Blustery day, high hopes usher in new era for Bridge Haven

Apr. 7—Saturday's cold, blustery conditions will eventually give way to radiant summer days, and Bridge Haven on the Gorge will continue welcoming all skill levels for play on the Fayette County links.

The new Bridge Haven on the Gorge owners were joined Saturday by club members and staff, family members, the Fayette County Chamber of Commerce and members of the public in conducting a special ribbon-cutting ceremony that was one of the centerpieces of a member weekend.

In special remarks, owners Josh Howell, Aaron Kemlock, Jason Wilkinson and Andy Kees thanked their friends and families, the former owners, club members, the grounds crew and others for embracing and supporting their plans, which launched in late 2023 when ownership changed hands.

Kemlock, a lifetime club member, said it was a great day for all involved. And, he said the club has come a long way since its inception in the early 1990s. Work began on creating the course in 1990-91, Kemlock said. "At that time I was eight or nine years old and I would come out with my dad. We were out here watching them build roads and stuff like that."

The official opening occurred in 1992, and "We've been here, my dad (Mike) and I, ever since," Kemlock said. "I started (playing golf) because of my dad when I was 7, and we played at Cool Ridge ... and we were members at Rainelle the year before this place opened. And then we joined here. I would have been 10 or 11 years old."

"I had a bunch of friends, and they were all the seniors guys," he continued. "Mom and Dad would drop me off ... in the morning, and I would be out here and just play with whoever. So I started playing in the early '90s, and it was the seniors then. I would go home and tell Mom and Dad, 'Hey, I played with Steve or I played with Charlie,' and they thought I was talking about people my age and it was really 50- to 60- to 65-year-old guys.

"I played with guys that were really good at golf and guys that weren't good at golf, so I was exposed to all levels of golf at an early age, and I think it helped me to mature a little bit as far as in my professional career. But, then I also look back, my best buddy growing up was Scotty George (the late Fayetteville High and Concord state champion and all-conference golfer). You know, we were bitter rivals somewhat. We'd play 10 times, he'd beat me eight times. But he was that good. Not everybody gets to play against one of the best players in the state's history (state championships, All-American). So, it took me a long time to win a club championship out here, because I had to play against him."

Over its history, the club has matured, Kemlock said. During that time, he has played "countless rounds" at Bridge Haven.

"In 1995, the back nine opened and I do remember my first round back then, and I remember the foursome I played with (dad Mike, Ivan McClellan and Jerry Massie). I started on hole 13. Those weird things you remember in the back of your head."

"Being able to spend a lot of time with my dad out here has been the best thing," he stressed.

The course has indeed evolved over the years, Kemlock said.

"A lot of people don't remember it when it was nine holes (now 18)," he said. "I'm one of the few that played it when it was nine. But you also have all these trees that are 30, 40, 50 foot tall. A lot of those trees were shorter than me and you back when we started. Before that, it was a dairy farm, and even before that, my step-grandfather (who passed away when Aaron was 18) actually lived back here I think back in the '20s. Right about where No. 1 tee box was, he lived here."

"It's gone from nine to 18 and the trees have grown up, and we've added tee boxes over the years and things like that," Kemlock said. "Lot of transformations. And, people who haven't played out here for three or four years, it's changed because of the speed in which the trees are growing."

"What I think makes a good golf course are good greens, No. 1, and I think ours are great; our greens crew has just done an absolutely wonderful job with those," he said. "The other thing is you've gotta have a mixture of holes. You've got to have easy holes and hard holes. And while we lack in yardage, we do make up with some breathtaking views and things like that."

"The difficulty of the course has increased over the years," he noted.

Kemlock likens some of the design features on specific holes at Bridge Haven with holes on prominent courses such as Augusta National, Sawgrass and Harbour Town in Hilton Head. "It may be a little bit of a stretch, but this place means a lot to a lot of people here, but it's also very friendly to beginners and things like that.

"We're going to add some tee boxes and we're going to try to push the difficulty so that we can get some tournaments (West Virginia Amateur and West Virginia Open qualifiers) here."

"It really hasn't hit me yet," Kemlock said of the importance of Saturday. "We're 3 1/2 months into ownership, but I've been out here working with Jason and Andy and Josh. It means a lot, because a lot of people that have helped me along the way are no longer with us, my grandmother (Loretta Hinte Kemlock) being one. She probably drove me out here more than anybody, and she died a couple years ago. Those kinds of emotions hit me, just thinking about playing out here for 30-plus years and all the people that have driven me out here and that stuff. Roger Flint gave me a chance to work out here and that kind of stuff."

For more information on the club, visit bridgehavengolf.com, follow on Facebook and Instagram or call 304-574-2120.

Email: skeenan@register-herald.com; follow on Facebook

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