Golf in Virginia
Virginia is American golf with a sense of history, from the 1892 first tee at the Homestead to Pete Dye on the banks of the James. Mountain resort classics, colonial Williamsburg, Blue Ridge views and the courses that matter, with the season and how to plan it.
Photograph: Kingsmill Resort, Williamsburg, via Google.
Why golf in Virginia
Virginia is one of the most historic golf states in America, and one of the most varied. Golf at the Omni Homestead in Hot Springs dates to 1892, and the resort's Old Course still has the oldest first tee in continuous use in the country, played in their day by five presidents. Beside it sits the Cascades, a 1924 William Flynn mountain design routinely rated the finest course in the state. Down in the colonial triangle around Williamsburg, Pete Dye laid the River Course along the James at Kingsmill, host for years to the PGA Tour and now the LPGA, while the Golden Horseshoe holds Robert Trent Jones Senior's celebrated Gold Course among the streets of Colonial Williamsburg.
What makes Virginia a rewarding trip is the scenery and the history wrapped around the golf. The Allegheny and Blue Ridge mountains give the resort courses cool summers and dramatic elevation, the Highland Course at Primland sits high on a Blue Ridge plateau, and Keswick Hall near Charlottesville pairs a second Pete Dye course with the wine country of the Monticello hills. Add the battlefields, the colonial towns and the bourbon and cider trails, and a Virginia golf trip flexes easily from a serious buddies week in the mountains to a relaxed couples or family escape near Williamsburg. It is a state that rewards the traveller who wants golf with a story attached.
The regions
Williamsburg and the Historic Triangle
The heart of resort golf in the state, with Pete Dye's Kingsmill River Course on the James and the Golden Horseshoe courses among the colonial streets, plus history at every turn from Jamestown to Yorktown.
The Allegheny mountains
The Omni Homestead at Hot Springs, the grand mountain resort whose Cascades Course is the best in Virginia and whose Old Course holds the nation's oldest first tee in continuous use.
The Blue Ridge
Primland near Meadows of Dan, a high plateau resort where Donald Steel's Highland Course tumbles across the ridgetop with vast mountain views, the most scenic golf in the state.
Charlottesville and wine country
Keswick Hall and its Pete Dye Full Cry course in the rolling Monticello hills, paired with the vineyards and the history of Jefferson's Virginia for a refined, slower trip.
Northern Virginia and the DC fringe
Resort and daily fee golf within reach of Washington, led by Lansdowne Resort on the Potomac, a convenient base for a short golf break tied to the capital.
Coastal Virginia and the Eastern Shore
The Virginia Beach area and the Bay Creek resort on the Eastern Shore, with Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus designs by Chesapeake Bay, milder and good for a relaxed coastal week.
The courses that matter
The Cascades, Omni Homestead
A William Flynn mountain masterpiece threading a tight Allegheny valley, with tumbling fairways, fast greens and elevation changes that make it the most admired course in Virginia and a regular host of national amateur championships.
River Course, Kingsmill Resort
Pete Dye's course along the James River, a par 71 of around 6,800 yards that hosted the PGA Tour for two decades and now the LPGA. The closing holes by the water are among the most dramatic in the state. Open to resort guests and the public.
Highland Course, Primland
A Donald Steel design high on a Blue Ridge plateau, routed across ridgetops and ravines with enormous mountain views and a remote, wild feel. The scenic high point of golf in Virginia and the centrepiece of the Primland resort.
Gold Course, Golden Horseshoe
Robert Trent Jones Senior's celebrated parkland course in the heart of Colonial Williamsburg, a classic of tree lined holes and water, long regarded as one of the finest resort courses in the eastern United States.
Designers, layouts and host history verified June 2026. Yardages are approximate from championship tees. Course profiles are added across the site as the directory grows. Always confirm access and fees directly before booking.
When to go
| Season | Conditions | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| April to June | Warm, settled spring days, everything open | Prime season, the mountains and coast both at their best |
| September to October | Crisp autumn air, fall colour in the mountains | The best window of all, beautiful and less busy |
| July to August | Hot, humid lowlands, cooler in the mountains | Head for the Homestead or Primland and play early |
| November to March | Cool and quiet, mountain courses largely closed | Cheapest, with limited golf in the lowlands |
The mountain resorts run a defined season and close for winter, while the Williamsburg and coastal courses play longer. Spring and autumn give the best mix of weather, scenery and availability.
Indicative costs
| Item | Indicative 2026 | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Marquee resort green fee | Around US$150 to US$300 | The Cascades, Kingsmill, Primland and the Golden Horseshoe |
| Daily fee and public | Around US$50 to US$120 | Many strong public courses statewide, lower off season |
| A week, all in | Around US$2,000 to US$4,500 per person | Resort lodging, several rounds, 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.
Getting there and around
Virginia is easy to reach and built for driving. Washington Dulles and Reagan National in the north, Richmond in the centre and Norfolk near the coast give plenty of arrival points, with Roanoke handy for the Blue Ridge. The marquee golf is spread across the state, so a hire car is essential: the Homestead and Primland are mountain drives of a few hours from the cities, while Williamsburg sits between Richmond and the coast. Plan the trip around one or two bases rather than a long daily commute, and let one planner line up the tee times, the resort and the car.
Where to stay
Match the base to the trip. A classic mountain golf escape stays at the Omni Homestead, with the Cascades and the Old Course on site and the grand old resort around you. A scenery led trip bases at Primland on its Blue Ridge plateau. A Williamsburg stay puts Kingsmill and the Golden Horseshoe within minutes and the colonial sights on the doorstep, while Keswick Hall suits a refined Charlottesville and wine country break. Book the spring and autumn beds early, and let one concierge match the lodging to the golf.
Plan your Virginia golf trip
Tell us the courses you want and roughly when. One concierge lines up the tee times, the resort and the car and costs the whole trip to the head, with no obligation.
Virginia golf questions
What are the best golf courses in Virginia?
The Cascades Course at the Omni Homestead, a 1924 William Flynn mountain design, is widely rated the finest in the state. It is followed by Pete Dye's River Course at Kingsmill Resort near Williamsburg, the Highland Course at Primland in the Blue Ridge by Donald Steel, the Robert Trent Jones Senior Gold Course at the Golden Horseshoe in Williamsburg, and Full Cry at Keswick Hall near Charlottesville, another Pete Dye design. Virginia pairs mountain resort golf with the colonial courses around Williamsburg.
When is the best time to play golf in Virginia?
Spring and autumn, roughly April to June and September to October, are the prime seasons, with warm, settled days and the mountains and the coast both at their best. Summer is hot and humid in the lowlands around Williamsburg, though pleasant in the Allegheny and Blue Ridge mountains, while winter is cool, quiet and cheapest, with the mountain courses closing. Always confirm conditions before you travel.
How much does golf in Virginia cost in 2026?
As an indicative guide for 2026, a green fee at the marquee resort courses such as the Cascades, Kingsmill and Primland runs roughly 150 to 300 US dollars, while the many quality daily fee and public courses sit closer to 50 to 120 dollars, lower in the off season and for resort guests. A golf week with resort lodging and several rounds typically lands around 2,000 to 4,500 dollars per head excluding flights. Always confirm directly before booking.
What is the oldest golf course in Virginia?
Golf at the Omni Homestead in Hot Springs dates to 1892, when the first holes of the Old Course were laid out. The Old Course is home to the oldest first tee in continuous use in the United States, and was expanded to eighteen holes by Donald Ross in 1913. The resort's Cascades Course followed in 1924 and is the better regarded of the two for championship golf.
Related
The Tee Sheet
Resort golf openings, season tips and the booking windows worth moving on first. Every other week.
Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Course designers, layouts and history verified June 2026. Last reviewed June 2026.