Virginia Gem
I'm back from a long weekend visiting some friends in Roanoke, and wanted to pass along one for you to tuck away in case you ever find yourself traveling along Interstate 81 and looking for a place to play. Botetourt Golf and Swim Club (pronounced Bot-a-tot) in Troutville, VA, used to be private, is now a daily fee facility and a joy to play. What it lacks in length (6,111 yds. from the tips) it more than makes up for in resistance to scoring with uneven lies, elevation changes, tricky greens and just the right amount of quirk, like the double-dogleg par 5 6th.
The views of the Allegheny Mountains are hard to beat, although you'll have to excuse the weak effort by my phone's camera. That's the 172-yard par-3 5th pictured, and the shot doesn't come close to doing it justice. The price is right, too. Rates top out at $45 on weekends, and weekdays after 11am it is $30 including cart. We played it Friday on our way down (it's about 30 minutes outside of Roanoke just west of I-81) and I liked it so much I went back on Saturday. The Botetourt website is here.
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Ed Abrams anchors mornings on KYW Newsradio, and you can hear his Golf Reports there on Fridays and Saturdays. He has also created a new website at www.DealTrackerGolf.com, a resource for golfers seeking the best bargains on clubs, apparel and everything golf.
