The Grand Patrician Resort opens the first par-3 golf course in the region. And best of all, you can play at night!
By Keith Morehouse
HQ 126 | SUMMER 2024
If a golfer can manage the slippery, undulating greens at Augusta National and win a Masters green jacket, surely his advice on putting surfaces should be taken seriously. If the same golfer already had won a U.S. Open at Torrey Pines, then you would likely find his opinion pretty useful.
That’s why Grand Patrician Resort owner Jeff Hoops shared a phone conversation with two-time major champion Jon Rahm before he started building a par-3 course on his property.
A few years ago, Rahm had a 4,500-square-foot practice facility installed at his home in Scottsdale, Arizona. The people at Celebrity Greens put Hoops in touch with Rahm and that helped seal the deal. With the understanding that weather and upkeep on green complexes can take plenty of time and money, Hoops said he wanted to take a different approach. Like a player and his caddie, Hoops and Rahm had the same read on turf vs. grass.
“With our weather I thought a turf surface would be a good idea,” Hoops said. “He’s got three holes in his backyard, and he practices on it all the time. He helped convince me this was the way to go.”
That’s just one of the distinctions the par-3 course brings to the fledgling development in Milton. Hoops is building a sports-themed resort on the 186-acre site. He definitely has grandiose plans for the Grand Patrician. Those include a hotel, a country club, a 50-meter indoor pool, volleyball courts and a basketball/hockey arena. The golf course is just part of the first phase of the project.
“Golf takes up so much time. The idea is to get people involved, and with the fun you can have on a par-3 course it doesn’t have to take all day.” – Pat Carter
It was back in May of 2023 when champion amateur golfer Pat Carter hit the ceremonial tee shot to open the Grand Patrician Golf Course.
“Obviously it’s not easy,” Carter said of his round at the brand-new track. “I was very surprised at the receptiveness of the greens but also surprised at how difficult it was to putt.”
Carter’s words carry weight. He’s West Virginia’s most accomplished amateur champion, this side of Bill Campbell. Campbell won 15 West Virginia Amateur championships and a United States Amateur title. Carter claims 13 West Virginia Amateur titles and he’s played in 13 U.S. Amateur tournaments. The man knows his way around a golf course. He said he thinks a 9-hole par-3 is the perfect attraction for the resort. The $20 green fee — including cart — makes it more affordable and less time-consuming than a full 18-hole round.
“That’s what people want — affordability,” Carter said. “And they want to get in and out. Golf takes up so much time. The idea is to get people involved, and with the fun you can have on a par-3 course it doesn’t have to take all day.”
The setting on the old Morris Memorial Hospital site provides some beautiful views along the rolling hills. There is plenty of water on many of the holes, and a giant waterfall is visible throughout the course. You won’t need to bring all your clubs. The longest hole is 181 yards from the gold tees and the shortest is 86 yards.
A trademark of the Grand Patrician course is that the holes are replicas of many of the great par-3s in golf.
A trademark of the course is that the holes are replicas of many of the great par-3s in golf. The third hole is modeled after the island green 17th hole at TPC Sawgrass. The seventh hole is a replica of the famous seventh hole at Pebble Beach (minus the Pacific Ocean and Monterey Bay). Hole eight is designed to look like the fabled 12th at Augusta National.
Carter has played those three real-life courses and said seeing the tribute holes “brought back a lot of good memories.”
In one more unique twist, the golf carts aren’t what you might be used to. Hoops wanted each golfer to have his or her own cart to help speed up play. He enlisted the help of a company called Solocart — think of a segway with four wheels — and each cart has a spot for your clubs on the front. There’s a small console for your personal items and a cooler underneath the seat. The carts’ top speed is 11 miles per hour, which is plenty fast enough when you traverse this hilly course.
“I was just looking for something unique and different,” Hoops said. “These supposedly speed up rounds by about 20 minutes.”
Hoops admits he’s not a golfer, but he’s played the course and said he’s considering making some tweaks to the lightning-fast greens: “We can probably slow them down some,” he said.
And how is this for tee times? They’ve installed lights for some after-hours golf.
Remember those words “unique” and “different”?
All part of the plans at the Grand Patrician.
