Golf near Virginia Beach, VA

[Scott Weersing]

I am considering a move to Virginia Beach, VA.

Besides Riverfront GC, designed by Tom Doak, and Royal New Kent GC, which public courses are worth playing?

Which courses are good according to GCA members?

[Mike Hoak]

There are a number of interesting public courses worth your time in that area.  In the area right around Virginia Beach, Riverfront is probably the best public choice.  The TPC course (a Dye design) is also a good course--albeit on a pancake flat site.  Heron Ridge (Bates/Couples) and Hell's Point (Rees Jones) are decent options.  The two new Bay Creek courses (one by Nicklaus and the other by Palmer's group) located across the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel are very good golf courses and a downright steal at their current green fees. On the private side, Tom Fazio's Bayside is probably the best private track in and around Virginia Beach.

If you don't mind driving up the road to Williamsburg, there are the two Mike Strantz courses (RNK and Stonehouse) and the two courses at the Golden Horseshoe.  Anyone interested in golf course architecture should check out RNK.  There are also the courses at Kingsmill.  The River course is worth a play, but it's nowhere near Dye's best work even after the recent renovation.

If you want a real bargain, check out Newport News Golf Club and Bide a Wee.  They are both solid courses and very inexpensive.

[Scott Weersing]

Thanks.

I have played RNK several times and I love it!

What about Cahoon Plantation in Chesapeake?

[Jerry Kluger]

I agree that the Strantz courses are special and a bargain.  A must play is the Golden Horshoe Gold course - a great RTJ course on a very tight piece of property - I would suggest that you play either Strantz course or the Horseshoe early as they can become very slow later on in the day as they are very tough for the lesser player.  

[Bill Gayne]

Scott.

There's very little in the Hampton Roads area from "Golden Age" architects. The only courses I know of are Cavalier Yacht Golf and Country Club with a Charles Banks course that Lester George did some work on. The other is Sewells Point which is a Flynn course but the club claims it's a Ross course.

The courses in Williamsburg, Royal New Kent, and Cape Charles will all be good day trips from Virginia Beach but to far on a regular basis because of the networks of bridges and tunnels that need to be travelled.

I played Cahoon Plantation when the course first opened and I thought it was horrible. I've been told that they have made significant changes and it's much better.

I would concur with the comments of Mike and Jerry.

Bill

[Tom Zeni]

There's also Williamsburg National by Nicklaus which I played a few years ago. I really didn't care for the design, and the back 9 design was completely different from the front 9.

Also played a semi-private course in Virginia Beach. I think it was called the Bumble Bee. I'm not big on sea shells being used as bunker material. Nice opening hole, but it intertwined at some points around housing.

[David Miller]

If you like a Strantz-style course, go with RNK or Stonehouse, though both will be 2 hours or so from VA Beach.

If you can get on, go with Cavalier CC in VA Beach--it winds through the area inlets and provides an intriguing test.

The Kingsmill River and Woods courses are both solid, especially the former, though are expensive if you're not staying at the resort or don't know someone.

Golden Horseshoe Gold is the best in the area if you can get on at a reasonable price--have a feeling they'd take a walk-up no problem.

I've also heard Kisaick, a purely public place, isn't bad.

[Scott Weersing]

Scott.

There's very little in the Hampton Roads area from "Golden Age" architects. The only courses I know of are Cavalier Yacht Golf and Country Club with a Charles Banks course that Lester George did some work on. The other is Sewells Point which is a Flynn course but the club claims it's a Ross course.

The courses in Williamsburg, Royal New Kent, and Cape Charles will all be good day trips from Virginia Beach but to far on a regular basis because of the networks of bridges and tunnels that need to be travelled.

I played Cahoon Plantation when the course first opened and I thought it was horrible. I've been told that they have made significant changes and it's much better.

I would concur with the comments of Mike and Jerry.

Bill

Thanks for the feedback. Another course I have read about, Princess Anne Country Club opened in 1916 but I don't know who designed it. It has been redesigned several times since then.

It looks like I might be moving to area without Golden Age courses.

But I will be closer to the Sand Hills of North Carolina and Pinehurst.

And I will return to Southern California once a year to play Rustic Canyon!!