My New Best Friend Lives In Hot Springs, Virginia
I hadn’t visited Virginia in decades. Now I had the perfect reason to go. The United States Golf Association (USGA) was conducting its 63rd U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur Championship this September at a resort in the small town of Hot Springs. I am a member of the Portland Golf Club (PGC), host of this prestigious championship in 2026. As part of a 5 member “Future Sites Team,” time for a reconnaissance mission.
We arrived late afternoon at the Roanoke Regional Airport. I climbed into the back seat of the rental van for the 64 mile drive to Hot Springs. Beautiful green hills, huge mowed yards surrounding single level homes, fields with horses and cows. Many sharp curves made the posted 55 mph feel dicey. Navigation showed the serpentine path ahead. Prone to motion sickness, I was eager to disembark.
We arrived at the Omni Homestead Resort. Such a dramatic setting: its signature steeple atop a grand brick structure embedded in the green hillside. The original Homestead Resort opened in 1766. Previous guests include Thomas Jefferson, 24 U.S. Presidents, and F. Scott Fitzgerald. What a venue!
How do you qualify for the Senior Women’s Amateur Championship? Be at least 50 years old AND be a really good golfer. Only 132 qualified to play the renowned Cascades Course, home venue of golf legend Sam Snead who grew up near Hot Springs. Competitors were from 45 states and 13 countries.
Our first morning we meet two local volunteers in the Homestead’s expansive grand hall. They are very excited to help with a national championship. One says, “This is a big deal for our small community. Be sure to meet Arlene today. She’s Co-Chair of the Host Committee. Arlene’s the one!” Co-Chair of the Host Committee? That’s my job at PGC in 2026…I need to meet my counterpart!
We reach the course and head to Volunteer Headquarters. The large white tent is filled with chairs and six foot tables. The back tables have coffee, cold drinks, and light stacks. We introduce ourselves to the two women seated at the table inside the entrance. The one on the right has a huge black spiral notebook open in front of her. She is directing new volunteers where to pick up their “goodie bags” with shift schedules, maps, and volunteer uniforms. That is Arlene Christenbury.
After introductions, I grab a chair near Arlene and begin peppering her with questions. Her responses are often interrupted. The walkie talkie chirps, “Arlene, we need a cart to drive a player up to the 10th tee.” One of the college students is not showing up for their shift. She reassigns a volunteer and makes the change in the master schedule - that massive spiral notebook. The surrounding hills mean no reliable Wi-Fi at Volunteer HQ. She makes all changes by hand.
It doesn’t take long to realize Arlene is a special person. She is friendly, competent, funny, and quite a multi-tasker. But the way she connects with people makes clear she is a beloved member of the community. She greets a friend with a soft drawl, “Girl, where’ve you been!”
Hosting a national championship requires 150-200 volunteers. The elegant Omni Homestead Resort is in a very rural county. Named after the English city known for its hot mineral springs, Bath County covers 535 sq. miles, has just over 4000 residents and…not a single stoplight! Despite the small pool, I learn from others that Arlene worked tirelessly to recruit enough volunteers. Wow! I may have a new friend…
Two young fellows check in. Both are dressed in the USGA-sanctioned volunteer uniform - blue cap, blue polo shirt and khaki shorts. One is named Atticus. When Arlene tells him his course location, he says, “Yes, m’am.” How did she get high school students involved? The high school golf coach loved the idea but was concerned about family finances. She was waving the usual $100 uniform fee for adults, so students only needed to purchase a pair of khaki shorts. The coach was still worried. She told him, “Go ahead and buy them! Send me the bill.” Yep, I have a new best friend!
Before heading to the airport our final day, I make a final stop at Volunteer HQ and learned another remarkable thing about Arlene. In 2022 she founded the Virginia Highlands Youth Golf Academy . “VHYGA is a non-profit organization founded to introduce our local youth to the Game of a Lifetime by providing instruction in the fundamentals, etiquette, and rules of the game.” Golfers 6-18 yo can participate in clinics, camps, and lessons at the elite courses of the Omni Homestead - free! Her work parallels our efforts to support the Oregon Golf Association and Youth on Course, a national program to increase access for young golfers.
I admire Arlene Christenbury for volunteering her time, expertise, and passion to create opportunities for young golfers that would not otherwise exist. I wish you the good fortune of finding a new best friend like her.
