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Great Day for Golf
Early Summer 2010
by Alex Payne
Golf—watch the pros, or play a round with friends? The great news is that, beginning this summer, you can do both in the Shenandoah Valley, as The Greenbrier Resort in White Sulphur Springs, WV welcomes a brand-new PGA event, the Greenbrier Classic, July 26–August 1, 2010. Expect big-name players, huge crowds of spectators, and lots of fantastic golf. The tournament will take place on the Old White Course, the original (1914) of The Greenbrier’s four courses. Recent modifications have upgraded many holes and added new practice tees and putting greens, making the course “more competitive and more appealing for the world’s best players,” according to Robert Harris, director of sports and recreation for The Greenbrier.
Bringing the PGA to the area was the dream and plan of Jim Justice, owner of The Greenbrier, from the time he purchased the resort in 2009. Justice worked quickly to negotiate a six-year agreement with the PGA to bring a new FedExCup event to White Sulphur Springs. You’ll want to be planning ahead for lodging and passes in the coming years, because this event is sure to be a spectacular success from the moment the first pro golfer arrives!
Not too many years ago, the Virginias were one of the most golf-poor areas in the country. It’s not that the courses weren’t good, there just weren’t very many of them. Today the selection of golfing opportunities has improved throughout the entire region. The Shenandoah Valley now has some of the best golf, with the best views anywhere in the world. And playing through the mountain tops certainly has its advantages—great scenery, moderate temperatures, smaller crowds, and, often, lower greens fees than you’d find in the more usual golf destinations. You’ll find excellent courses throughout the Valley—more than thirty of them—from Martinsburg, WV south to Blacksburg, VA and beyond, and just about everywhere in between!
Golf began in the United States not far from The Greenbrier, at Oakhurst Links. Though it is not presently open to the public, golfers at Oakhurst Links still play with traditional equipment—hickory clubs and gutta percha balls—and the course is still tended in the traditional manner—by sheep!
Due east about 65 miles is an excellent, significantly newer (2004) course, the Vista Links, a public 18-hole, par 72 championship course near Lexington, with five sets of tees ranging from 4,941 to 6,925 yards... that’s like 4 miles! It covers 144 acres of the 600-acre Glen Maury Park in Buena Vista, VA. The course, designed by Rick Jacobson, has outstanding views, with the clubhouse located on the highest part of the property, taking full advantage of the ‘Vista’. This course also boasts outstanding practice facilities, with a driving range, putting green, and a chipping area. Because of its location in a park, this is about the only golf course I know where you can camp and play, making it a true family-oriented destination. The Maury River flows along the borders of the park, so you can add canoeing and fishing to your activities list, as well.
60 miles north, Massanutten Resort offers great golfing packages and 36 holes on two courses. Mountain Greens (par 73/6,463 yards) and Woodstone Meadows (par 65/5,065 yards) are two championship-quality links that offer both incredible views and exciting challenges.
Don’t leave the area without playing a round at Heritage Oaks, Harrisonburg’s municipal golf course, scenic and challenging for golfers of all abilities. Designed by William Love, Heritage Oaks offers a wide variety of holes, including links-style holes as well as traditional, tree-lined holes. It’s a par 70 course, with four sets of tees on each hole; overall distances range from 4,500 yards to 6,325 yards.
If you are heading east from the Valley, toward Richmond and Tidewater, two more golfing venues are worth your time. Swannanoa, at the top of Afton Mountain, is an old course, designed by Fred Findlay—architect of many of Virginia’s best-known historic courses. Built directly on the ridge of the mountains, it’s a course designed for challenge and fun, but don’t underestimate it—you’ve never seen anything like it in your life. The best things about Swannanoa are the truly spectacular vistas, some charmingly natural holes, and a very laid-back atmosphere.
Beyond Afton, Old Trail Golf Club, in Crozet is an 18-hole regulation course, designed with the rolling contours and unique features of the land here in mind. Multiple tees provide a range of lengths, making play challenging and fun whatever your handicap. Afterward, enjoy a drink or a meal in the Grill Room.
Great golf in the Great Shenandoah Valley! There’s no ‘almost’ heaven about it!
Article text ©2010, Shenandoah Specialty Publishing, LLC.
May be printed for personal use only.
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