Blue Ridge Parkway Golf Trail

[Roger Wolfe]

Has anyone noticed what an incredible array of golf courses are located
very close to the Blue Ridge Parkway in VA and NC?  Most are within ten
miles of a park entrance (except for the Upper Cascades).  Sounds like it
would make for a magical golfing week if time, weather and access could
be arranged.

Fly into Dulles
Drive 58 miles and play Blue Ridge Shadows in Front Royal, VA
Hop on the Skyline Drive… perhaps the most breathtaking 100 miles in the US.
Hop on I-64, drive 60 miles and play the Upper Cascades at The Homestead
Get back on the Parkway and drive 71 miles to Ballyhack Golf Club
Get back on the Parkway and drive 70 miles to the Highlands Course at Primland
Get back on the Parkway and drive 62 miles to Roaring Gap Golf Club
Get back on the Parkway and drive 74 miles to Linville Golf Club (or Grandfather... or Diamond Creek)
Get back on the Parkway and drive 66 miles to Biltmore Forest Country Club

I could only play these 7 courses for the rest of my life and be perfectly satisfied.
A neat trip and I'm in should anyone get the nerve to give it a shot.

[Ronald Montesano]

Yup, yup and yup.

[Jay Flemma]

Blue Ridge Shadows has a few good holes and some real headscratchers...11, 14, and 16 are awful.  1, 7, and 9 are good though.

[Roger Wolfe]

Blue Ridge Shadows has a few good holes and some real headscratchers...11, 14, and 16 are awful.  1, 7, and 9 are good though.

Is there a better place to "kick off" the trip?

[Tim Gavrich]

While not in the same league as any of the other courses listed, Vista Links in Buena Vista, VA would be a perfect "breather course."  And it can't be more than 10 minutes from the Blue Ridge Parkway.  AND, it's about $30 to play.

Lexington G&CC is about 20 minutes from the Parkway.  A sporty Ellis Maples course with an above-average set of greens.

[Jay Flemma]

It's far too penal and has some really strange holes...Royal New Kent, VA Tech, Kingsmill, Stonehouse, are all better, just to name a few public venues.  Why not start at Lake Presidential in MD?  Or one of the nice DC area private courses?

[Dan Herrmann]

Seriously - my friend at work uses Luray Caverns Golf Club as his favorite low-key early-season getaway.  It's certainly not great architecture, but it's fun golf played in a very beautiful location.  And it's right outside the park.

[Mike Hamilton]

Devil's Knob is literally a good "drive" off the BRP at Wintergreen Resort (although about 10 mins by car).  It's also Ellis Maples and has the  advantage of being at about 3500 ft so a nice break from hot summer weather.

[Carl Nichols]

Jay:
None of those courses is really anywhere near the northern entrance to the Skyline Drive.  If you don't like Blue Ridge Shadows (I haven't played there), other options nearby are the aforementioned Luray Caverns, as well as Shenandoah Valley Golf Club -- neither great, but both perfectly ok.

Roger:
If you're flying into Dulles, you could go 24 miles southwest to Robert Trent Jones Golf Club; then 46 miles to Shenandoah Valley Golf Club; then you're just 8 miles to Skyline Drive.

[Ed Oden]

Roger, I can't think of any reason to end the trip at Biltmore Forest when you can keep on going to Wade Hampton.  Granted, WH isn't right on the Parkway.  But it's closer than The Homestead.  One final suggestion:  Schedule it for October!

[BCrosby]

I like the idea in concept. In reality that's a lot of tough driving on switch-back mountain roads. The travel times are greater than the distances indicate. But if time is not object...

Bob   

[john_stiles]

The trip would be fantastic especially at the pace of 70 miles or so each day.   The parkway can be very slow and windy in North Carolina.  The parkway is very beautiful in the fall.   It seems at times you are driving on the top of the trees. And you are.

Could also play Mt Mitchell GC,  very enjoyable mountain course.

The portion south and west of Mt Pisgah towards Bryson (Wade Hampton) is extremely twisty and would be a blast in a friends Vette.

ps >    A friend took his new Cadillac on a parkway tour, and evidently used his brakes quite a bit.  Dealer had never seen rotors warp like my friends Caddy.  Friend insisted they must have been defective and dealer replaced at no charge.

[Roger Wolfe]

Roger, I can't think of any reason to end the trip at Biltmore Forest when you can keep on going to Wade Hampton.  Granted, WH isn't right on the Parkway.  But it's closer than The Homestead.  One final suggestion:  Schedule it for October!

Carl:  I am a huge fan of Shenandoah Valley!!  Played it constantly in the early 90's!

Ed:  I tried to make this a list of courses I might be able to get on!  I think the Primland / Roaring Gap / Diamond Creek trifecta is definitely worth a shot this Fall !!

[Wade Whitehead]

Ed's right.  Schedule this trip when the woods are popping with color.  The Blue Ridge Mountains in early October aren't to be missed.

WW

[Andy Shulman]

I'd have to agree with others that Blue Ridge Shadows doesn't belong on the list.  The course has a good PR team, but it has far too many goofy holes.  If you're flying into Dulles, you might consider heading out I-66 about 30 minutes to Stonewall Golf Club, a very nice - although somewhat pricey - Tom Jackson track and then heading straight to the Homestead.  Shenandoah Valley is an OK track (and a bargain), but nowhere near the same quality as the others on your list.

Enjoy!

[Scott_Burroughs]

In addition to Biltmore Forest, Grove Park Inn is also in Asheville.  Maybe in a few years  , Cliffs at High Carolina will also be in the Asheville area.

[Tags:]

Tags: