive course record (64). Last year I qualified for the Virginia Senior Amateur championship.

As I varsity coach, I believe I have to be current with what's going on in golf instruction. In 2001, I received a golf teaching certificate from the USGTF, and in 2006 I was certified as a golf fitness trainer by the Titleist Performance Institute. This past year, we received a gift from Ed and Hallie Pettegrew, parents of Bo Pettegrew '16, for a TrackMan launch monitor. We have benefited from this gift, and I have been learning how to use its data to improve my teaching.

What life lessons do boys learn from golf?

Golf teaches what my former colleague Chuck Straley used to say about tennis: how to deal with frustration. Golfers never feel comfortable; we are only one swing or one shot away from disaster. Successful golfers learn not to let disappointments haunt them. Successful golfers are also eternal optimists. There's always another hole to play, another shot to hit, and we can always get better with just a little more practice.

The entire first section of the Rules of Golf is on etiquette; how to behavior towards others and towards the course is an integral part of the game. There are no referees in golf. Golfers are responsible for enforcing the rules on themselves. So honesty is another key component to the game and this aligns with the school's Honor System.

Tell me about an experience you had as a coach when a boy or group learned one of those lessons.

Sometimes you get lucky and say the right thing at the right time. When he was a senior and captain, Thomas Walter '10 was unbelievably hard on himself whenever he had a bad round or a bad shot. I told him that he would never speak to his teammates, or even his brothers James '11 and Timothy '13, this way if they shot a bad score. I told Thomas to let up on himself and be more positive and encouraging. Thomas went on to have a great year, leading us to a Prep League championship and earning All-Prep and All-State honors for himself. After graduation, Thomas wrote me: "Mr. Hogan, I couldn't tell you the number of times I thought about your words on the course, and the number of times it helped me." Thomas went on to play golf at Bucknell, and he worked this past year as an intern at the Golf Channel in Orlando.

Tell me about a moment that made you proud to be a part of Woodberry Forest School.

I always get compliments about our players both on and off the course. In 2003, Woodberry began playing St. Paul's School in Baltimore in the Disharoon Cup. We would travel to Baltimore, spend Friday night with a St. Paul's family, and play the following day. One parents told me it must be Heaven to work with our golfers. She was impressed with our manners and conduct. I am always ready to travel with the golfers because I believe they represent the best of Woodberry Forest School.

Why is athletic participation so important at Woodberry?

First, golf gives the kids a chance to decompress. The academic work is challenging, so the golfers need time to unwind. We structure practice so that we have free time where team members can challenge each other informally to putting/chipping contests, or just hit range balls without a specified goal. This time builds camaraderie as well.

Second, golf on a team gives the students a chance to be part of something greater than themselves. One of my veteran players told me that as a junior this past year, he finally realized that when he was playing in a match, he was playing as part of a team. He felt like this gave him more focus at certain times over certain shots.

Finally, golf gives students a sense of achievement. Not everyone can play in a varsity match, but everyone who swings a club can hit a perfect shot. And there's no better feeling in the world when that happens.

What challenges (aside from day-to-day challenges with opponents) does your sport face at Woodberry?

This spring we had fifty-three golfers, a record. In addition to the twenty-three varsity players, we had nine JV players. Our developmental team, the Bengals, had eight, and there were thirteen seniors on the recreation team. Without outside coaches, we would not be able to offer golf to this many students.

We cannot accommodate all the competitive golfers on the practice area at one time, so I hope that we can expand this facility to include more space and an up-to-date practice facility with target greens. We also have a complete video studio that needs a permanent home, so I hope that we can build a teaching structure at the practice area complete with indoor hitting bays.

One of my goals is to introduce golf to every WFS student. It's a lifetime sport. And because of golf at Woodberry, I have been fortunate to travel all over the world and meet some wonderful people. I want all Woodberry students to have the same opportunities that I have had.

Do you have anything else to share of interest to our readers?

I tell everyone I have the best job in the world: I get to teach books in the mornings and golf in the afternoons. I get to work with motivated, highly skilled players who embody the ideals of the game. It is an honor to be part of the golf program here.

Season summary

Coaches:  Marc Hogan, David Smith

Captains:  Hawk Swearingen ’15, Peter Knade ’16

Record: 1^st in Prep League, 2^nd in State

Individual Honors: All-Prep Peter Knade, Hawk Swearingen ’15, Teddy Garner ’16, Charles Hargrove ’17, Mac Boney ’18 All-State Mac Boney and Basil Boyd ’17

The 2015 Woodberry Forest golf campaign began with thirty-seven students, a record number, trying out for the varsity team during the last snowy weeks of February. Coaches Marc Hogan and David Smith settled on a group of twenty-three players who battled all season for the coveted six match spots.  Weekly qualifying rounds meant a different group played in each match. 

An opening tie with St. Christopher’s at home was followed by victories at Trinity Episcopal School, over St. Paul’s School in the Disharoon Cup, and at St. Anne’s-Belfield School. The Tigers lost by a single stroke at Collegiate, but got revenge over Cougars at home the following week. To close the season, Woodberry won handily over Georgetown Prep, lost at St. Christopher’s School, and bested Episcopal High School to finish with a 6-2-1 record.

The Tigers were not favored in the Prep League tournament even though they had won the three previous championships. Playing their best golf in windy and warm conditions, Woodberry prevailed over previously undefeated St. Chris and the other VPL teams to garner its twenty-eighth league title at The Federal Club in Glen Allen. Peter Knade ’16 (71) successfully defended his individual championship.  Peter, Hawk Swearingen ’15 (76), Teddy Garner ’16 (80), Charles Hargrove ’17 (80), and Mac Boney ’18 (81) earned All-Prep honors.

The next week, the Tigers finished second at the VISAA state championship at The Manor in Farmville to St. Chris, 297-303. Mac (76) and Basil Boyd ’17 (73) garnered All-State honors.

Peter, the team’s co-captain, won the William H. White Golf Trophy for low stroke average, and Charles won the Thomas Bond MVP Award for his overall play. Hawk finished his WFS career by winning the Sam A. Dougherty Golf Prize for his outstanding play and leadership as a co-captain.

Ten golfers finished with stroke averages below eighty, and eleven of the top twelve golfers return for the 2016 season, promising another season of excellence going into the future.