The courses that make Williamsburg, Virginia a legit golf destination

Thinking about a golf trip to Virginia? The Williamsburg area might be the best in the state. Here are the courses you should be sure to include on your itinerary:

Golden Horseshoe Golf Club — Green Course

Start your 36-hole day at the Green Course. It’s a perfect warmup track for the Gold Course later in the day and is just down the road. There’s nothing easy about the Green Course, but as the appetizer to the Gold, it sets up as a good match play circuit. The 14th, 15th, 16th, 17th, and 18th holes all require sound, accurate tee shots to reach the scoring zones. Winning a match here calls for some seriously good golf to close.

Golden Horseshoe Golf Club — Gold Course

Perhaps no course experience we’ve ever had has revolved so much around its par 3s, but those are the holes you are left thinking about constantly after a round at the Gold Course. And from just a single spot on the property, you can basically see them all. Perched up atop the 7th tee box, you can watch shots soar on the nearby 12th and the famous 16th, both running severely downhill, daring the same water hazard. The 7th also calls for a full carry over water but turn around and you can watch players tee off the par-3 3rd, another tasty downhill one-shotter. One could imagine sitting there and watching hole-in-one attempts all day long. 

Golden Horseshoe Golf Club — Spotswood Course

The original course at Golden Horseshoe has been there since 1963 and is a stout little test, even for good players. Six par 3s, two par 4s, and one par 5 make this a pretty quick play — only about 90 minutes for a foursome, but multiple tee box offerings mean you can stretch it to a 3,700-yard par-62.

Kingsmill Resort — River Course

For years the River Course hosted the PGA Tour, and now it hosts the best female golfers in the world annually at the Pure Silk Championship. And a championship golf course it truly is. The front nine weaves you inland before the back nine suddenly presents you at the foot of the James River. Try not to be distracted by all its glory as you finish your round.

Kingsmill Resort — Plantation Course

After a round at the River Course, 18 holes on the Plantation Course will come as a breath of fresh air. It plays about 400 yards shorter than the River track and offers much more scoreability. Designed by Arnold Palmer and Ed Seay, you’ll find more birdies out here.

Williamsburg National Golf Club — Jamestown Course

National is the place local golf teams from William & Mary currently call home. The Jamestown Course greens were recently renovated with Bermuda grass in order to make the course available all year round. Golfers will find a stern test from the Nicklaus design that meanders through a forest of pine trees.

Williamsburg National Golf Club — Yorktown Course

The front nine at the Yorktown Course provides a similar challenge to the Jamestown Course, but the back nine is a different type of battle: three par 3s, three par 4s, and three par 5s. It starts with manageable holes where you’ll want to score well before closing out with two beefy, 600-yard par 5s in the final three holes. Buckle up!