Blue Ridge Shadows

Blue Ridge Shadows Golf Club is near Front Royal, at the north end of the Shenandoah Valley. Tom Clark designed this public course that plays between 5000 – 7300 yards, with five (5) tee boxes.

The course opened in 2007 to numerous awards by Golf Digest, Virginia Golfer Magazine and others. Clark’s design takes advantage of the rolling hills, creeks and ponds on the property. Water comes into play on at least eight holes on the course. He’s also created a double green for Holes 11 & 13.It’s part of the Raspberry Golf Trail with four other Virginia courses and two in Pennsylvania. The fairways are generally wide with thick rough. The greens are large with bunkers protecting them. Clark’s ability to take advantage of the hills and the water really make this course a great experience. Bunker sand is well-groomed and plays well.

You can walk this course, but, expect a work out! The front nine starts across the road from the clubhouse, and rarely do adjacent holes interfere with play. The front nine features gradual hills and occasional residential views (not generally in play). Slight dog-legs, varied green shapes, and well-marked tree lines. There are numerous fairways where the terrain drops significantly off the right or left of the fairway, making it difficult to search for your ball – just give it up! The back nine is more open and features steep elevation changes – especially Hole 10 and 15 from the back tees. Overpowered drives suffer insufferable roughs, wastelands and in some cases penalty areas. While trees showcase the front nine, the back nine is more about water hazard mitigation.

Our favorite holes: No 1 (downhill approach to water guarded green); No 14 (par 5 that rewards a long drive and smart placed second shot); No 15 (Tee box is breath-taking); and the finishing hole No 18 (lofted “lawn dart approach” recommended for the narrow depth green that is wide left to right, crossing a creek)

Make sure you tell Brian Jones, GM that we sent you!

Bryce Resort

Bryce Resort is a unique mountain golf course; and will give you a great experience. Lead by Paul Lepler, the Bryce staff will treat you like gold and help you have a great time. The greens and fairways are in great shape – the bunkers were exceptionally well taken care of. There’s a big difference in Nine’s – the front is more open, the back is a little tight – but, it’s what you like in a golf course. No hole is like another. The one downside of the course – the driving range is 1.5 miles from the clubhouse. So, plan ahead. The uniqueness of this course is the 18-20 birdhouses (pictured) managed and cared for by resort residents, including the landscaping around them. It’s a nice touch!

Our team of Virginia Golf Course Reviews team members visited Bryce Resort. They had a wonderful time on this beautiful mountain resort course. The course was in great condition and the work around the bonkers was nicely done. Paul Lepler, Director of Golf, was a great host.

Caverns Country Club

We visited Caverns Country Club in August 2022 Tucked away near the Blue Ridge Mountains and on the banks of the Shenandoah River, Caverns Country Club is a hidden gem of the northern Shenandoah Valley. With amazing views and holes featuring caves, this course will give you the challenges of a mountain golf course with a more open concept. With many blind shots from the tee and into the greens this is sure to spark the imagination of all levels of golfers. The course provides plenty of opportunities to score with challenging tee shots and fair greens.

With about 20,000 rounds last year this is a hidden destination for a golf experience. The unique element is the first hole tee shot. Keep your tee shot to the right side of the fairway or you’ll land in a cavern hole in the left middle of the fairway. The clubhouse, which is an older facility, certainly has charm and creates a rustic environment. You’ll enjoy this scenic experience. 

Lakeview Golf Course

A recent visit by the Virginia Golf Course Reviews team to Lakeview Golf Club proved worthwhile. Lakeview Golf Club has some of the best views of the Valley with the Massanutten Peak in full view from most of the Mountain Green’s tee boxes. Lakeview has three sets of nines.

The Mountain nine at 3,341 yards from the white tees is the longest and‬‭ requires hybrids and longer iron shots to several greens. On some holes the‬‭ OB stakes will come into play on shots that stray to the left of the cart path.‬‭ Attractive homes and yards border the course on some holes of this nine, but‬‭ most do not come into play.‬‭

The Peak nine at 3,123 yards from the whites offers varying elevations.‬‭ Golfers will also encounter several tree-lined fairways that require careful tee‬‭ shot placement. Holes four and five discussed below are highlights of the‬‭ Peak nine.‬ It’s a little tight around the fairways. ‭ The Lake nine plays at 3,030 yards, also from the whites, around two lakes‬‭ that add an attractive focus to a very traditional and playable layout.

The Lake‬‭ nine is open and inviting and would be a good choice for higher handicap‬‭ players.

The clubhouse features a small grill with GREAT BBQ sandwiches and two simulators that. include league play. Make sure to tell the staff we sent you.

Lexington Golf & Country Club

Virginia Golf Course Reviews visited Lexington Golf & Country Club on Tuesday, October 19. This Ellis Maples and Ed Seay design is challenging, taking advantage of the elevation changes of the property and weaving the course between the criss-crossing nature of Woods Creek. Director of Golf, Scott Frazier, was a great host. We highly recommend this course to anyone looking for a great outing.

Massanutten Resort – Woodstone Meadows Course

Massanutten Resort invited Virginia Golf Course Reviews back for a review of Woodstone Meadows Golf Course in November 2023. We thoroughly enjoyed the setting. The course was in great shape. The greens rolled so easily – and a little quick – and the bunkers were easy to hit from.

The practice facilities – driving range, putting and chipping areas are fabulous. Woodstone Meadows gets about 38,000 rounds of play – and the tee boxes showed it. On the day of our visit, there were 138 on players on the tee sheet. This course is a Par 65 short course with 9 Par 3s, 5 Par 4s and 2 Par 5s.

The original nine holes (8-16) were built in 1996. From the tips (blue tees) the course plays 5,065 yards; and from the yellow tees (not on the scorecard) it plays about 3,840 yards. This course, though short, should be on your ‘must play’ list. It’s fun, challenging and rewarding. The greens are NOT easy. You must land on the same level of the flag on the green to score well.

Favorite holes: Hole 5 is one of the most fun holes. A Par 4, 400 yard hole that has trouble all along the left, protected by a long fairway bunker and a creek. Keep it on the right side, and your approach (across the creek) to the green gives you an easy shot at birdie. Hole 17, Par 4, 361 – is straight away toward the green with trouble on the left. Keep your drive to right middle of the fairway for an easy approach to the green. Give the clubhouse a call – you’ll have fun!

Massanutten Resort – Mountain Greens Course

Massanutten Resort‘s Mountain Greens Golf Course is truly a mountain course. Virginia Golf Course Reviews did an initial review in November 2023 with the leaves falling! It was beautiful, but make sure you take extra balls in the fall – or just about anytime. Most of the fairways will slope away from the mountain, some more than others. Opened in the early 70s, this course has gone through at least one renovation to improve the sloped fairways, but you still must play the course as it’s designed – rarely should you use driver off the tee. As our proshop staff said, “Massanutten Resort is a resort with two golf courses, not a golf resort.”

The resort also has a water park, ski slopes, bike trails along with 2200 timeshares, 1100 homes (most of which have been converted to VRBOs or AirBnB facilities. There are also several really good eateries – namely Fareways Restaurant at the Mountain Greens Proshop. There is trouble awaiting on nearly every hole. Keep the ball in the fairway, using caution off the tee, and you’ll have an opportunity to score. If you blast away, you’ll likely loose your cool and your ball. There are great views from nearly every tee or green, along with wildlife throughout – especially deer, groundhogs and foxes. Make sure to pick up the yardage book before heading out to play – you’ll be glad you did. Favorite hole? No 7 – listed as the No 1 handicap. It’s a dogleg left 427 Yard, Par 4. Long hitters might actually blow through the dogleg. The approach to the green is over water. So, take enough club to make sure you get across the creek. Most challenging hole – No 4, 401 yard, Par 4 with an hour-glass shaped fairway with trouble on the left and right through the narrow part of the fairway. The approach to the green – trouble on the left with a creek, and protected on the right with several bunkers! Par is a gift! Prepare for beauty, challenge and lots of risk/reward opportunities.

Sly Fox Golf Club

Our team from Virginia Golf Course Reviews visited Sly Fox Golf Club Sunday, April 14 for a review session. “Its Slopey ” was the introductory description provided by the staff – and proved to be pretty accurate of the fairways and greens. Most of the holes have serious undulations or slopes. The greens and fairways have very few flat spots. Choosing your tee box carefully.

Our team was alerted that the “back nine gets a little tricky, but you’re gonna love it.” The views on the back nine offered some jaw dropping sites. The stretch between holes 10 green, 11 and 12 in particular offered the best views on the course. Hole 10 with its rolling left-slope and elevated green could be the signature hole. The 11th with its drop across the water to a large green could also be a signature hole! Hole 12 is just a great hole design. A fun, challenging hole.

Four tee boxes offer plenty of challenge for all levels of handicappers, those playing from the forward tees get a break from some of the difficult angles presented from the back tees. The two middle tees vary, sometimes near each other and sometimes 75-100 yards apart. All the Par 3s are just fun to play.

The course is well cared for – but, be warned, there are few flat lies in the fairway or the greens. There is a limited menu in the grill. Hot dogs are recommended and six taps and a wide selection of canned craft beer is waiting for you at the end (or beginning) of your round. Very affordable!

Shenvalee Golf Resort

Shenvalee has the destination hub concept down. They have all the amenities to make a golf destination happen – clubhouse, restaurant, bar, hotel, views, grills for guests, and the opportunity to network. The variety provided by the three nine-hole configurations, gives golfers options for at least two days worth of golf. In addition, the proximity to Caverns Country Club, Packsaddle, Heritage Oaks and Lakeview make Shenvalee a place to come back to after spending several days in the Valley. This is a special place with the Robert Trent Jones hitting the first tee shot in 1927.

Shenvalee has three distinctly different sets of 9s. Before hitting the links, we hit a few balls off the range – conveniently located next to the No 1 tee of the Creek Course. Overall, the course was in excellent shape. Tee boxes were well marked. Fairways are wide and as you get to the green – they get more narrow and challenging, leading to large accommodating greens. The sand traps/bunkers are well kept, clean and the sand was plentiful, soft and took some getting used to, but we love the way Shenvalle takes care of the bunkers – especially around the greens. Hole 6 (Par 4 over the water) tempts you to go for the green over water!  

The Miller Course is a unique experience, and not an easy walking nine, although we saw some. The distance between holes can be 150 – 300 yards (between Holes 2-3, 4-5, 6-7, 7-8. But, I love the design of this nine – the views, blind shots (while we don’t particularly like them, we didn’t mind them). The bunkers guarding Miller Hole 7 in front and back of the green are well-placed; giving the green a much narrower feel. The Miller nine is a challenge from the first tee to the last – from a reachable par 5 (No 1) in two to a driveable par 4 (No 9) this course has everything to challenge the golfer. Hole 6 is my favorite Par 4 ever! It’s length and slight uphill makes it a challenge to get par.

The Olde Course – the original 9 – is the shortest of the three nines, and the hardest due to the size of the green’s – they are just slightly smaller. The fairways are a little tighter as well. It’s a fairly easy walking nine, except for hole 8, it’s a good uphill walk to the green. This is a fun, short nine.  

The variety of lengths of the holes on all three nines was challenging and I ended up using all the clubs in my bag – finding sand occasionally really helps that as well!

Spotswood Country Club

Spotswood Country Club is a premier course in the Shenandoah Valley. Established in 1926 and designed by Fred Finley and Edmond Ault, the course retains much of its original design. About three miles from downtown, today its within city limits and retail centers are next door. However, with large evergreens, apple and oak trees throughout the course, it still feels as if you’re “out in the country”.

Hole 16 is the signature hole. It may be the longest par three in the Shenandoah Valley with the back tees stretching as much as 235 yards for this challenging and elevated green. A deep bunker to the right guards the green, and the grass ‘bunker’ to the left catches most misses toward the 9th green.

The Blue Ridge, Allegheny and Massanutten Mountain ranges provide a nice backdrop for numerous holes throughout the course. There are 4 sets of tees and also a combination of white/red tees to provide a fifth set of tees. With youth tees, this is a family friendly course.

One of our favorite holes: Hole 18 – A great finishing Par 5 – straightaway from the tee. The approach to the green is slightly uphill to a narrow opening over a deep right front bunker.

Though private, the course is accessible through the VSGA VIP card – mostly winter – but there are other ways to get on with members or friends. Just tell them Virginia Golf Course Reviews sent you!

The Club at Ironwood

Our team of reviewers made our visit toThe Club At Ironwood. Eric Hooke’s team was exceptional and welcomed us warmly. This William F. Gordon design was in really good shape. Ironwood is about a 7-iron from I-81, with easy access, convenient and a must play if you’ve got a little time to experience the rolling fairways and undulating greens. One of the distinctive features of this course – mountain views from most tees and greens. And, no hole is like any other. While it’s not a particularly long course, you can expect a challenge from any of the tee boxes you choose to play from. There are plenty of surprises on the course with at least 7 holes with blind shots.

‭The Club at Ironwood is a fun layout and the new superintendent has done a great job‬ of refurbishing the course, creating a much more enjoyable experience.‬ We notice a new commitment to improving the course and it shows. All fairways are‬ verticut, mowed around greens for easier runoff, and managed the deep rough in a‬ more organized manner. All efforts to improve the experience are moving the right‬ direction. The greens are in fantastic condition, which makes them the best greens in the Shenandoah Valley. Contouring on the greens is challenging but fair. The bunkers are well‬ maintained, but lack consistency in depth of sand. When you go, make sure you tell them Virginia Golf Course Reviews sent you!