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Virginia
You could spend an entire retirement visiting the hundreds of historical sites in the great state of Virginia, from Washington's Mt. Vernon and Jefferson's Monticello to Colonial Williamsburg to the Civil War battlefields of Manassas and the historic Appomattox Courthouse. What better way to do that than from one of Virginia's many classic golf communities. Choose among a combination ski and golf community, such as the Wintergreen Resort; a colonial style community with many brick homes like Glenmore, just east of Charlottesville and the renowned University of Virginia (also built by Thomas Jefferson); or a modern community like Viniterra, which features a working winery next to its front gate. With Richmond and the metro D.C. area, an urban fix is never more than a few hours from anywhere in Virginia.
Fit for a King: Arnie’s stamp is firmly affixed to Fawn Lake golf community course
Fredericksburg, VA, was named for a prince (Frederick of England), but a King’s name is on the golf course at Fawn Lake. When I visited the golf community in June, plenty of folks at the 20-year old...
A house that comes with its own tee box
A for-sale listing at the Ashley Plantation golf community outside of Roanoke, VA, describes the home on offer as follows: “Beautiful house overlooking 11 Green, 12 Tee at Ashley Plantation. Watch...
Practice makes perfect, but perfect practice ranges are rare
There are a couple of reasons I don’t hit more than just a few limbering shots on a practice range before I head for the first tee. One, I really do leave all the good ones on the range. Unfettered by...
Fragile golf economy claims another victim
“Hey Buddy, wanna buy a golf course?” These days, most any of us could afford to buy one of the dozens of distressed golf courses that are on the block. Private club members and municipalities alike would...
Bay Creek's Nicklaus course a fair bear
A golf course slope rating measures the difficulty of a layout for the typical bogey golfer, one who shoots around 90 over 18 holes. A course of average difficulty has a slope rating of 113; the...
Virginia’s Bay Creek a Myrtle Beach alternative for northeasterners
This is the second and final part of our review of Bay Creek Resort & Club in Cape Charles, VA. Part one is available by clicking here. The cart path on Bay Creek's Jack Nicklaus course moves...
Coming Up Roses: With plenty going for it, Bay Creek a late bloomer
The Arnold Palmer Course at Bay Creek opens with a stunning par 5 that moves toward the Chesapeake and a replica lighthouse. Bay Creek Resort & Club may be the best golf community you’ve never...
Greenbrier owner purchases Glade Springs
Not every golf course operator is running for the hills, metaphorically speaking. One is running to them. Jim Justice, who picked up the famed Greenbrier golf resort a year ago at the relatively...
Williamsburg’s Ford’s Colony in Chapter 11
Developers of golf communities that are well established and with all amenities in place have fared pretty well amidst the carnage of the last few years. Sometimes, though, the golf clubs at their very...
Bankrupt Richmond club fights with bank
Things at The Federal Club, a financially beleaguered Arnold Palmer designed golf course just outside Richmond, VA, are going from bad to worse. The former private club in a planned golf community,...
Pall in the family: Glenmore shoulders on in the wake of embezzlement
The clubhouse and golf course at Glenmore are up for sale in the wake of an embezzlement by a member of the family that owns the club. Glenmore, just outside Charlottesville, VA, and one of my favorite...
Public option: Bankrupt Richmond club opens its tee sheet
The private golf club landscape, especially in golf communities, continues to change as the pressure on clubs to pay their bills mounts. More than 500 golf clubs closed in the U.S. the last three...