The Highland Course at Primland, mountain golf in the Blue Ridge of Meadows of Dan, Virginia

Ranked · 7 courses · reviewed June 2026

Best Golf Courses in Virginia

Virginia runs the full range, from a William Flynn mountain classic that turns a hundred this decade to a Donald Steel layout perched on the rim of the Blue Ridge and Pete Dye's coastal handiwork at Williamsburg. Here are the seven we rate, ranked, with our verdict on each and how to play it.

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By the GolfForKings editorial desk · How we rank · Last reviewed June 2026

Photograph: Highland Course at Primland, Meadows of Dan, Virginia, via Google

How we chose them

Virginia spreads its best golf across three very different worlds. In the southwest, the Blue Ridge mountains hold Primland, a modern Donald Steel design routed along ridgelines and over chasms at altitude. In the Allegheny highlands, the historic resort at Hot Springs keeps two grand old courses, the William Flynn Cascades chief among them. And out toward the coast, the tidewater country around Williamsburg and Richmond holds the resort and daily fee golf, led by Pete Dye's River Course at Kingsmill. We weighed the quality of the architecture, the setting and conditioning, and how readily a traveling golfer can actually get on, then ranked accordingly.

Every fact here, the designers, the opening years and the access, was checked at the time of writing in June 2026 by the GolfForKings editorial desk. We have leaned toward courses a visitor can play, whether as a resort guest or a daily fee booking, since this is a guide for golfers planning a trip rather than a list of unreachable private clubs. The verdicts are ours. If your group wants these built into a costed Virginia itinerary with tee times and stays handled, that is exactly what our concierge does.

The 7 best golf courses in Virginia

Primland, Highland Course

Donald Steel, 2006 · Meadows of Dan · Blue Ridge

Virginia's modern showpiece and a long standing fixture on national public course rankings. Donald Steel, with Tom Mackenzie and Martin Ebert assisting, routed the Highland Course along the spine of the Blue Ridge at altitude, running holes down ridgelines, across chasms and into sideslopes with hundred mile mountain views at every turn. Part of an Auberge resort with a lodge, an observatory and miles of wild country, it is the most dramatic golf in the state and the natural centerpiece of a mountain trip.

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The Cascades, Omni Homestead

William Flynn, 1923 · Hot Springs · mountain classic

The connoisseur's pick and one of the great mountain courses in America. William Flynn, the architect of Shinnecock Hills and Cherry Hills, laid the Cascades out in 1923 through a narrow Allegheny valley, using the tumbling terrain and the mountain stream to brilliant effect with barely a flat lie on the property. It has hosted multiple USGA championships and remains a stern, beautiful test of shotmaking. For pure architecture this is arguably the finest course in the state, and it is open to resort guests.

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Kingsmill Resort, River Course

Pete Dye, 1975 · Williamsburg · tour host

The best known tournament course in Virginia, a Pete Dye design from his early, more restrained period that long hosted the PGA Tour and later the LPGA. Set along the James River near Williamsburg, it closes with a memorable stretch on the water, more in the mold of Harbour Town than the wilder Dye courses that followed. A full resort with three courses, lodging and a riverside setting makes it the most complete stay and play in the tidewater region.

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Full Cry at Keswick Hall

Pete Dye, 2014 · Charlottesville · resort

A later, gentler Pete Dye design in the rolling country outside Charlottesville, opened in 2014 as part of the luxurious Keswick Hall resort. Full Cry stretches over generous, walkable terrain with the strategic bunkering and green complexes that mark Dye's mature work, paired with a five star hotel and the vineyards of central Virginia on the doorstep. It is the smart choice for a refined golf and wine country weekend within easy reach of Washington.

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Royal New Kent

Mike Strantz, 1996 · Providence Forge · restored

The wildest ride in Virginia golf, a Mike Strantz design between Williamsburg and Richmond conceived as a homage to the great Irish links of Ballybunion and Royal County Down, all mounded fairways, blind shots and vast waste areas. After a period of decline it has been restored and reopened, returning one of the most distinctive and divisive courses in the country to play. Bold, theatrical and unforgettable, it is a must for golfers who like their architecture daring.

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The Golf Club at Lansdowne, Norman Course

Greg Norman · Leesburg · Potomac River

The best of the northern Virginia resort golf, a Greg Norman design at Lansdowne near Leesburg whose front nine runs along the Potomac River before the back nine turns inland toward Goose Creek. Paired with a second Robert Trent Jones Jr course and a large resort hotel, it is the most convenient quality golf for a Washington area group, with the wine country of Loudoun County a short drive away. A polished, playable test in a handsome setting.

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The Old Course, Omni Homestead

Hot Springs · historic resort · Donald Ross revisions

History as much as golf. The Old Course at the Homestead holds the oldest first tee in continuous use in the United States, dating to 1892, with later revisions attributed to Donald Ross. It is the gentler, more walkable companion to the Cascades, a charming and historic round through the resort grounds that completes a classic two course mountain stay. Worth playing for the sense of place alone, and an easy pairing with its more demanding sibling.

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Designers, opening years and access verified June 2026 by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Course profiles are added across the site as the directory grows. Always confirm visitor access and fees directly before booking. Check tee time availability.

Where they are, and indicative costs

Virginia's best golf does not sit in one cluster. Primland is in the far southwest at Meadows of Dan, a scenic drive from Roanoke; the Homestead courses are in the Allegheny highlands at Hot Springs; and Kingsmill, Royal New Kent and the coastal golf lie around Williamsburg and Richmond, while Lansdowne and Keswick serve the northern and central parts of the state near Washington and Charlottesville. Most trips pick a region, the mountains or the tidewater, and build from there. Richmond, Roanoke and the Washington airports are the usual gateways.

Item	Indicative 2026	Notes
Green fee, resort and daily fee courses	Around 100 to 250 dollars	Higher in peak spring and autumn, lower in summer and winter
Stay and play packages	Varies by resort and season	The Homestead, Kingsmill and Primland bundle rooms and rounds
A long weekend, all in	Around 1,200 to 2,800 dollars per person	Hotel, several rounds and a car, excluding flights

Indicative third party figures for the 2026 season, shown to set expectations only. We are a guide, not an operator, and never quote our own pricing. Always confirm directly before booking.

Plan your Virginia golf trip

Tell us whether you want the Blue Ridge mountains or the Williamsburg coast and roughly when. One concierge arranges the tee times, the resort and the route, costs the whole trip to the head, and replies within one working day, with no obligation.

Virginia golf questions

What is the best golf course in Virginia?

Primland's Highland Course, a Donald Steel design along the Blue Ridge, is our pick for the best course a visitor can play in Virginia, with its dramatic mountain routing and resort setting. Purists often prefer the William Flynn Cascades at the Omni Homestead, arguably the finest piece of architecture in the state. Our ranking weighs design, setting and ease of access together.

When is the best time to play golf in Virginia?

Spring, from April to June, and autumn, from September to October, are the prime seasons across most of Virginia, with warm, settled days and good conditioning. Summer can be hot and humid in the tidewater region but is pleasant up in the mountains, while winter golf is possible on the coast in milder spells. Always confirm conditions before you travel.

Can you play the best Virginia courses as a visitor?

Mostly yes. The courses on this list are resort or daily fee layouts open to visitors, including Primland, the two Homestead courses, Kingsmill, Full Cry at Keswick, Royal New Kent and Lansdowne, usually as a resort guest or by tee time booking. Book ahead for the peak spring and autumn windows, and always confirm access directly before booking.

The Tee Sheet

Mid Atlantic course openings, the best shoulder season tee times and where to play next. Every other week.

Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Course designers, opening years and access verified June 2026. Last reviewed June 2026.