How to Play the Best Golf in Virginia
Virginia hides some of the most underrated resort golf in the eastern United States, from the storied Cascades in the Alleghenies, Sam Snead's home course, to the mountaintop Highland at Primland and the Pete Dye River Course at Kingsmill. The state runs from the Blue Ridge to the Chesapeake, and the best of it is open to guests. Here is how to play the best golf in Virginia, course by course, with access and indicative 2026 fees.
Photograph: Cascades Course, Omni Homestead Resort, Virginia, via Google
The short version
Virginia is a resort golf state, which makes it refreshingly straightforward to play. The marquee courses are nearly all attached to resorts and open to guests, so the cleanest route on is to book a room and let the golf shop arrange the tee times. The standouts cluster in two regions: the Allegheny and Blue Ridge mountains in the west, where the Omni Homestead and Primland sit among some of the prettiest golf country in the East, and the historic Williamsburg corridor near the coast, home to Kingsmill and the Golden Horseshoe. There is excellent daily fee golf scattered between the two, and a small number of private clubs that need a member.
Get the base right and the trip falls into place. Build a mountain week around the Homestead and Primland, a tidewater week around Williamsburg, or pair the two with a scenic drive across the state. Below are the courses to target, who can play them and what they cost in 2026.
The courses to build a Virginia trip around
The Cascades, Omni Homestead Resort, Hot Springs
The best course in the state you can play, and one of the finest resort courses in the East. The Cascades is a 1923 William Flynn design routed through a narrow Allegheny mountain valley, all sidehill lies, tumbling fairways and mountain streams, and it was the home course of the great Sam Snead. It sits on the national lists of the best public courses in America and is open to guests of the Omni Homestead, the historic resort whose Old Course alongside it has a first tee in continuous use since 1892. Book a room and the golf shop handles the rest.
The Highland Course, Primland, Meadows of Dan
A modern mountaintop spectacular in the Blue Ridge. The Highland Course at Primland, an Auberge resort, is a Donald Steel design opened in 2006 that runs along a ridge at over 3,000 feet, with enormous views, dramatic elevation changes and several genuinely vertiginous tee shots. It is a destination round in its own right, paired with stargazing, falconry and a remote luxury lodge, and is open to resort guests. One of the most distinctive golf experiences in the eastern states.
Kingsmill Resort, Williamsburg
The marquee of the Williamsburg corridor. Kingsmill on the James River has three courses led by the River Course, a 1975 Pete Dye design that was a PGA Tour and then LPGA Tour venue for decades, finishing along the water. The Plantation and Woods courses round out a relaxed resort stay, and the whole property is geared to easy stay and play packages. A comfortable, well run base for a tidewater golf trip with Colonial Williamsburg on the doorstep.
The Golden Horseshoe, Colonial Williamsburg
Two of the best resort courses in the region, in the heart of historic Williamsburg. The Gold Course is a 1963 Robert Trent Jones Sr design routed through hardwood ravines, consistently ranked among the best public courses in America, with a famous island green par 3. The Green Course is a Rees Jones layout that complements it. Both are open to guests and visitors and pair naturally with Kingsmill on a Williamsburg week, with the colonial town and its restaurants between rounds.
Key courses and how to play them
| Course | Designer and access | Where |
|---|---|---|
| The Cascades, Omni Homestead | William Flynn, 1923; resort guests, book with a room | Hot Springs, Allegheny mountains |
| The Highland Course, Primland | Donald Steel, 2006; resort guests | Meadows of Dan, Blue Ridge |
| The River Course, Kingsmill | Pete Dye, 1975; resort guests, stay and play | Williamsburg, James River |
| Golden Horseshoe Gold | Robert Trent Jones Sr, 1963; guests and visitors | Colonial Williamsburg |
| Golden Horseshoe Green | Rees Jones; guests and visitors | Colonial Williamsburg |
Designers, dates and access verified June 2026 from resort and course sources. Most of Virginia's best courses are resort facilities open to guests, with the best access and rates tied to a stay. Green fees move with season and demand. We do not quote our own pricing, so always confirm directly before booking. Check tee time availability.
Where to stay and when to go
Pick your base by region. For mountain golf, stay at the Omni Homestead for the Cascades and the Old Course, with Primland a scenic drive south for the Highland, a pairing that makes a memorable week in the western highlands. For tidewater golf, base in Williamsburg, where Kingsmill and the Golden Horseshoe are minutes apart and Colonial Williamsburg fills the evenings. Spring and fall, roughly April to early June and September to October, are the prime seasons across the state, with the courses in peak condition. The mountain courses run cooler and stay pleasant deeper into summer, while the coastal courses are warm and humid in midsummer, so early tee times help.
Need a base near the golf? See our recommended Virginia resorts and hotels from the Homestead to Williamsburg.
Plan your Virginia golf trip
Tell us whether you lean mountain or tidewater and roughly when, and one concierge holds the resort packages, lines up the Cascades, Primland, Kingsmill and the Golden Horseshoe and costs the trip to the head. Spring and fall fill fast, so the sooner we start the better. No obligation.
Virginia golf questions
What is the best golf course in Virginia you can play?
The Cascades Course at the Omni Homestead Resort in Hot Springs is widely regarded as the best public course in Virginia, a 1923 William Flynn design in the Allegheny mountains that was Sam Snead's home track and sits on the national lists of the best courses you can play. The Highland Course at Primland in the Blue Ridge and the River Course at Kingsmill Resort, a former PGA Tour and LPGA venue, are close behind. All three are resort courses open to guests. Always confirm access and current fees directly before booking.
Can you play the Cascades at the Omni Homestead?
Yes. The Cascades Course is open to guests of the Omni Homestead Resort in Hot Springs, with tee times arranged through the resort golf shop as part of a stay. The William Flynn mountain design dates to 1923 and is one of the finest resort courses in the eastern United States, listed among the best public courses in the country. Booking a room is the cleanest route on, and the historic Old Course is alongside it. Always confirm package details and tee times directly before booking.
Where can you play resort golf in Williamsburg, Virginia?
Williamsburg is one of the best golf bases in the state. Kingsmill Resort on the James River has three courses led by the Pete Dye River Course, a longtime PGA Tour and LPGA venue, while the Golden Horseshoe in Colonial Williamsburg offers the Robert Trent Jones Sr Gold Course, ranked among the best public courses in America, and the Rees Jones Green Course. Both are resort facilities open to guests and visitors, with packages that bundle rooms and rounds. Always confirm access and current fees directly before booking.
When is the best time to play golf in Virginia?
Spring and fall, roughly April to early June and September to October, are the prime seasons, with comfortable temperatures and the courses in peak condition across the state. The mountain courses at the Homestead and Primland are cooler and a touch later to warm up, making summer pleasant in the highlands, while the Williamsburg and coastal courses are warm and humid in midsummer. Winters are quiet and mild on the coast. Always confirm course conditions and tee times before booking.
Related
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Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Designers, access and conditions verified June 2026. Last reviewed June 2026.