Golf Range Magazine - Highlands Golf Park

Smalt tatk withgoLf people

The Hightands GoLf Park RUcKERsvTLLE, vrRGrNrABy Sally J. Sportsman, Senior WriterHer father would be proud. Anne Marie Scheuermann, directorof golf atThe Highlands Golf Park, is a newly-inducted memberof the Northeast'W'oment Hall of Fame. The Hall of Famehonorees are selected on the basis of their lifetime contributionsto women's athletics and their outreach to the communiry."I'm thrilled with this honor," said Scheuermann, 66, whowith her family owns and operates The Highlands Golf Parkin Ruckersville, VA. "I appreciate the recognition."The Highlands Golf Park is dedicated to the memory ofScheuermannt father, Leslie M. Mercer. Born in 1905, Mercerwas a teaching professionalScottish heritage whose involvementin golf ran deep. His father, John Christie Mercer, whowas born in Dunfermline, Scotland, and came to the U.S. as astonemason in the early 1900s, played golfl too. Leslie Mercerstrove throughout his career in amateur and professional golfto make the game available to all, especially women.Father Was Early PubLinks, Junior Gotf BoosterAn early proponent of public links goli Mercer pioneered thedevelopment of high school golf teams for boys and girls. As alongtime USGA committeeman, he sat on the USGA's JuniorGolf Committee. He counted amons his friends Bobbv Locke,four-time British Open winner who cJined the famous one-liner:"You drive for show but putt for dough'; Joe Dey, executivedirector of the USGA and first commissioner of the PGATour:The tee line contains 44 grass and mat tees and is heated and covered.Anne Marie & Peter Scheuermann at the front entrance toThe Highlands Golf Park.and Don Cherry, distinguished Canadian amateur golfer.Today, The Highlands Golf Park carries on Mercert love ofgolf and its rich traditions. Just north of Charlottesville, VA,on Route 29 North, the popular faciliry is a natural stoppingpoint on the booming main drag berween Charlottesville and'Washington,the westernD.C. suburbs of Fairfax Counry; infact, many politicians have been known to enjoy a visit.Scheuermann, her husband Peter and their six children allhave contributed to the success of the faciliry which openedon May 23, 1997.The Gotfing Legacy 0f Lestie MercerLeslie Mercer, who won rhe l92l VermontAmateur Championshipat age 75, was the second-youngest golfer ever to win astate amateur, a record that still stands. (The youngest was thegreat BobbyJones, who won the 1916 Georgia Amateur whenhe was 14.) Mercer introduced his daughter Anne Marie, hisonly child, to golfwhen she was just six years old. At ChamplainCountry Club in St. Alban's, Vermont, which was open topublic play, Mercer taught Anne Marie to "chip just like BenCrenshaw and Harvey Penick: chip it up and putt it in,"recalls Scheuermann, who enjoyed other sports, too. Sherememberstanding in the fairway at age 10, practicing herbaton twirling with a 5-wood. She wasnt chastised, she recalls,continued on Page 20PAGE 18GOLF RANGE MAGAZINE/THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF THE GOLF RANGE ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA SEPTEMBEPJOCToBER'06

The Hightands Gotf Parkjust encouraged tohit her next ball.After many years asa professional, LeslieMercer regained hisamateur status and.,.,,. took an active rolein the Vermont Golffusociation. He soldinsurance duringLeslie Mercer was an officer of the USGA. the winters. and in *reHere he is in 1957 wearing his official blazer summers encouragedand speaking at a USGA toumament.coundess young peopleto learn to playgolf. Mercer died in 1960, and the Highlands Golf Park isdedicated to his memory.It's A Reat Famil,y Affair"My husband doesnt play gol[" says Anne Marie Scheuermann,who wishes she had a camera to record every time someone hasasked Peter a golf-related question and he has responded bypointing to Anne Marie, saying, "You'll have to ask my wiFe."Peter, who turns 71 this year, is a retired architect and aformer helicopter pilot in the Air National Guard. Now heenjoys working on the range and being outdoors.'When they first met, Anne Marie was coaching high schoolgolf teams. She was an LPGA teaching professional early inher career, but with their six children being born just eightyears apart, she wasn't able to maintain her LPGA certification.For years she worked in her husband's architecture office, butnever stopped teaching golf. For a while she served as headgolf professional at a golf club and resort in Vermont. And shehas continued her fathert tradition of encouraging girls andwomen to enter the game."I had the privilege of studying with Bill Strasbaugh in theearly l980s," said Scheuermann, referring to the renownedgolf instructor. "That was a big help in learning how to helppeople move from other sports inro golf." That experiencewould prove valuable later at The Highlands Golf Park.The Scheuermann family moved from Stowe, Vermont, toVirginia in 1996 when daughter Gretchen left for NorthwesternUniversiry in Illinois, where she played field hockey and wasthe Honda Award winner her senior year. "Gretchen's fieldhockey expertise taught her to focus well on a target," hermother says. "That skill transfers well to golf." As an LPGAteaching professional at The Highlands Golf Park since 1999,Gretchen uses that focus daily.The familys decision to move was a thoughtful one. Thirty-sixacres of farmland were purchased, half of which were turnedinto the golf faciliry. The family builr a home on part of theremalnrng acreage, and the rest remains as frontage on Route29. Peter designed the range and coordinated its cinstrucrion.From start to finish, the project took nine monrhs.. "It was an exciting rime, a.-learning experience for us," saysAnne Marie Scheuermann. "lt took us a while to decide howto get the business running."story_.OneScheuermann likes to tell relates to opening day.The mars arrived lare in the day, so the facility op.n.d"*it'hjust grass - lots of grass. "I remember us running do*n to therange with rhe mars,," says Scheuermann, IaL[hi"g at thememory. "Also, rhe ladies'golfgloves had arrived,'but i,re men,sgloves had nor. So we sold only l"di.r' gloves for a few days.',All six Scheuermann children h"ue cont."ibuted to the.n,.rprir.in some fashion. Eric, the oldest, is a New york attorney *t ohas assisted with business matters. Kurr, an actor in LosAngeles, is a talented writer and helped create the brochures.Kristen, who was an elemenrary physical Ed. major, helpedselect equipment for junior golf irrsiruction. Gretchen, ^theprofessional,_Llq+has an active role in teaching at TheHighla_nds Golf Park. Heidi, who is a golfer, had a loiof inputas the faciliry grew; she is a former peaie Corps .,rolunt.., *honow works for U.S. Senator James Jeffers in his Vermont office.And Rebecca, withher flair for interiordesign, helped createthe golf shop.Fult ServiceTeaching &Training: TheyHave lt AttThe Highlands GolfPark, nestled in thelush rolling Virginiahills, features a practiceand learningarea with a fullylightedgolf range, Scheuermann).with the golf medats won byAnne Marie & one of her sons (Kurt Mercerhrs great grandfather44 natural ingrass andScotland.artificial mar teestations, sheltered and heated areas, a practice putting green,pitching and chipping areas, bunkers ,rrr.rr.., ii. *oi""a, fo,"rdspecialty shots, a well-stocked pro shop and an experienced,enthusiastic teaching staff, Instruction includes l.srorrr, clinics,junior golf programs, camps and special teaching evenrs. ..Forecontinued on Page 22