The Crossings Golf Club in northern Henrico County (Photo courtesy Henrico Economic Development Authority)
When Neal Sims was a junior at Hermitage High School in 1973, he would leave school at 11:30 a.m. and go to work at Half Sink Golf Course.
The start of his 41-year career with the course came as the 268-acre property in northern Henrico was going through a transition. Originally called Ethelwood Golf Course upon opening in 1960, its name changed to The Crossings Golf Club in 1979.
Located at the intersection of interstates 95 and 295, the course is ensconced behind thickets of evergreen trees and “has always been tucked away,” Sims says. “It’s always been a kind of secluded spot. The location is ideal.”
In the club’s heyday in the 1980s, Sims says, “We were a pristine, top-of-the-line golf course.” To his disappointment, The Crossings entered a steep decline as the course changed hands several times and shed key employees. Its sale price dropped each time, plummeting from $10 million in 2008 to $1.75 million in 2016.
That same year, Sims, growing frustrated with constant turnover and a dwindling budget, chose to retire early as assistant superintendent, as did Superintendent Steve Snare, who had been at The Crossings for 37 years. Sims kept in contact with some of the team, and by 2024, he says, “nobody was really maintaining it. There was grass and weeds all in the bunkers. It was just a wreck.”
“The course was in really bad condition,” confirms Anthony Romanello, executive director of the Henrico Economic Development Authority.
But the course’s design, history and location made the site attractive to Henrico County when it went up for sale again. In August 2024, it was purchased by the Henrico EDA for approximately $3 million.
Pros Inc., a sports and events marketing firm based in Midlothian, is leasing the site from Henrico and is spending $11 million to redevelop the course. The goal is to reopen in 2026. Pros Inc. President Giff Breed, who also co-owns Independence Golf Course in Powhatan County, hopes his team can restore the once-renowned club, which is the only 18-hole public golf course in Henrico.
“The Crossings was a great golf course back in the day, and I think we can bring it back to its glory,” Breed says.
Giff Breed, president of Pros Inc., hopes to revitalize The Crossings Golf Club. (Photo by Jay Paul)
Championship-Ready
The first conversations that Henrico officials had about purchasing The Crossings came following the 2023 cancellation of the Dominion Energy Charity Classic at the Country Club of Virginia, a PGA Tour Champions event hosted there since 2016.
The PGA Tour Champions series, formerly the Senior PGA Tour, is open to professional golfers ages 50 and over. Last year’s event at CCV featured top players such as Fred Couples, Ernie Els and Bernhard Langer. Tiger Woods, one of the most famous golfers of all time, will turn 50 next year, making him eligible to compete in PGA Tour Champions events.
“Our plan is to host the PGA Tour Champions playoff event in October 2026, which happens to be Tiger Woods’ first playoff event,” Breed says. “Richmond would buzz if Mr. Woods was here, playing. So, we’re trying our hardest to get this done in time.”
Besides the economic activity generated by the tournament, Sims says the impact extends beyond one weekend in the fall.
“It will take The Crossings a few years to get its reputation back,” he says. “But if they get the tournament, that will be a big deal. That will prove to people, ‘Hey, the golf course is nice.’”
Besides the PGA Tour Champions, Henrico Sports & Entertainment Authority Executive Director Dennis Bickmeier says that his team will have its eye on all types of events once the course is up and running again.
“We’ll work with Richmond Region Tourism and other partners here in the area to bring events to The Crossings,” Bickmeier says. “That could be a high school championship, a collegiate championship or other amateur championships.”
Per the terms of the agreement with the Henrico EDA and Pros Inc., Henrico County Public Schools golf teams will have full access to the facility.
Phil Owenby, a member of the Virginia Golf Hall of Fame, is helping revive The Crossings Golf Club. (Photo by Jay Paul)
Seasonal Growth
To make the course suitable for high-level players, it will be lengthened from its former total distance of approximately 6,600 yards to approximately 7,500 yards.
Breed tapped legendary golf course architect Lester George — who has designed and redesigned several notable courses in Richmond, including CCV — for the project. Golf industry leader Phil Owenby will serve as general manager, and local amateur golfer Vinny Giles is also assisting in the redevelopment.
“One thing I’ve heard those guys say is that the layout of the golf course, the bones of the golf course, are really good,” Bickmeier says.
One aspect of The Crossings that won’t change in 2026, however, is its access.
“Like Independence, it will be a 100% public course,” Breed says. “There will still be memberships, but anybody can come and play.”
Sims, for his part, is happy that his old stomping ground is once again in good hands.
“They’ve got big aspirations,” he says. “Once they get it done, it’s going to be a top-notch place.”
