HIGH-TECH TRAINING
By Chris Wadsworth
Victoria Tip-Aucha grew up in the Manassas Park area and has taken golf lessons with PGA pro Chuck Will at his Chuck Will Golf Academy since she was 7 years old.
That investment of time and treasure definitely paid off because Tip-Aucha now is a professional golfer.
After playing in high school, where she won several tournaments, and then for Penn State, where she was named a Big 10 Golfer of the Week, she went pro. She spent most of 2025 competing in tournaments across Europe as part of the Ladies European Tour.
So when Tip-Aucha heard that the Dulles Golf Center property off Route 28 in Sterling had been sold and was closing, it was tough news to swallow. That’s where Chuck Will’s academy has been based for more than two decades.
“I was quite sad thinking about all the years I had been going there,” she said.
But Tip-Aucha needn’t have worried. Because Will was already putting a new plan into action.
It turns out that one of the managing partners at the Dulles Golf Center – famed for its driving range and batting cages – was Andy Stromberg. Stromberg is also the CEO of Method Health Clubs. Will and Stromberg had worked together for more than 10 years. And fortunately there’s a Method Health Club right here in Ashburn.
“We knew the range operation would eventually come to an end, so we decided to develop an indoor golf studio located within Method Health Club,” Will said.
Now, instead of heading to Sterling, Will’s clients head to Riverside Square, a shopping center off Riverside Parkway north of Route 7. That’s the home to Method (as well as Texas Roadhouse, Burger King, Sheetz and many other businesses) and the new home of the Chuck Will Golf Academy.
The new academy is outfitted with the latest technology, too – namely a launch monitor and simulator from Foresight Sports and high-speed video analysis tools from Swing Catalyst.
“The technology has advanced so much compared to our original indoor studio at Dulles Golf Center,” Will said. “Most people’s initial objection is the lack of real ball flight. However, once they experience the accuracy and immersive environment, that concern quickly fades.”
It’s also indoors, meaning it’s available in any weather and – because it’s inside a fitness center – Will is now working with Chris Pellegrino – a Titleist Performance Institute-certified personal trainer who can help golfers with the physical assessments and workouts to complement their game.
“The focus was to combine golf instruction, golf specific physical training and custom club fitting into one package,” Will said.
Tip-Aucha plans to continue to train with Will as her pro career progresses and says she’s thrilled with the new Method location.
“It was so exciting to be able to use all his new software and equipment,” she said. “There’s a ton of swing data given after every shot. Also, in this brutal winter, it is so nice to walk into a warm place to take a lesson.”