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| Richmond First Tee Practice Facility, Upgraded and Re-Designed by Lester George Opening This Month | Lester
George, the original architect of the facility known for his ingenuity
in golf practice facility design, was invited to return to the site and
design the improvements. George’s relationship with The First Tee goes
back almost two decades to the inception of the foundation. Over the years,
he has designed more than a dozen First Tee facilities, including one of
the original courses, in Chesterfield County, Virginia. The Richmond First
Tee facility was the 100th First Tee course in the country and was ceremoniously
opened by the original Honorary Chairman of The First Tee, former President
George Herbert Walker Bush.
 Sometimes called the “practice guru” for his innovation and leadership in practice design, Lester George travels the country speaking to Golf Range Association of America (GRAA) boot camps, sharing his expertise in the creation of practice facilities and teaching golf professionals and executives how to provide more practice options for their players while facing financial and logistical challenges. “Learning and practice are entry points to the game, and with the economic downturn in the golf industry practice is often the activity of choice for golfers who love the game but might not be able to afford a golf membership or a full round of golf at a daily fee golf course,” said George. The Richmond First Tee site has been renovated to restore and upgrade two 3-hole loops (one for adults, one for children), re-establish turf, convert the greens to Bermuda grass, and to upgrade the bunkers. Once finished, the facility will provide more interactive teaching and learning opportunities, including serving as a practice facility for the Virginia Commonwealth University golf team, which has won the Atlantic 10 Championship three years year in a row. Of the renovation, VCU Head Golf Coach Matt Ball said, “The approach Lester had taken is creating a dynamic, fun, diverse, great practice facility for all of the Richmond community, especially for the First Tee golfers and the VCU Golf Team. It will allow us to be creative with practice & how we develop our players while giving us great turf quality to prepare for tournament competition. The team will also have private areas without having to fight traffic. This facility will also help us recruit players for the team.” “The Richmond golf community needs genuinely educational practice options for players that simulate real conditions on the golf course,” said George. “The Richmond First Tee facility is a one-stop shop with everything needed to learn, practice, and play golf in a place that’s convenient to downtown. Patrons can fit in some quick practice or a short loop during their lunchbreak - and local children who would otherwise not have access to the game of golf will have all of the equipment, technology, and instruction they need to genuinely learn the game.” About
Lester George
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