The Best Golf Courses in Virginia: Presidential Links and More
Virginia's golf landscape ranges from the Blue Ridge Mountain courses in the western highlands to the Washington D.C. suburban clubs that rank among the most decorated in America. The state produced Robert Trent Jones Sr. — the most prolific course architect in American golf history — and has a concentration of historically significant courses that reflects its position as the most golf-adjacent state to the nation's capital.
Congressional Country Club — Bethesda, Maryland (Adjacent)
While technically in Maryland, Congressional Country Club in Bethesda serves the Washington D.C. golf market and is inseparable from the region's golf identity. The Blue Course has hosted the US Open (1964, 1997, 2011), the US Amateur, and the Travelers Championship. It is private and one of the most historically significant courses in American golf. Rees Jones renovated it extensively before the 2011 US Open.
Primland Highland Links — Meadows of Dan
Primland Highland Links in the Blue Ridge Mountains of southern Virginia occupies a dramatically elevated site at approximately 3,000 feet, with mountain views across the Piedmont region visible from several holes. The course plays through the natural highland terrain with the wind exposure and expansive views that mountain golf at that elevation produces. It is part of the Primland resort property and accessible to overnight guests.
The Homestead — Hot Springs
The Homestead in Hot Springs has been a golf destination since 1892, making it one of the oldest continuously operating resort golf properties in America. Three courses, including the Cascades Course designed by William Flynn, offer mountain terrain and a historic atmosphere that the more modern resort properties can't replicate. The Cascades Course has hosted significant USGA championships.
Robert Trent Jones Trail (Virginia)
Virginia hosts several Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail courses, extending the Alabama trail concept into the mid-Atlantic region. The courses at Algonkian Regional Park, Brambleton, and others provide accessible public golf built to championship specifications at public course prices — the Trail's defining proposition.
Frequently Asked Questions
What US Opens has Virginia hosted?
Congressional Country Club in adjacent Bethesda, Maryland (in the DC metropolitan area served by Virginia's golf market) hosted the US Open in 1964, 1997, and 2011. Virginia proper has hosted USGA championships at The Homestead's Cascades Course.
What is the best public golf course in Virginia?
Primland Highland Links is the strongest resort-accessible course in Virginia for quality of experience. The Robert Trent Jones Trail courses provide excellent public golf at accessible prices across the state.