Belmont was designed by Hall of Fame Golf Course Architect A.W. Tillinghast in 1917, originally opening as Hermitage Country Club. The only course in Virginia to have hosted a major championship, Belmont is one of two – and the first – public Tillinghast courses to have hosted a major championship, joining Bethpage Black.

Belmont counts both Ben Hogan and Sam Snead among its champions. Hogan captured the 1945 Richmond Invitational, while Snead earned the 1949 PGA Championship, becoming the first player at the time to win both the Masters and PGA Championship in the same calendar year. Also competing in that 1949 PGA was the first career Grand Slam champion, Gene Sarazen.

In 1977, Henrico County purchased Belmont from Hermitage C.C., with the course transforming into one of Richmond’s only true public golf facilities. Annual rounds on the 18-hole layout peaked in 1992 at 55,000.

Over time, however, as the number of rounds decreased and the cost of maintenance for the course increased, Henrico County began exploring non-golf plans for the property. The response from the community was clear – it wanted Belmont to remain a golf course.

In 2019, a formal RFP process sought a third-party partner to operate Belmont as a golf facility. In addition to possessing golf operations expertise, the ideal partner would share Henrico’s vision for seeing Belmont used by a larger portion of the local population, including a focus on youth and community organizations.

In 2020, First Tee – Greater Richmond partnered with Love Golf Design to transform the historic 18-hole course into a modern golf facility. Within the footprint of the original 18-hole course, there is now a restoration of 12 of Tillinghast’s original holes, an 18-hole putting course, a 6-hole short course, driving range and wedge range, all retaining the vision brought to the property by Tillinghast.

Our goal is to provide this beautiful game and property to every member of the community.