Virginia Golf Course Reviews

Colonial Heritage Club, while in a gated residential community, is very accessible as a semi-private golf course. This Arthur Hills signature course opened in 2006. An 18-hole, par 72, championship course, measures 6889 yards from the tips and has 11 sets of tees - yes, 11 with the combination tees - so you get a range of 3142 to 6889 yards to play with. Other courses should take the time and effort to create these combo tees, giving golfers options beyond the traditional four or five tee sets.

Colonial Heritage practice facilities include putting and chipping areas, an adequate driving range near the tenth tee; a fitness room, pool, tennis and pickleball courts and a restaurant/bar with banquet and special event space for indoor and outdoor events. Membership rates are reasonable for both residents and community members. The daily fee to play ranges from $56 (after 3p) to $100 during prime time on weekends.

Colonial Heritage Club is open to the public and one of the top, most difficult course designs and challenging layouts in Virginia. Missing a green on an approach, or rolling the ball through the green, sometimes leaves a very difficult shot back toward the hole. Fairways are noticeably tighter on the par 4's the closer you get to the hole (note Hole 12). Par fives have fairway bailouts near the green in case a player does not want to take on carries or bunkers. On par 4's, a great tee shot can be rewarded with a seemingly easy approach. But most of them require two excellent shots to play golf at par; one putts on these greens are rare unless you get close! Access to penalized areas like hills/woods/deep fairway bunkers are mostly made accessible with steps, paths, and stones. This course feels like it was carved out of land that could not have been used for any other purpose.

Don't live in this 55+ community behind the guard gate? No problem, just tell the guard you want to play; they'll let you in! It's that easy!

When you book your tee time - please tell the folks at Colonial Heritage we sent you!

Forest Greens is an exceptional-value, public, municipal golf club near Quantico MCB. A team of Virginia Golf Course Reviews made a visit on a perfect day with clear skies, no wind, brilliant foliage and perfect playing conditions. The course was in excellent shape, with greens, fairways, bunkers and tees lush and well maintained. They are working on a few tee boxes, but overall, the course is in great shape.

Forest Greens features a Clyde Johnson design built in the mid-90s. The best thing about the course - there are no houses. You feel like you're in the middle of nowhere, until you hear I-95 roaring by on a couple holes.

The overriding plus about Forest Green is value - for less than $50, one can golf on a course in excellent condition, with memorable holes and challenging shots. The tee box choice accentuates the golfer's control over the challenges - if you can't shape a shot around a dog leg - choose the tee box that lets your controlled swing get your drive to the proper landing area. The course is a wonderful addition to the NoVa municipal golf course community!

Management's goals include growing the Junior camps, getting kids involved with the PGA junior league. Prince William Golf Club (a place we visited earlier this season) is the center for the junior camp program. There’s a strong team preset, waiting for you.

Favorite holes:
Hole 10 - There's nothing like starting the back nine with the most challenging hole on the back. It has length, hills, a smallish green and a couple trouble spots: don't go left off the tee and a couple bunkers that might give you trouble. Fun start!
Hole 18 - It's all about placement off the tee, but good luck finding the green in two...it's almost all uphill from tee to green - oh yes, it's also a dogleg left with bunkers you might not see from the fairway.

Forest Greens is a well-run operation. When you book your tee time...tell them we sent you.

Virginia Golf Course Reviews recently visited the municipal course, Meadowcreek Golf Course, in Charlottesville. Our team apparently enjoyed the visit. Despite the heat, experience was most enjoyable. The course irrigation system is being replaced, otherwise, it was in great shape. Yes, drought and extreme heat are hard on any course, we notice. That didn't keep the team from enjoying the layout and the challenges created by Buddy Loving and Bill Love. With over 45,000 rounds per year, you can expect a little wear & tear. The maintenance crew are heroes!

The course layout is fun and challenging. It's fair with a few holes that require strategy and precision. We love the finishing stretch on holes 16-18. There are scoring opportunities with challenges to keep you focused to the end.

Hole 7 is a challenging par 4 with a hill to the left that kicks your ball back down to the generous fairway, before you approach a steep uphill shot to the elevated green! The flagstick here is about 10' tall!

Hole 17 is the best hole on the course - our opinion. A 200 yard par 3 from the tips over a pond. A river funs along the left and trees to the right! What could possibly go wrong?

While owned by the City of Charlottesville, the course is managed by Troon. Their commitment is to create a quality public golf experience, accessible to players of all abilities. They host many events for their patrons to spread the love of golf around!

When you book, make sure you tell them Virginia Golf Course Reviews sent you.

Our team thoroughly enjoyed the visit to Heritage Hunt Golf & Country Club, a private, 55+ retirement community with a golf course and all the amenities for healthy living. Arthur Hill's design is a great layout and makes for a great experience for anyone wishing to take the challenge. On the day of our visit the course was in great shape.

Favorite holes:
Hole 2 - A slight dogleg right par 4 with a creek crossing the fairway just off the tee box and bunkers at the outside turn. The approach to the green is narrow and a protected by one lone bunker right front.
Hole 18 - Not many courses close with a challenging par 3 to end the round. Not only is it challenging, it makes you want to come back and play again.

While Heritage Hunt is a private course with about 400 members, it's also open to anyone who wishes to play, just call the clubhouse and get a tee time. Public play is $107. There's a strong focus on 'taking care of our guests' at Heritage Hunt. It all starts with the management team and the staff. This was an amazing experience.
When you check out Heritage Hunt, ask for John Yancey, Director of Golf. Be sure to tell him Virginia Golf Course Reviews sent you!

Another Virginia Golf Course Review team heads to Forest Greens Golf Club on Tuesday, July 14. Looking forward to reviewing another Virginia gem.

The Ford's Colony courses are a class act. Everything is done well. The second you enter the property, you experience the welcome and the quality. We were playing the Blackheath course and our tee time preceded the lady member's 9 hole league which was well-attended. The staff was diligent about making sure they were being supported both on the course and before and after the competition. We had a chance to chat with some of the ladies and they were very complimentary of the course and the staff. The staff met our vehicle upon arrival with efficiency and smiles. This was consistent with staff throughout the day whether it was in the pro shop, the restaurant or on the course.

The course is in great condition and is enjoyable to play, and you can expect with heavy rain there might be issues to deal with. We particularly enjoyed the flow of the course which included a test of your various clubs and memorable holes that left us wanting to play them again. Dan Maples designed a course that is both fun to play and a challenge. Williamsburg has some quality golf in its vicinity. Ford's Colony is certainly among the top tier of courses in the area.

Ford's Colony has a very useful app that can be downloaded. Yardages, information and hole diagrams are available. Leave your caddy at home and download the app if you are playing.

The practice facilities were well cared for and more than sufficient to support the day's players. The restaurant had very good bar-type food with top shelf service. The pro shop was well stocked with applicable merchandise. We are happy to report that the golf is in good hands at Ford's Colony. The course is a quality course with a mix of holes that require the use of every club in the bag. Conditions were superior and the flow of the course was both interesting and enjoyable. It was fair to golfers of all abilities and played at a good pace.