City: Williamsburg, VA

Category: Golf

Telephone: (757) 220-7696

Description: Choose from three challenging courses here, including the Gold Course, first opened in 1963 and designed by Robert Trent Jones. In 1998, the course underwent a multimillion-dollar redesign by Jones’s son, Rees, aimed at expanding the appeal for higher-handicap players and lengthening the course from the back tees. Nationally renowned, the course features numerous elevation changes, tight fairways, and plenty of water. Its signature hole, the par 3 16th, boasts the first island green ever built in America. Playing to a par of 71, the 6,817-yard layout’s five closing holes are a test for any golfer. (Jack Nicklaus holds the course record of 67.) The Golden Horseshoe—known locally as “the Shoe”—offers full clubhouse amenities, including a pro shop, locker rooms, and a lounge. The Green course opened in 1991. Designed by Rees Jones, this is a 7,120-yard, par 72 course where mounds abound and the par 5 18th hole requires a 200-yard carry off the tee. More wide open than its sister course, this design still offers a stiff test for hackers of all levels. Like the Gold Course, the Green features a first-class clubhouse, pro shop, and restaurant. The third course, also designed by Jones Sr., is named for Colonial Governor Alexander Spotswood. Its executive-length design allows golfers to get around its nine holes in quick order, perfect for a late afternoon of fun. Greens fees vary seasonally, ranging from $79 to $165.