For the Newberrys, it is all in the family

May 6—Keeping it all in the family is more than just an expression for the Newberrys of Peterstown.

It is a way of life.

Steve Newberry, his wife Lynn and son Nick already own and operate a car dealership, Newberry Ford in Pearisburg.

But they have also tackled a new business, and one that blends in well with their shared interest in sports.

In November 2022 the Newberrys purchased the Fountain Springs Golf Course just north of Peterstown on Rt. 219.

The par 71, 18-hole, 6,278-yard course, is in a picturesque setting at the foot of Peters Mountain. Built by Russell Breeden, the course opened in 1998.

Nick Newberry said he was talking to former owner David Bradley in the spring of 2022 when the possibility of purchasing the golf course surfaced. Bradley and three partners started the course.

"We were just having a conversation and since I was here all the time playing golf anyway we just floated the idea out there," he said. "Things kind of snowballed from there."

"For those of us who grew up around here we never dreamed we would have a golf course here," Steve Newberry said, so the course was welcome and they wanted to make sure it would continue, and thrive.

"He (Bradley) wanted somebody local he trusted (to purchase the course) and he knew we would take care of it," Nick said, adding that he has lived on the course for four years and his parents own property that abuts the south end of the course.

"We are trying to get stuff done we could take care of immediately," Nick said, like cutting excessive brush and clearing the way for a practice range. Greens have also seen work and sand traps will be refurbished in the future.

"We've added a couple of employees and that is going to help quite a bit," Steve said. "That will help us improve the grounds and keep everything maintained."

Other future plans for the course are also being discussed.

The year's first major tournament is on May 20, the Sports of Monroe Foundation, which has been an annual event for 27 years, always with a big turnout.

Other big tourneys coming up include the Abel Center on July 29 and the Jonathan Powell Hope Foundation tourney on Sept. 15.

Nick said the course is also home to middle school teams and, starting next school year, the James Monroe High School golf team.

"We have hosted two middle school golf matches this year too," he said, and it's the first time Peterstown and Mountain View have had a golf team in years.

Virginia Tech players also visit the course.

The course also hosts "scrambles" two days a week, which have strong participation.

"It's a good way for everybody to meet each other," Lynn said, and they play in about any conditions. "I have decided that golfers are a different breed of people."

The setting of the course is also a big attraction.

"It is beautiful," Lynn said. "The view is unbelievable."

All three Newberrys play golf, so it fit in well with their love of sports.

But to understand their passion for sports as well as their hard work and sense of community, you have to understand Steve Newberry.

Newberry is too modest to say much about past in sports, but it is stellar.

For those who may not be familiar with his background, Newberry played defensive back and still holds the record for the most interceptions on the West Virginia University football team and was inducted into the WVU Sports Hall of Fame in 2011.

From 1980-83 he played for coach Don Nehlen (who called him "Mr. West Virginia) and registered 191 tackles, including 138 solo during his career.

Newberry, who was All-State in football, basketball and baseball at Peterstown High School, played in three bowl games during his Mountaineer career: the upset win over Florida in the 1981 Gator Bowl, the 1982 Gator Bowl against Florida State and the 1983 Hall of Fame Bowl comeback victory over Kentucky.

He was recognized with many awards, but maybe the one that meant the most to his future success after college, and to Monroe County, was the Ideal Mountaineer Award, bestowed on the athlete who demonstrates a "positive attitude, solid academic standing, outstanding leadership, perseverance on the field, outstanding athletic achievement and good citizenship."

Maybe that also explains why he signed as a free agent with the Dallas Cowboys but chose to remain in Peterstown.

Nick is also an athlete, a baseball star at James Monroe High School who played baseball at West Virginia Wesleyan on an athletic scholarship.

Both Steve and Nick have also been coaches, with Steve coaching football at James Monroe from 1991 to 2012, stepping away from football to be an assistant baseball coach with his son the head coach at James Monroe in 2013.

But with the purchase of the golf course, finding the time to coach was difficult.

"We have experienced many athletic twists and turns over the years," Steve said. "Our daughter played volleyball at Concord University."

All of them play golf, though, but Lynn hurt her wrist and it taking a hiatus.

"I'll get back into it," said, adding that their daughter should also be playing. "She is very good, but she has a young child to take care of."

The Newberrys have been pleased with the community's enthusiasm about them taking over the course.

"We have had a really great reception," Lynn said.

"The response has been great," Nick said.

"For us, it's been fun to come up here and talk to all the people, see all the people coming in," Steve said. "For a lot of people, it's kind of a local meeting place. It is a lot of fun."

The clubhouse also has a restaurant, The Sand Trap.

Steve said golf is also a game for about any age, and golfers in their 80s frequent the course.

But it is a challenge.

"I have always said, it is the hardest game I have every played," he said. "You do something twice the exact same way and you get a totally different outcome."

"You've got to put the last shot out of your mind," Lynn said.

It is also not easy to run two major businesses. Steve said he and his wife started Newberry Ford "from scratch" in 1991 and it remains today.

"Fortunately we have a good staff in both places and that is the key," he said, with four employees at the dealership who have been there from the start and a few more with 25 years plus longevity. "That has enabled us to do a little coaching and everything else."

They are very pleased with employees at Fountain Springs as well.

Nick, who is also a digital solutions architect for Raytheon, said he is lucky he can work from home with that job and since he lives on the course that makes it convenient.

The bottom line is, the Newberrys want the course to have a welcoming family atmosphere, and at the end of the day, it is all about family.

It is also about the love of sports.

"It has kept us really close as a family," Steve said.

— Contact Charles Boothe at cboothe@bdtonline.com

Contact Charles Boothe at cboothe@bdtonline.com