The trio of logos reflects all three pieces of the property – Belmont, the 12-hole, restored A.W. Tillinghast-designed golf course; Little Bell, the 6-hole par-3 course that showcases four Tillinghast template holes and two from Belmont; and The Ringer, the 18-hole, reversible putting course that winds across nearly 31,000 square feet with 12 feet of elevation change.
Love Golf Design, co-founded by World Golf Hall of Fame member and 21-time PGA tour winner Davis Love III, led the renovations 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.
“Our goal throughout this process was to find an appropriate symbol to reflect the vision of First Tee – Greater Richmond: to strengthen the character of our community,” said First Tee – Greater Richmond CEO Brent Schneider. “We were thrilled to work with Lee to identify an appropriate symbol, and the bell was the perfect choice. The bell relates to the number ‘12’ because of clocks and time and is generally associated with community events of importance. So, it was natural for the bell to be the foundation for the Belmont brand.”
In addition to the rebrand, a revamped PlayBelmontRVA.org and Belmont Facebook page also launched on Thursday. PlayBelmontRVA.org will allow patrons to book tee times, events, fittings and instructions from one easy location.
All three logos were designed by Wybranski, one of the premier artists working in the golf industry. In addition to his classic, collectible work on behalf of The R&A, PGA of America and United States Golf Association, Wybranski’s logo design services have been used by many of golf’s most iconic clubs, championships, and organizations, including Cabot Links, Colonial C.C., Merion G.C., Pine Valley G.C. and Torrey Pines G.C.
“It has been a professional and creative thrill to create branding for the new Belmont,” Wybranski said. “This place is so unique in that it has all of the magic ingredients – starting with a community-based mission established and executed by the amazing people at First Tee – Greater Richmond.
“It has an unbelievable history filled with names like Tillinghast, Ross, Hogan and Snead. Add to that the understated artistry of Love Golf Design, which has seamlessly restored and re-created 18 fantastic ‘Tillie’ golf holes. Lastly, the bold innovation of Belmont is what most impresses me. Belmont is going to be a busy, vibrant, inclusive hub for both the community and the game. I just wish I lived nearby.”
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.
Contact: Bill Potter, Director of Marketing (bill@firstteerva.org; 317-625-5772)
