GOLF Magazine...

VIRGINIA GOLF:

AN EASY DRIVE

Take a short drive to Virginia and leave the long drive for the fairway.

If you like convenient world-class golf, then make the quick drive (or flight) to Virginia. Virginia’s renowned golf, resorts, and other tourism attractions make it an ideal destination for golfers and our review of the best options below makes planning that trip even easier!

COLONIAL WILLIAMSBURG

With the completion of the year-long renovation of John D. Rockefeller Jr.’s beloved Williamsburg Inn, it’s no wonder that GOLF Magazine’s Brian McCallen wrote, “The best golf vacation in history just got better.”

Guests who’ve come to consider the hotel as their ‘second home’ will find their beloved landmark elegantly renovated and restored with its time-honored traditions and styles unchanged. Guided by the Inn’s rich history and strong sense of place, an accomplished team of architects, craftsmen, and artisans remained faithful to founder John D. Rockefeller’s original vision of the hotel as a comfortable Virginia country estate for discriminating guests.

The Inn’s extensive renovation reduced 95 guest rooms to 62--one more than the number of rooms benefactor John D. Rockefeller Jr. opened the Inn with in 1937. Along with a long list of other enhancements throughout the Inn, guest rooms were enlarged to create luxurious bedrooms, generous seating areas, and elegant appointments. Each guest room now contains a framed photo and background information about a famous guest who has stayed at the Inn, including Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Sir Winston Churchill, Dwight Eisenhower (10 presidents in all!), Emperor Hirohito of Japan, Shirley Temple, Bill Cosby, Tom Selleck, and many more (including, of course, dozens of the world’s top golfers).

Further enhancements are evident throughout the Inn, including corridors, public spaces, and the dining scene, where executive chef Hans Schadler and his team create magic in the elegant Regency Room and the new Restoration Bar and Terrace Room. “The term ‘renovation’ often is used loosely applies to projects much more limited in scope,” says Susan Winter, resident interior designer for Colonial Williamsburg. “By contrast, the renovation of the Williamsburg Inn began with many months of research and design by curators and architects, followed by a ‘rebirthing’ of the interiors of the building with the intent to recreate new spaces within the original building with strict adherence to Rockefeller’s fundamental vision.” They succeeded.

On the golf front, the championship Gold and Green Courses and the executive-length Spotswood Course are the emeralds in the crown of this historic destination. The Golden Horseshoe Green Course completed a renovation in 2000 that resulted in an updated pro shop, kitchen redesign, a new bar and lounge area, indoor dining, and outdoor dining terrace that surveys the 18th hole, and an expanded Green Grill menu that includes dinner entrees and a wine list. This August 26-30, the 55th VSGA Senior Amateur Championship will be held at Colonial Williamsburg, following the rave reviews from the coaches and players from the NCAA Division I Men’s East Regional Championship last year.

Colonial Williamsburg, a GOLF Magazine Silver Award winner, is known worldwide as the nation's largest outdoor living history museum. It includes the 173-acre Historic Area--the restored 18th-century capital of Virginia--five hotels, 11 restaurants, and an entertaining array of resort amenities. The famed destination is celebrating its 75th anniversary.

For further information, complete the Reader Service Page, visit their website at www.colonialwilliamsburg.com, or call (800) HISTORY.

CAVERNS COUNTRY CLUB RESORT AT LURAY CAVERNS

Outstanding golf in the breathtakingly beautiful Shenandoah Valley--it’s a combination awaiting at Caverns Country Club Resort in Luray. Nestled in the shadows of the Blue Ridge Mountains and overlooking the fabled Shenandoah River, this unique golf setting creates one of the most scenic opportunities in the Mid-Atlantic region.

High above the banks of the Shenandoah River, 6,499 yards of gently rolling fairways seem to touch the mountain foothills. Amid vistas of nearby farmlands, large tee boxes and greens complement this 18 hole, par-72 course.

Caverns Country Club Resort provides comfortable accommodations in two motels near the course. Situated in quiet, country settings each has a swimming pool and affords magnificent views of the Blue Ridge Mountains and Shenandoah National Park. The quaint town of Luray has been entertaining visitors for over two centuries with gracious hospitality and fine foods. Visiting golfers can also select from numerous area restaurants featuring traditional dishes that have made Virginia's southern cooking famous in international cuisine circles (as well as award-winning beers and wines).

A must while here is the unforgettable adventure of Luray Caverns, the largest and most popular caverns in the eastern U.S.. From well-lighted paved walkways, visitors explore cathedral-sized rooms with ceilings 10 stories high, which are filled with towering stone columns and crystal-clear pools. There’s also the fascinating history of America on the move at the Car and Carriage Caravan, an exhibit featuring 140 items relating to transportation including cars, carriages, coaches, and costumes dating from 1725.

A short drive transforms the pastoral valley into a 300-square-mile wilderness playground in the middle of the Blue Ridge Mountains--Shenandoah National Park--one of the most popular and scenic areas in the national park system. Native wildlife is abundant among the park's forests and flowered meadows and numerous overlooks afford breathtaking views from Skyline Drive of the land of Shenandoah more than 4,000 feet below.

Golf, scenery, an internationally famous natural wonder, and a national park - a grand slam located adjacent to Luray and just 90 minutes from Washington, DC and 15 minutes from I-81 (exit 264).

For more information, complete the Reader Service Page, visit their website at www.luraycaverns.com, or call (888) 443-6551.

VIRGINIA TOURISM CORPORATION

There’s never been a better time to plan a Virginia golf vacation and there have never been better tools to make the planning easy. From the 2002 Virginia Golf Guide to the Virginia Is for Lovers Travel Guide and the state’s great website, it’s easier than ever to drive Virginia on and off the links.

Not far from the site of patriot Patrick Henry’s famed “Give me liberty or give me death” speech in Richmond lies the new Independence Golf Club. This new Tom Fazio layout, which also serves as the site of the new w Museum of Virginia Golf History and the headquarters for the Virginia State Golf Association, is featured on the cover of the 2002 Virginia Golf Guide.

The Independence and more than 200 other public and resort courses throughout the Commonwealth are featured in the 80-page guide. With courses created by famed architects like Fazio, Pete Dye, Robert Trent Jones Sr., Jack Nicklaus, Rees Jones, Arnold Palmer, and many others, the Golf Guide outlines the varied course choices. Readers will also enjoy “The Great 18” golf holes of the state, which is a selection of top holes at Virginia golf resorts, including The Homestead, Kingsmill, and The Golden Horseshoe.

Golf vacationers will also find regional overviews and maps, temperature and mileage charts, tournament reviews, new golf course highlights and plans, and package prices and overnight accommodations for many of the 206 daily-fee layouts. It’s a complete Virginia golf vacation planner!

For further information, complete the Reader Service Page, visit their websites at www.virginia.org or www.virginiaisforlovers.com/golf, or call (800) 93-BACK-9 (932-2259) (for the free 2002 Virginia Golf Guide) or (800) 266-2444 (for general information and the Virginia Is for Lovers Travel Guide).

WINTERGREEN RESORT

Wintergreen Resort offers a mountain golf experience that’s unparalleled on and off the links. From a round on the highest course in Virginia to valley golf in the shadow of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Wintergreen golf must simply be experienced to be understood. Only those who have played all 45 holes and have enjoyed the rest of Wintergreen Resort can understand just how special a Wintergreen golf getaway can be.

Golf at Wintergreen started back in 1976, when Pinehurst native Ellis Maples sculpted the mountaintop Devils Knob layout. Wintergreen officials were determined to keep the setting at almost 4,000 feet as pristine as possible. The result is a golf course that seems to blend right into the mountain, as if Mother Nature had that plan all along. Without the extensive use of dynamite to flatten space for fairways, Ellis simply carved Devils Knob out of the existing crest of the Blue Ridge Mountains and designed logical landing areas, tee boxes tucked into the trees, and greens that seem to grow right out of the forest.

The popularity of golf at Devils Knob, coupled with Wintergreen’s success as a four-season vacation and retirement community, prompted the need for another golf facility by the late-1980s. This time, a valley setting was chosen to complement Devils Knob and to make golf available at Wintergreen virtually year-round (you can often ski and golf at the resort on the same day!).

The renowned Rees Jones designed the first 18 holes of Stoney Creek in 1988, immediately garnering rave review from those who played it. The rolling Rockfish Valley site, shadowed by the Blue Ridge Mountains, gave Jones a perfect spot to place two varied nines, with winding creeks, mountain views, and his signature mounding all a part of playing a round. Stoney Creek’s success led to the addition of another nine by Jones in 1998, as the Tuckahoe Nine rounded out a 27-hole experience that’s perhaps the best trio of nines in the region. While melding seamlessly with the original 18 at Stoney Creek, the Tuckahoe Nine entered new design territory, with an undulating path over hills and creeks and through woods, meadows, and preserved wetlands.

But the Wintergreen links experience doesn’t end with 45 holes of great mountain golf. New clubhouse facilities, the Wintergreen Golf Academy, many value-packed golf packages, and more all mean the 19th hole takes on new meaning here.

It all starts with new and expanded clubhouse facilities for both layouts. Up at Devils Knob, the new and expanded options welcoming golfers include a large pro shop, upscale locker facilities, a remodeled driving range, a ground-level snack bar, and a choice of inside or terrace dining and relaxation at Devils Grill, which just may offer one of the best golf course views in the region.

Down at Stoney Creek, there’s a full-service pro shop, luxurious locker rooms, a driving range, a fitness center, and Stoney Creek Bar & Grill, featuring mountain vistas rivaling the elevated views at Devils Knob. It’s a great base for 27 holes in one day.

The resort has also become a haven for great golf instruction to match the setting. The Wintergreen Golf Academy welcomes all levels of golfers for its innovative and flexible programs. The full swing, short game, sand play, putting, and on-course strategy are all parts of the program.

But the Wintergreen golf experience doesn’t simply stop on the 18th green or the 19th hole. In addition to phenomenal mountain golf and all of the accompanying amenities, the 11,000-acre four-season family resort offers seasonal skiing and snowboarding, a variety of upscale and casual restaurants, more than 300 accommodation options, 30 miles of marked hiking trails, and an award-winning tennis program with 24 courts. Wintergreen also has an outdoor adventure program, which offers ropes course programming, rock climbing, rappelling, mountain biking and kayaking; six pools; a conference center with more than 40,000 square feet of meeting and function space; and a full-service spa, complete with massage programs, a fitness center, and cosmetology services.

For further information, complete the Reader Service Page, visit their website at www.wintergreenresort.com, or call (800) 266-2444.

KINGSMILL RESORT

Kingsmill still reigns as a supreme Virginia golf experience. Nestled within 2,900 pristine wooded acres on the historic James River and conveniently situated just three miles from Colonial Williamsburg, legendary Kingsmill Resort is named for English colonist, Richard Kingsmill, who settled there in 1736. Today, this GOLF Magazine Silver Medal Award winner makes for a royal golf vacation destination.

Kingsmill Resort features a perfect combination of great golf, unspoiled wilderness, and a wide range of resort amenities. The four-star, four-diamond property retains its natural and historic beauty, thanks to careful environmentally conscious development. The resort offers 400 villas, three championship 18-hole golf courses, a Par 3 nine-hole course, Kingsmill Golf Academy, The Spa at Kingsmill, tennis on six fast-dry and six Hydro-Courts(tm), a Sports Club, four restaurants, a newly-expanded marina, and much more.

Kingsmill guests enjoy luxury in tastefully furnished villas overlooking the James River, golf courses, the tennis complex, or the beautifully manicured grounds. Available in guestroom and one-, two-, and three-bedroom suite accommodations, each villa includes a complete kitchen and living room, many with fireplaces and outdoor decks.

The Woods Course opened in 1995 and the Tom Clark-designed layout grows in popularity each season. The famed River Course, designed by Pete Dye, is home of the Michelob Championship at Kingsmill on the PGA Tour, and is named for its enviable location along the wide and winding James River. Next, the Arnold Palmer- and Ed Seay-designed Plantation Course is characterized by moderate length, undulating greens, and a number of water hazards. Finally, the Par 3 Bray Links course provides a nice 9-hole Scottish links-style diversion, with holes ranging from 58 to 109 yards.

The Kingsmill Golf Academy offers multi-day golf schools, including specifically designed schools for women golfers of all skill levels, junior golf camps, special golf clinics, and golf/spa packages. ‘Open Date’ golf schools are a very exciting Kingsmill Golf Academy addition this year, allowing Kingsmill guests to schedule their own private golf school during weeks when no golf schools are on the schedule. They just need a minimum of two students to make this exciting offering work! Teaching pro Steve Geisler still heads the renowned program.

Just like a fine wine, the restaurant scene at Kingsmill continues to improve with age. There’s a wide variety of choices, ranging from creatively casual to refined and elegant. Golfers will especially enjoy the unique Eagles in the River Course’s clubhouse. This fun restaurant features meats cooked with the unique cold-smoked flavor of the very same beechwood that’s used for at the Anheuser-Busch brewery nearby. It’s the only place on the planet that uses this process and it goes without saying that golfer enjoy a cold Budweiser or two along with their post-round meal!

For more information, complete the Reader Service Page, visit their website at www.kingsmill.com, or call (800) 832-5665.

THE HOMESTEAD

When it comes to The Homestead, there is truly no time like the present. Once known mainly for its grand traditions and unparalleled historical pedigree, today's Homestead is quickly gaining a reputation as one of the industry's most vibrant "Sporting Playgrounds" (including golf that’s better than ever).

The famed Hot Springs, Virginia retreat combines first-class luxury with a seemingly endless array of activities on its 15,000 Allegheny Mountain acres. Plus, thanks to a magnificent makeover engineered by its "parent" Pinehurst Company, The Homestead is clearly operating at the very top of its game.

The improvements have reached into every element of the resort experience. The long list of enhancements includes: the entire golf experience; refurbished luxurious accommodations; redesigned restaurants (including the famed Dining Room and added dining in the famed Casino building); retail and common area improvements; the renowned spa; enlarged and improved conference facilities; the addition of an historical library and reading room; a state-of-the-art children's playground and program of supervised activities; and so much more.

The most recent addition to The Homestead landscape is the brand-new Ballroom and Conference Center. Opened last September, this spectacular, 20,000 square-foot complex is one of the most significant additions in the resort's history, and adds an entirely new dimension to the already award-winning meetings product.

The exciting new developments at The Homestead extend far beyond the resort's walls and throughout its 15,000 acres of gorgeous Allegheny Mountain terrain. Last summer, the resort unveiled its new pool and bath-house facility. This 85,000-gallon natural spring-fed pool is located on the famed Casino Lawn and provides a vibrant centerpiece for The Homestead's plentiful outdoor options. The facility includes bungalow-style cabanas, full locker room facilities, snack bar services, and family areas, and provides a perfect setting for group parties and special events.

Finally, no discussion of The Homestead's seemingly endless array of recreational charms would be complete without a discussion of its acclaimed championship golf. The resort now holds the coveted Gold Medal designation from GOLF Magazine.

Its trademark Cascades course, perennially ranked as one of the finest in Virginia and a staple on national "best of" lists, is playing better than ever these days thanks to an extensive irrigation project last year. A William S. Flynn design, the Cascades boasts a rich heritage of tournament tradition, including seven U.S.G.A. Championships and two Senior PGA Tour Shoot-Out Championships. The prestigious course, site of the 2000 U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship, is considered one of the best mountain courses in the world. It is consistently noted for its long and narrow fairways, fast greens, and the beautiful headwaters of the Cascades Stream.

Other outstanding links options include the stunning Lower Cascades, designed by Robert Trent Jones, Sr., and the Old Course, originally built in 1892 as a six-hole layout and expanded by Donald Ross in 1913. The Golf Advantage School format allows for individual, as well as group, instruction (weekend and weekday programs available). There are also many golf-oriented events and tournaments throughout the year, with special packages particularly attractive.

Along with great golf, the 506-room historic resort offers an array of year-round recreation, including sporting clays and other shooting sports, horseback and carriage riding, swimming, the Homestead Spa, hiking, mountain biking, canoeing, fly fishing, tennis, falconry lessons, skiing, skating, and much more.

For further information, complete the Reader Service Page, visit their website at www.thehomestead.com, or call (800) 838-1766.