Golf

The temperate weather allows golf courses in southern Virginia to stay open nearly year-round—a natural advantage that has helped Williamsburg become one of the premier golf destinations on the Eastern Seaboard. Another factor has been the annual splash of glamour provided by hosting PGA and LPGA tournaments at Kingsmill for nearly three decades. Here we have a hit a small divot, however. In 2010, Kingsmill lost its marquee event when InBev, the new owners of Anheuser-Busch, withdrew its sponsorship of the LPGA Michelob Ultra Open.

Life goes on, and so do the duffers. The recent purchase of the Brickshire course in Providence Forge, west of Williamsburg, brings the number of courses owned and operated by Traditional Golf Clubs to four. Packages which offer golfers to sample all four courses, dubbed “The Traditional Golf Trail,” are available with one-stop-shopping at www.traditionalgolftrail.com or by calling (888) 825-3436, ext. 4. Details about each course are listed below.

Naturally, the courses in the area also cater heavily to the communities with which they are associated, which includes a growing local retired population. Though greens fees can be steep, there are bargains to be had, especially in the nonpeak months. It’s even worth checking the sports pages of the Virginia Gazette for discount coupons.

In this chapter we give you an overview of the courses, including yardages (from the men’s tees), special features, and driving directions for courses that are not in town. Reduced rates, based on time of year, time of day, and so on, are available at most of the courses so greens fees can vary quite a bit. Carts are required at most courses, but the price is included in the greens fee. As elsewhere, soft spikes have become the rule here.