Women-Friendly Golf In Williamsburg
This quaint, lovingly restored, colonial capital, seat of the House of Burgesses, vacation Mecca for those seeking a taste of history along with the amusements at Busch Gardens - is becoming one of the countryÂ's most popular golf destinations, along with carefully and deliberately cultivating a reputation as being among the most woman-friendly golf venues anywhere.
"People are discovering that they donÂ't have to go all the ay to Myrtle Beach or Hilton Head to play great golf", said Howie Barrow, Director of Golf at The Golden Horseshoe. He presides over one the most woman-friendly golf courses in the country, according to Golf for Women, along with one of the least friendly golf courses for anyone on the planet.
The fabled and treacherous Golden Horseshoe Gold Course, a venerated championship design by Robert Trent Jones, Sr., may be one of the toughest golf courses anywhere, even though its name is whispered in hushed tones in certain golf circles.
So the resort commissioned his son, Rees Jones, to build a slightly more gentle track and it opened in 1991. Rees JonesÂ' Green Course at the Golden Horseshoe - a lovely test of golf, but no pushover for any player - provides a serious golf challenge for men and women with tight, mounded fairways, contoured greens and ample trouble to punish errant shots. The pro shop staff is courteous and knowledgeable. But the Green Course is only one of several great Williamsburg area golf courses for women.
The Colonial Golf Course, which opened in 1995, has taken special pains to accommodate women golfers and has four sets of tees rated and sloped for women, ranging from a tame 66.3/109 to a daunting 76.3/141. Unlike some courses where women are an afterthought, women were considered at the earliest stages of construction and design.
"We brought in the womenÂ's divisions of the USGA and the Virginia State Golf Association to consult about the womenÂ's tees - yardage, placement, the way they look at the golf course", said Francis Fenderson, owner and president of The Colonial.
In addition, women golfers will have a wonderful time and have their skills tested to their utmost at KingsmillÂ's Woods Course, the Red and White Course at FordÂ's Colony and at Williamsburg National Golf Course. Green fees cover a wide spectrum and are adjusted seasonally, but expect to pay from $50 to $60 on weekdays in the off-season to $100-plus per person on weekends in summer.
For tee times and information: The Golden Horseshoe, (757) 220-7696; The Colonial, (757) 566-1600 or 1-800-566-6660; Kingsmill, (757) 253-1703 or 1-800-832-5665; FordÂ's Colony, (757) 258-4130; Williamsburg National, (757) 258-9642 or 1-800-826-5732.
Rob Armstrong is the author of the travel guide Golfing in Ireland, published by Pelican. His next book, Golfing The Virginias, will be published in 1999. He teaches at Flagler College in St. Augustine, FL.
By Rob Armstrong
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