Smith Mountain Lake's other sport

Photo by Huong Fralin

Golfers drive down the golf cart trails at The Westlake Golf & Country Club in Hardy.

When searching for vacation destinations, you'll find a lot of resorts around the world that tout their golf courses right along with their sandy beaches. There's a reason for that. According to the National Golf Foundation, there were 28.6 million golfers in the United States in 2009.

At Smith Mountain Lake, there are five courses which attract visitors, people searching for real estate, and, of course, area residents.

"We are truly blessed with having as many as we do," said Jim Shauberger, event manager for the SML Regional Chamber of Commerce. "It's definitely one of the things that rounds out Smith Mountain Lake as a destination."

Of the lake's courses, two are private (The Water's Edge and The Waterfront), two are semi-private (Mariners Landing and The Westlake) and one is public (Sycamore Ridge). Shauberger said that diversity provides for the needs of different golfers.

For golfers searching for real estate, who often will look to the private courses, having two is a great selling point, said Shauberger. Although the lake itself is an immeasurable amenity, "There's some people that don't like to fish," he said.

The courses also attract several nonprofits that host golf tournament fundraisers. Annual tourneys include ones for the American Cancer Society and the Andrew Haley Memorial/SML Lions annual scholarship tournament.

Even business owners use golf outings or tournaments for networking purposes, said Shauberger. The Chamber hosts the annual Corporate Cup for its members and their clients. This year's tourney attracted 80 people.

"The golf outing is an excellent way for a business person to be one-on-one with some of their best clients for three or four hours uninterrupted," said Shauberger. "There's probably more good business done on a golf course than in a boardroom."