Royal New Kent GC: #5
View from the 5th tee at Royal New Kent Golf Club
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Rating Index Rating
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4.2
824 Reviews (824)
5 Stars
568
4 Stars
180
3 Stars
50
2 Stars
16
1 Stars
10
Conditions
3.9
Value
4.0
Layout
4.7
Friendliness
4.5
Pace
4.3
Amenities
3.9
81.5%
Recommend this course
760 out of 824 reviews
Read Reviews
Average Rating
Avg Rating
3.4
26 Reviews (26)
5 Stars
6
4 Stars
6
3 Stars
8
2 Stars
4
1 Stars
2
Conditions
2.7
Value
3.2
Layout
4.6
Pace
4.3
Amenities
3.5
StaffFriendliness
4.5
69.2%
Recommend this course
18 out of 26 reviews
Read Reviews
Average Rating
Avg Rating
4.0
45 Reviews (45)
5 Stars
22
4 Stars
8
3 Stars
9
2 Stars
4
1 Stars
2
Conditions
3.5
Value
3.7
Layout
4.6
Pace
4.3
Amenities
3.8
StaffFriendliness
4.5
75.6%
Recommend this course
34 out of 45 reviews
Read Reviews
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AI summaries based on real golfer reviews
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Course Highlights
Royal New Kent's Mike Strantz-designed layout earns top marks for its dramatic blind shots, forced carries, and picturesque, Ireland-like scenery. Fairways, greens, and course conditions consistently impress, and friendly staff help deliver strong overall value.

About

Holes 18
Type Semi-Private
Style Links
Par 72
Length 7440 yards
Slope 154
Rating 76.8

Formerly known as The Tradition Golf Club At Royal New Kent

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Royal New Kent Golf Club
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Course Details

Year Built 1996
Greens Champion Bermuda Grass
Golf Season Year round
Architect Mike Strantz (1996)

Rentals/Services

Carts Yes - included in green fees
Clubs Yes

Practice/Instruction

Driving Range Yes
Golf School/Academy Yes
Teaching Pro Yes
Putting Green Yes

Policies

Credit Cards Accepted VISA, MasterCard, Amex Welcomed
Metal Spikes Allowed No

Food & Beverage

Bar, Grill, Restaurant

Available Facilities

Clubhouse, Conference Facilities, Banquet Facilities

Accolades

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Reviews

4.2
824 Reviews (824)

What Golfers Are Saying

The 19th Hole is Great For:
19th Hole Scenic Views 9
Drinks 7
Course Challenges Include:
Elevation Changes 20
Undulating Greens 20
Forced Carries 19
This course/club is great for:
Advanced Golfers 24
A Bucket list/Top 100 Pick 16
Wildlife/ Scenic Views 14
This Course's Location is:
Worth the Drive 22

Numbers based on reviews tagged with attribute.

Reviewer Photos

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Overall Rating
Recommended
Handicap
Age
Type of Golfer
Gender
Played On
Reviews 2
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
2.0
Previously Played

Needs work

The course is hard enough without the grass being burnt, hitting off basically dirt, greens covered in sand and extremely hard and fast. This place needs a lot of work.

The pace of play was horrid. I left on hole 16 when I had already been on the course for almost 5 hours and there were two groups in front is me still waiting to tee off. No marshals at all today.

Overall a pretty poor experience and not worth how much they charge. I feel like I wasted the day and wasted my money playing there.

Conditions Fair
Value Fair
Layout Good
Friendliness Average
Pace Poor
Amenities Average
Played On
Reviews 34
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

2nd Time Around

Got to play this course last year on Father's Day was a tough course didn't know where we were going,lots of blind shots lots of big greens,was very wet that first time, this time,was a whole new Experience we weren't blind going in,course was dry greens were fast just a great Challenge on every hole,Every Club in the bag must be used Definitely A 5Star Ireland in Virginia

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 7
Handicap 5-9
Skill Advanced
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Used cart

A challenging gem for the value

Playing RNK will have you wondering how the golf course is in the middle of Virginia. A great American take on links golf. Conditions were 4/5 fairly consistent greens with some rough patches. Depending on the pin location some holes were pure. Tough challenge for anyone in town, highly recommend even with some imperfections on the greens.

Conditions Good
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Extremely Challenging
Played On
Reviews 15
Handicap 25+
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Conditions Good
Value Good
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Fair
Played On
Reviews 11
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Conditions Good
Value Average
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Good
Played On
Reviews 1
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
3.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing

Interesting course

Hard to rate as this course has great potential but needs some maintenance work (especially tee boxes) Greens were solid. Difficult course to play when you don’t know the course or layout. Used the GHIN app to see the hole layout -which was essential. Unable to use driver on some holes due to landing areas and hazards, leaving a long second shot in. (Ladies tees). Beautiful course but hard to play, especially the first time. We were traveling through the area so I am not apt to play it again

Conditions Average
Value Good
Layout Average
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 14
4.0
First Time Playing

Great course, poor customer service

The general manager could use a class or two in customer service. Other than that, great course.

Conditions Good
Value Average
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Poor
Pace Fair
Amenities Average
Played On
Reviews 1
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing

Difficult course

This is a difficult course for a high handicapper. Some holes are insane. One hole, that I will refer to as the saddle back, was reduced to perhaps a 20 yard gap with the two sides of the fairway closing in and rising up with traps to squeeze you even more. If you carry that, the landing area drops down in front up a raised green. Course layout requires long walks from the end of where carts are allowed to greens. This really slows down play. Greens were not in the best of shape - patches of weeds on the greens required moving your ball to be able to have a fair line to putt over.

Conditions Good
Value Average
Layout Good
Friendliness Average
Pace Average
Amenities Average
Played On
Reviews 8
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
First Time Playing

One of the best!

I played this course for the first time on 5/17/24, and found it to be super challenging, yet fair, and a real mental test. It is hands down in my top five ever, akin to Erin Hills in Wisconsin. And the price is incredible!

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 1
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once every three months
I Recommend This Course
4.0
First Time Playing

Tough!

Great course design! Lots of elevation changes, blind shots, and shots over very large vegetation hazards. Missed drives are likely lost balls, so plan to lose a lot of balls. Too difficult to play more than a very few times a year at my skill level (mid 20’s handicapper, just getting back into it after a few years off), otherwise I’ll be single-handedly keeping Cut Golf Balls in business.

Conditions Good
Value Good
Layout Good
Friendliness Good
Pace Good
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 92
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Conditions Good
Value Good
Layout Good
Friendliness Average
Pace Good
Played On
Reviews 37
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

Rodeo of a Course

They should play a Walker, Ryder or Presidents Cup here.

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Good
Played On
Reviews 9
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Previously Played

Course is amazing. Beautiful layout. Difficult but fun, lots of blind tee shots. Greens are the only thing lacking. Poa annua all over the greens and lost of wear marks. Still so much fun to play

Conditions Average
Value Average
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Good
Pace Good
Amenities Average
Played On
Reviews 92
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Conditions Good
Value Good
Layout Good
Friendliness Average
Pace Good
Played On
Reviews 10
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

Great design

Greens were in good condition and very fast. Course tees and fairways were fair. Very challenging but fair. Micheal Strantz designs are incredible.

Conditions Average
Value Good
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Average
Pace Fair
Amenities Good
Played On
Reviews 2
Handicap 10-14
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
1.0
Previously Played
Hot weather
Used cart

Course is in horrible condition, bare tee boxes, greens are full of poa annua that sticks up about 1/8" making the greens like pin ball tables. Such a shame because this place used to be fantastic. Mike is rolling in his grave.

Conditions Poor
Value Poor
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Poor
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Extremely Challenging
Played On
Reviews 9
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
3.0
First Time Playing

Longest round ever

The longest round I ever played, and I’ve been playing for over 50 years. Obviously the staff there have no interest in managing the pace of play. . there were a couple of groups holding up the entire course. They should’ve been kicked off the course. The course itself is very cool, but I doubt I will ever go back there again, unless it’s under new management.

Conditions Good
Value Fair
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Average
Pace Poor
Amenities Fair
Played On
Reviews 1
I Recommend This Course
5.0
First Time Playing
Perfect weather
Used cart
Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Moderate
Played On
Reviews 5
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

Challenging Layout

Challenging but fun. Other than the greens which has some crab grass growing in some spots, the course was in great shape. Always enjoy playing RNK.

Conditions Average
Value Average
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Average
Amenities Average
Played On
Reviews 1
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing

Challenging Course

Beautiful course but very challenging!! Greens are difficult but need to be cleaned up just a bit. Overall wonderfully difficult course. Would go back tomm!!

Conditions Good
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
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