Norfolk Virginia Golf Courses

Course Reviews

• Cacapon Resort State Park
  "Shoot in the 80s"
  What a great course!!!! Tough, windy, good greens, Robert Trent Jones design, mountains, scenery, helpful staff and outstanding price. What can you ask for more? only one thing, the slope is underrated and you'll shoot higher scores. Not to be missed
  ---alain st-pierre, boucherville canada
• Mount Hood Golf Course
  "Mount Hood is looking good."
  I was surprised at how improved the conditions were at Mount Hood when I played it in the fall of 2003. There are new people running the place and I'd never believe it to be the same course I played a couple years back. One of the guys I played with was the teaching pro which made it fun and enjoyable to go around the course.
  ---J. Rosen, Brewster, MA
• Lake Arrowhead Country Club
  "Too bad it's private"
  This is a very nice course and its quite a shame it's private. It is located in a dense forest with trees lining most all of the fairways. The course, being in the mountains, is very hilly and there are some dramatic elevation changes on the back nine. It is closed until april 2004 so you can sneak on if you are that kind of person, but be prepared to deal with subpar conditions and no flagsticks to mark the hole. If you do sneak on I recomend you play the four holes that are seperated from the rest of the course because the guys don't ussually patrol there. The signature hole, the 15th or "The Monster," is the most difficult hole I've ever played. You drive from an elevated tee through a narrow valley onto a fairway that is only about 25 yards wide. Then you must hit your second shot completly blind up a steep hill to a difficult green. This is the hole where Michael Jordan was ubducted by the movie "Space Jam". If you play in the winter, be prepared for the 40 degree temperatures that are the norm and possible snow and ice coming into play. Above all, I recomend playing this course if you have a friend with a membership but unless you are a millionare, you can't afford a membership.
  ---Geoff Levy, Lake Arrowhead, CA USA
• Palmetto Golf Course
  "Surprisingly challenging course"
  Palmetto golf course in Miami is not a championship level course. That being said, it is a good course for the mid- to high-handicapper, and when the wind is up can challenge low-handicappers as well. The course is not long or narrow, and like all Miami courses is primarily flat. However, water does come into play on 10 of the holes (although on most it's a visual nuisance only) and can easily ruin a good round. The 'signature' third hole is a good example. The water on this hole is a canal that fronts the entire green (about 10-12 yards in front of it) and makes your second shot somewhat intimidating. In fact, when the wind is up, you may have anything from a mid to a long iron in, and quite a few people play it as a par-5 and just lay up to 100 yards to avoid the thought of a 180-200 yard carry over water to a short (but wide) green. The better player will not be intimidated, but the average golfer can be. Palmetto has several holes that reward target golf, as some of the greens (such as the par 3 11th) are huge, meaning if you miss on the wrong side you could easily be left with a putt of 60-80 feet. Others, such as the short par-3 17th, feature tiny greens surrounded by bunkers. The main complaint about this course is the greens. They tend to be uneven in speed from hole to hole and day to day, and often are not very smooth. That being said, when they do run true, they can be tough, as they have numerous ridges and slopes that make for slippery par putts. Overall Palmetto is a very good value. While it doesn't compare to the elite courses in the area, for a nice day of golf, particularly for the average (mid to high handicap) golfer, this is a good pick.
  ---Anonymous, Miami