Golfer’s Guides....

ROYAL NEW KENT & STONEHOUSE:

WILLIAMSBURG'S LEGENDARY LAYOUTS

Golf in the Williamsburg area is more legendary than ever, thanks to The Legends Group. Following on the heels of huge success in the Myrtle Beach area, The Legends Group now offers two outstanding Mike Strantz layouts in Williamsburg: Royal New Kent and Stonehouse. Upscale public golf has never been better.

After the creation of eight award-winning golf courses strung like glittering green jewels along the Grand Strand, Legends Group gurus decided to make their mark in Williamsburg, where golf is now making history. Along with white-hot designer Mike Strantz, the fierce dedication for delivering design features that make a golf course truly unforgettable is evidenced on all 36 holes of these magnificent layouts.

Strantz, a one-time Fazio protege in the 1980s, left golf course design to become a full-time artist, but has now roared back as one of America's most innovative course architects. In collaboration with The Legends Group and the Young family, he has created two designs that provide different approaches toward the same exhilaration.

Strantz built Royal New Kent first and Williamsburg area golf will never be the same. Royal New Kent looks like it was formed by the winds of time and is definitely one of the best imitations of Scotland and Ireland golf ever built. If imitation is the best form of flattery, then some Scottish and Irish courses are certainly flattered.

This course takes you back to a time when golf courses were created with an artist's touch and the natural contours of the land dictated the course layout. Larry and Danny Young's love of Scotland and Ireland created the inspiration for a course born in the wonderful tradition of Royal County Down and Ballybunion

Rock walls crisscrossing fairways, target rocks on windswept hills, grazing sheep, and bagpipers playing at dusk provide a golfing experience not often seen on this side of the Atlantic. Much like the great courses across the ocean, a bit of misfortune awaits must duffers.

"Our motto, 'Invicta,' meaning unconquerable, is taken from the original Kent County crest in England," says Danny Young. "While we don't think it's entirely true, we do know Royal New Kent will put up a good fight."

But from the first tee, this fight is beautiful to behold. The visually intimidating par four 1st requires a tee shot past a steep ridge to view the two-tiered uphill green. You're off to a good start if you make it to the next tee with par and your nerves intact.

The 2nd hole is a par five with close a near 90 degree dogleg to the right. The brave will try to make it in two, but, thankfully, there's plenty of room to lay up. After this long test, the par three 3rd seems easy. However, two treacherous bunkers and a steep slope at the front of the green make this a classic short example of beauty and difficulty.

The par four 4th uses a white target rock to guide golfers to the wide, but hidden, fairway. The classic 5th hole features daunting tee shot with seven bunkers to avoid, followed by a partially blind second shot. The green is protected by more bunkers, making five a fortunate score.

The 6th hole plays uphill all the way and those who make it there safely face a multi-level green that is the most difficult on the course. At the par 3 7th, an inaccurate tee shot into one of many bunkers will inevitably lead to a second shot that rolls into the creek. The view may be pretty, but the score won't be if your short game isn't at its best.

The 8th and 9th holes feature two that truly harken back to the origins of golf. These par 4s feature classic Strantz touches, including a creek, rock walls, and hidden greens. It's a fitting end to the front nine, leaving golfers longing for an earlier game of golf.

The long par five 10th is surely a three-shot approach, with carries over huge steep bunkers and a two-tiered green where three putts aren't unusual. Similarly, the 11th features deep bunkers that guard the green and a steeply sloped green that rewards those who can stay to the right.

The 12th is another classic Strantz par three, with a huge 86-yard green. If the pin is at the back of the green, a three-putt is almost assured for those who land at the front. Another long green on the 13th, combined with steep fairway bunkers, makes those who score a four feel lucky. The 14th hole is another alluring par four, with a plethora of bunkers guarding the approach and a huge trap hiding the front of the green.

The long par three 15th has a massive green, but those who miss the main part will see their ball run back down the steep slope. On the 16th, a steep wind typically awaits golfers. Most of those who make the small green in two still have a tough putt for birdie.

The last two holes are two of the most memorable on a course filled with visual memories. The par five 17th, has a creek that criscrosses the entire length of the hole, with a narrow green that's guarded by a lake and the creek. That same lake is in play on the par four 18th, with two water carries possible to a green that is surrounded on three sides by water.

After the battle, golfers can share war stories over a pint, as the club's bagpiper brings another beautiful day on the links to a close. details on clubhouse??? It's a fitting ending to a classic course.

Just west, of Royal New Kent on I-64, another legendary course awaits. If any course could ever be described as mind-boggling, it's Stonehouse. Dealing on a scale rarely encountered in golf, Stonehouse offers quite unusual depth and width. The fairways, greens, and bunkers are all large, yet this course is not superimposed upon the southern Virginia landscape. It uses what was there, including creek beds, deep ravines, wide meadows, and broad hilltops.

Not since Alister Mackenzie sketched diagrams of par fours that were as wide as they were long (and could be played three ways) has any architect so allowed his imagination to run wherever the land would take it. Stonehouse is as solid as its name implies and each hole is worthy of being considered a signature hole

Stonehouse also abounds with history and intrigue. Stories suggest that Captain John Smith and his men created the course's original stone house as a fort. Larry Young adds, "Virginia hero Nathaniel Bacon used it as a hideout while fighting the despised governor's forces, and Blackbeard--one of the most ruthless pirates of all--might have buried his treasures here."

From the start, Stonehouse is obviously a Mike Strantz original. The par four 1st hole features a stunning downhill second shot to a fast sloping green. The 2nd hole, another par four, offers two distinct tee shot locations. Deep bunkers and a large sloping green make par a good score here.

The par three 3rd is surely one of Strantz's prettiest yet. A creek meanders down to the amphitheater green, making accuracy more important then ever. That same creek requires accuracy on the long par five 4th, where a severely sloping green gets balls to roll right down into the water fronting it.

The 5th and 6th holes are both par fours offer two distinct tests. The 5th features a generous fairway, but another amphitheater green draws short approaches into sheer-faced bunkers. The 6th, features a narrow green hanging over the edge of the ever-present creek.

Like many Strantz holes, those who avoid the deep fairway and greenside bunkers on the par five 7th may be rewarded with a birdie. Similarly,, those who avoid the many bunkers on the par three eighth will have a shot at birdie. Just watch out for the two-level green (and the beavers who have built dams to the left of it).

More bunkers await both tee and second shots on the par four 9th. Even if you can hit the green in two, it's difficult to get close because of the green's many contours.

The back nine is just as stunning to the eye and the golf game. The par four 10th and 11th holes offer a narrow and difficult green first and a false front green next. Those who escape with two pars have done well.

The 12th hole, another par four, features bunkers to bother your first shot and a creek to hinder your second. The green clings to a ledge, which drops off to all sides. The creek also comes into play on the par five 13th, making for a narrow chute through which to play it.

The par four 14th starts with a blind downhill landing area for the first shot and leads to a gorgeous green with the creek as an alluring backdrop. The 15th is another par three Strantz stunner, with a deceptively large green that slopes dramatically from right to left.

Deep bunkers guard the 16th fairway and green, with a par a very fortunate score for those who land in one of them. The 17th is surely one of the top par threes around, with the creek, steep dropoffs, and big bunkers all awaiting errant shots.

Stonehouse's finishing hole, requires a final ?? for accuracy. Bunkers penalize short first and second shots, while the green is perches periously on a steep ledge. The reward is details on clubhouse??

To play some of the most legendary upscale public golf anywhere, it's hard to beat Royal New Kent and Stonehouse. Those who play them often want to stay. Both courses offer outstanding real estate opportunities. For more information, tee times, and packages, call (888) 511-4363.