When you think of golf paradises, you probably imagine Palm Springs and Pebble Beach in California or Myrtle Beach in South Carolina.
Well, Virginia Beach has gone to great lengths to improve the quantity and quality of its golf courses, making it a serious contender when golf-loving families are choosing where they want to vacation.
The city has 11 top-tier golf courses, designed by the likes of Arnold Palmer, Fred Couples, and Pete Dye.
The duffer’s delight doesn’t end at the beach’s borders. There are lots of fine, and some spectacular, courses throughout the region. They run the gamut from posh to public, devilish to delightful. Just up the road are another 15 top courses in Williamsburg that have hosted a number of PGA and LPGA tour events. Also in the mix are some military-only facilities and eight exclusive country clubs.
The country clubs include Bayville Golf Club, Cavalier Golf and Yacht Club, the Tradition Golf Club at Broad Bay, and Princess Anne Country Club, all in Virginia Beach. Greenbrier Country Club is in Chesapeake; Elizabeth Manor Golf and Country Club is in Portsmouth. Cedar Point Country Club is in Suffolk and the James River Country Club is in Newport News.
Even if you can’t wrangle an invite, you can certainly find a public course that matches your ability or stretches your skills.
Here’s a city-by-city rundown, starting with Virginia Beach, of the courses that welcome the public. Most have dress codes, so check before attempting to tee off in t-shirts, tank tops, jeans, or cut-offs. All require soft spikes. Many also give Hampton Roads or Virginia residents a discount, if you ask and can produce proof. The rates here were current at the time of publication and are valuable for cost comparisons, but fees change frequently, so be sure to ask when you make your reservations.