The Shadow
Mark Fry and Sean Ginger were born on the same day in the Bath County Community Hospital where both shared the same nursery.
By the time the two were seniors in high school, Ginger was attending Covington High School, a VHSL Class II school, and Fry was attending Bath County High School, a VHSL Class I school.
Each was the number one golfer for his team, and both won their respective state tournament championships as individual golfers.
Fry continued on to attend East Tennessee State University where he excelled in golf by being named an All-Ohio Valley Conference Collegiate golfer.
In 1996, Fry was hired at the Homestead Resort in Hot Springs where Sam Snead shot a 63 on his 63rd birthday. The Omni Homestead Resort is located in Hot Springs at Sam Snead Highway. It consists of 2,000 acres with world-class accommodations and facilities, including two golf courses, the Cascades and the Old Course.
Where Sam Snead often played, Mark Fry played on the same course for Bath County High School. In 1996, Fry was hired by the Homestead Resort as director of golf instruction.
“Golf Digest” has rated him as one of the top ten teaching pros in the Commonwealth of Virginia on more than one occasion, and recently, he received the No. 6 Best Instructor rating in the biennial awards.
As PGA head golf professional at the resort’s Cascades Golf Course, Fry launched a program in 2012 that features golf lessons that can be purchased for Christmas gifts.
The first year of the program, 14 members purchased the lessons as gifts which resulted in a revenue of $5,500, 25% going to the resort.
In 2013, 25 gift certificates were sold, and the income nearly doubled at $10,500.
With such innovative programs to his credit, Fry has helped the resort’s bottom line because many of the golfers that he instructs also purchase items from the golf pro shop and food and beverages from the resort as well.
Fry can be contacted for lessons by calling the Omni Homestead Resort at (540) 839-1766.
