RICHMOND, Va. (April 22, 2021) – First Tee — Greater Richmond has revealed its leadership team for Belmont, which will open to the public on Saturday, May 29.
Mark Lynch, PGA, will oversee the day-to-day operations at Belmont, while Dan Sabina, GCSAA, will run the daily agronomy of the course. Lee Gordon will be Belmont’s Food and Beverage Operations Manager, while Tim Faerber recently was hired as the Senior Assistant Golf Professional.
“At Belmont, we are committed to providing first-class customer service and inclusive golf experiences with a focus on our vision to strengthen the character of our community,” said First Tee – Greater Richmond chief operating officer Kelly McAnally. “We are excited about the depth of knowledge, skill sets, and passion for serving others this team will bring to those efforts, and we look forward to welcoming patrons back to Belmont next month.”
Lynch, a five-year employee of First Tee – Greater Richmond, joined the organization in March 2016, becoming the Director of Golf of both First Tee – Greater Richmond golf facilities in March 2018.
Over the last few years, Lynch has developed the organization’s golf and customer service areas at both facilities to provide extraordinary customer service to all players. A member of the PGA of America and Club Management Association of America (CMAA), Lynch holds credentials as a Titleist Performance Institute Level 2 (Golf) certified instructor and Level II First Tee Coach. Additionally, Lynch is a Major in the U.S. Army Reserves and with a total of over 16 years of service.
Sabina joined First Tee – Greater Richmond in May 2020 and brings a strong pedigree of turf management to Belmont. Prior to taking over at Belmont, Sabina worked at The Federal Club in Glen Allen as well as other prestigious golf clubs including The Governors Club in Nashville, Oakland Hills in Detroit, and Pumpkin Ridge outside Portland.
Since coming onboard last year, Sabina has worked closely with Love Golf Design and MacCurrach Golf Construction during the Belmont Golf Course renovation where he also maintains the day-to-day grounds maintenance of this property. Sabina is a member of the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America.
Gordon arrives at Belmont with 15 years of experience in the food and beverage industry. At Belmont, Gordon will oversee all aspects of food and beverage operations, working closely with local vendors to maintain First Tee – Greater Richmond’s mission of serving the community and fostering local growth.
A native of the Philadelphia, Pa., area, Gordon began his food and beverage career at Merion Cricket Club, working alongside Certified Master Chef Olivier Andrieni. Across clubs throughout the Philadelphia and northern Virginia areas, Gordon has worked at every level of restaurant and golf course operations.
Faerber will have a wide array of responsibilities at Belmont, including assisting in the daily operations of the course, providing lessons and club fitting sessions, and overseeing the golf leagues, tournaments and patron relationships.
The four-year letterwinner on the College of Wooster men’s golf team, Faerber developed extensive club fitting experience during his time as a club fitter and sales representative at Miles of Golf, a Golf Digest Top 100 Club Fitter in his hometown of Ann Arbor, Mich. Faerber also has previous instructional experience as a golf instructor for children ages 5-16 at multiple summer camp programs.
Love Golf Design, co-founded by World Golf Hall of Fame member and 21-time PGA tour winner Davis Love III, led the renovations at Belmont that started in May 2020, with a grand re-opening ceremony planned for May 24. The course will open to the public on May 29, with tee times available later this spring at PlayBelmontRVA.org.
Designed by famed architect A.W. Tillinghast in 1917 and renovated by Donald Ross a decade later, Belmont Golf Course hosted the 1945 Richmond Invitational, won by Ben Hogan, and the 1949 PGA Championship, won by Sam Snead. Belmont remains the only golf course in Virginia that has hosted a major championship and one of only two Tillinghast courses nationwide that has hosted a major and is still open for public play — the other being Bethpage Black.
About First Tee – Greater Richmond
First Tee – Greater Richmond is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit youth development organization whose mission is to impact the lives of young people by providing educational programs that build character, instill life-enhancing values and promote healthy choices through the game of golf. Through three major programming areas, the First Tee Life Skills Experience, the First Tee School Program, and collaborative community partnerships, First Tee – Greater Richmond reached more than 71,000 youth in 2019.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Bill Potter, Director of Marketing
bill@firstteerva.org, 317-625-5772