Lester George Assesses Tornado Damage at Cavalier Golf & Yacht Club in Virginia Beach

(RELEASE) - Cavalier Golf and Yacht Club, a Charles Banks masterpiece originally designed and opened 1929 as a resort golf course belonging to the Cavalier Hotel, was hit by a small tornado in mid-July.  Three holes on the golf course were damaged due to the effects of the storm.  The damage ranged from disturbed turf to power line damage and loss of specimen trees that bordered the hole.  With roughly 20 trees lost, the 9th hole needed to evaluated for safety and architectural correctness before play could resume.

The trees on the 9th hole acted as a safety screen to keep golf balls from flying off of the golf course and into the yards of homes surrounding the course.  With the trees all gone, Cavalier needed an architectural solution to rebuilding a safety screen.

“This micro-burst completely decimated trees on the 9th hole which left an alarming void in the corner of the dogleg that was sure to result in golf balls leaving the property ,” said John Milleson, General Manager of Cavalier Golf & Yacht Club.  “We called on Lester George to look at both short and long term remedies for safety and containment.”  

George, who performed the 2002 renovation of Cavalier Golf and Yacht Club, was asked to consult with the club and provide answers solutions.  George retro-fitted a Charles Banks-style bunker to retain balls that would otherwise roll off the property, across a road, and into the residential area.  The bunker has an 8 foot tall back wall for height and a flat bottom.

“The immediate problem was to contain as many errant tee shots as possible by relocating the old left fairway bunker.  By moving further down the hole, and adding significant height to the profile, we should be able to contain many drives hit to the left.  For additional height, we plan on replanting as many as 8 to 10 pines behind the bunker as soon as possible,” said George.

The 2002 renovation of Cavalier involved coring out green complexes and working with other existing Charles Banks features to restore the classic 6175 Yard, Par 69 golf course.  George used the original routing and the earliest aerial photographs available to discern the original design of the course. The project rejuvenated membership, giving Cavalier a waiting list for the first time in decades.

“I can completely point to the renovation project as our club’s renaissance,” said Milleson.