Golfing the Virginias by Robert Armstrong

Golfing the Virginias by Robert Armstrong

Virginia and West Virginia are fast becoming two of the most popular golf destinations in the country. There is something for virtually every taste and level of golfing skill. From some of the nation's most prestigious resorts to no-frills facilities in state parks, from the Blue Ridge and Appalachian Mountains to the Tidewater, from famous courses to virtually undiscovered gems, Golfing the Virginias reveals the incredible variety, scenic beauty, and playing challenges available in the two states.

Golf came to the Virginias before the dawn of the 20th century. Classic courses include The Old Course, site of the 1979 Ryder Cup, The Cascades at the Homestead, the Golden Horseshoe's Gold Course, and Kingsmill's River Course, home of the Michelob Championship.

There also are abundant new courses that are both exciting and challenging to play, such as Stonehouse, Royal New Kent, Augustine, Locust Hill, the Woods Course at Kingsmill, Raspberry Falls, Colonial, Lee's Hill, and Stoneleigh. Glorious, classically designed golf courses abound as well. Among their numbers are Cacapon, The Tartan and Golden Eagle Courses at The Tides, Glade Springs Resort, the Speidel Course at Oglebay Park, The Greenbrier's Old White Course, Kiln Creek, Stoney Creek at Wintergreen, Lansdowne, and Reston National.

The Virginias boast some of the finest mountain golf courses outside the Rockies. Devil's Knob at Wintergreen, Lakeview, Canaan Valley, Olde Mill, Caverns Country Club, Hanging Rock, and Hawthorne Valley are all superior mountain tracks that provide breathtaking beauty and often daunting tests of the game.

The architects who designed the courses of the Virginias are a who's who of big-name golf-course designers, including Donald Ross, Sir Guy Campbell, William Flynn, George Cobb, Robert Trent Jones, Sr., Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Gary Player, Ed Ault, Ellis Maples, Tom Clark, and Pete Dye. In addition, younger, extremely talented architects have made a big splash. They include Mike Strantz, Lisa Maki, Rees Jones, Dan Maples, Rick Jacobson, Jim Lipe, and Lester George.

Author Rob Armstrong has drawn a series of interesting and informative word portraits, buttressed by photos and course maps, of the best resort and daily-fee golf courses in Virginia and West Virginia. For nearly twenty-five years, Armstrong was an award-winning correspondent for CBS News. He now contributes to various golf publications, teaches at Flagler College in St. Augustine, Florida, and tries to keep his handicap in the single digits.