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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.
Golf Review: Perhaps the toughest course in Williamsburg
The fairway at #7 at Colonial Heritage is built above a ravine, necessitating a carry of at least 200 yards on your drive and then a medium to long iron over the ravine to the green. The Arthur...
Williamsburg notes
The finishing hole on the Two Rivers course is a hard dogleg left around the marshy indentations of the Chickahominy and James Rivers. I won't burden you with a restaurant review today; I left the...
Lazy Williamsburg and the Fat Canary
One of the nation's first cities, Williamsburg, VA, has been in a perpetual state of torpor since its earliest days. One anonymous 19th Century pundit summed it up when referring to the local...
Notes on Lexington (VA) Golf & Country Club
We spent Friday at Washington & Lee University in Lexington, VA. Son Tim, the golfer, has been accepted there, and although we had made a prior visit, we had not met golf coach Gavin Colliton. And...
This week, Williamsburg; first, a restaurant review
I am visiting communities in the historic town of Williamsburg, VA, this week. The plan is to gather information about Kingsmill, Governor's Land, Ford's Colony, Washington National and Colonial...
Golf Course Review: Farmington Club traces roots to Thomas Jefferson
After playing many golf community courses younger than our teenagers, it is refreshing to step back in time and play a classic course like the Farmington Club in Charlottesville, VA whose history,...
Great Scot: Glenmore's classic touches appeal to golfers and non-golfers alike
Pyramid scheme: Glenmore's driving range is amply sized and professionally outfitted. Golf Course Review Glenmore is one of those communities that suddenly appears along a stretch of country road...
Golf Course Review: Keswick anchors high end in Charlottesville area
House on the hill: Keswick Hall dominates the landscape at Keswick Estate, as do the sand bunkers at the Arnold Palmer-designed course. Keswick Estate tends to its image with more care and...
Its academic: Life in Charlottesville can be a nice education
University towns are hot retirement destinations for baby boomers longing to return to school, at least part time, but infrastructure hasn’t always kept pace. Traffic in the increasingly popular...
Golf Course Review: Old Trail community course quirky but playable
Old Trail, which sold its first piece of property in early 2005, is somewhat avant garde among its peer Charlottesville, VA, area communities. The niche for the Crozet, VA, community is more...
Golf Review: Wintergreen offers haven for golfers, skiers and nature lovers
At the Wintergreen Resort, you can ski and play golf, sometimes on the same day. Located in Nellysford, VA, about 35 minutes from Charlottesville, Wintergreen is one of those hybrid...