Magnolia Green Golf Club

The course was in great condition. Greens were consistent and fairways although had a few bare spots was also plush. Planned to play 18 but quit after 9; pace was really slow. Took 3 hours for 9, not what I was expecting. Will be playing again next week in a tournament, looking forward to it.

Magnolia Green was building momentum last year despite horrific weather as there was a lot of noticeable effort being put into the condition of the course. But that’s fallen off again after my most recent visit, a golf outing that included 20 other guys from Harrisonburg. They too weren’t thrilled with the many bare/GUR spots in the fairways and many of the bunkers needing attention.

Perhaps the greater sin, though, was the placement of the holes on the day we played. Yes, the friendly starter warned us before we went out that ‘the super must have been mad at something this morning”. Well that’s funny as a punchline but when you pay the kind of money this course demands to play here (about $80 on the weekends), it gets a lot less amusing.

My playing partners and I had good putts roll off the green on several holes and just getting to the putting surface seemed an undue hardship. One particular bunker shot by a 13 hcp player that he was quite pleased with landed softly in front of the hole and proceeded to roll 25 feet past and into another bunker. He ended up picking up after another bunker shot failed to get the ball on the green. We saw this frustration time and time again from not only our group but the foursome in front of us.

This unnecessary silliness had other negative effects, particularly on pace of play. Magnolia Green is known for its heavily tiered and fast greens, there’s no reason to add to the difficulty by placing the holes right on the ridge on every hole.

The end result is I came away with no motivation to come back and play here despite living just 8 minutes away. I am scheduled to participate in another outing here next month, let’s hope the conditions improve and the superintendent cheers up.

Excellent lay out with plenty of tee boxes to suit all levels of play.

Tough conditions but they get a pass considering recent weather.

Friendly staff,

Fun time.

Special shout out to the Lady Teaching Professional & the teaching staff: They have a great Junior Golf Program & it’s great to see the promotion of junior golf.

To the member that yelled at me for chipping on the practice green..,all you had to do was ask or explain. There weren’t any signs posted that said no chipping.

Overall, Magnolia Green is a fun course

*This is an updated review. For more thoughts on this course, see my full review from 3/7/18*

Magnolia Green continues to shape its reputation as a premiere golf course and facility with exceptional service and very good conditions even in mid-March.

From the friendly starter who loaded my bag on a cart and made me well-informed for my round to the staff member who thanked me towards the end of my round for coming out to play, it’s clear that they are putting an emphasis on outstanding service and it shows.

Virginia course conditions overall are not great as we are still recovering from a historically wet 2018 and wet start to 2019 and the we’re also months from the Bermuda grass growing in. That said, The conditions were noticeably better here than at other area courses with groomed bunkers and smooth greens. The fairways were still a bit muddy in spots but clearly drying out well.

The softer conditions do make this course a bit more enjoyable to play, especially around the greens which are usually the main defense of this track. The severely-sculpted and tiered greens are not quite as challenging to approach or putt on and that is a welcome reprieve to a lot of golfers.

My only knock against Magnolia continues to be its cost. While a GolfNow deal can save you quite a bit on your greens fee, it’s still not cheap here and a bag of 20 range balls costs $6, you could just about bring your own for that price.

I’ll be back again later in the spring to report on how the course is doing, stay tuned!

*This is an updated review. For more thoughts on this course, see my full review from 3/7/18*

I was invited to Magnolia Green’s Media Day to showcase their new training facility so I’ll spend some extra space talking about that along with my normal update review of the course.

PGA professional and Director of Instruction Leighann Albaugh gave a tour of her innovative and creative training bay and spaces where her expertise caters to golfers of all ages with an emphasis on juniors. The climate-controlled hitting bay that looks out over the driving range definitely made me consider coming back in the dead of winter to get some quality and comfortable instruction.

Practice facilities at Magnolia Green remain excellent with a grass driving range and separate putting and chipping greens with a practice bunker. The clubhouse is really nice and you get a great view from inside the restaurant or out on the patio. The staff here remains a highlight and they do a lot to ensure you enjoy your round.

Ok, back to the course: the conditions are the best they’ve been all year. Like most courses in the Richmond area, they continue to feel the effects of biblical rainfall that requires a lot of extra bunker maintenance and the course is prone to some wet spots but overall an impressive job from the superintendent to have this course in this good of shape. The greens especially were very smooth and just fast enough without being too fast (especially with the wild green contours on the back nine). Fairways, rough, and tees were all it great shape.

The layout here is a really diverse blend of very challenging and slightly-less challenging holes but one thing I noticed more this go-around was the forced carries. From the middle blue tees, you often are required to carry the ball over a hundred yards to clear the brush so if you struggle to get your tee shots airborne, be forewarned.

Magnolia Green makes for a great home course if you have the means. It’s not cheap but you definitely get what you pay for and it gives places like Independence and Lake Chesdin a run for their money.

*This is an updated review. For more thoughts on this course, see my full review from 3/7/18*

Magnolia Green remains one of the most beautiful and challenging public courses in the Richmond area. The diverse layout will test your skill with every shot, and while some aspects can be over the top and a little frustrating, it’s still a great place to play.

My most recent round was several months removed from my previous visit and the course conditions have improved a decent amount. The fairways have generally recovered from all the winter kill and the green surrounds aren’t as bare as before.

The back nine green slopes remain a signature feature of the course. Some players will find them overly dramatic but they are aesthetically pleasing.

My only hesitation in recommending this course in the value proposition. This isn’t a cheap course and I wouldn’t pay to play anything other than the twilight rate here. That said, the course has a lot to offer and it's definitely worth checking out if you haven't played here before.

Starter was the only marshall we saw. He arrived at the first tee after we had teed off. Group ahead of us was on the green and he was not around. He was then rude to us in between puffs of his cigarette that he threw on the ground NEAR the trash can. We were also frustrated it was cart path only even though there were only 2 spots wet enough we encountered in 18 holes to avoid with the cart. My client that I took to this course is 75 years old. At least a 90 degree cart provision would have been helpful, but cart path only was unnecessary. Even though the group behind was never waiting on us,,,.we were asked if we could speed up our play at the 8th hole. .We never rushed anyone, The group behind never waited for us to finish.This was my 4th round here, but this time for the $ I expected more

Great course - challenging layout

No value currently - course condition is rough - $75?

Severral greens in bad shape.

Many fairway and tee boxes still rough.

Management claim tough winter, it's July.

Over priced for current condition. Hope to see better.

The course took a beating from the winter.

The greens were in decent shape as were the tee boxes. The grass on the tees was 2-3 inches long. The fairways were also long.

The bunkers needed Tlc.

Guys were cutting the grass ahead of me and I waited 10-20 minutes on every shot to the greens.

On the last hole, I waited for the guy to aerate the green, then for the 2nd guy to mow the green.(30minutrs+ to hit 1 shot)

The inside staff & the starter were excellent. The new clubhouse is beautiful.

I will play here again because I live the way the course is designed. The holes that are cut out of the dense, tall pines offer spectacular views.

This is a tough track. I cannot wait for it to be back in prime shape.

The course was unplayable. ALL the greens & fairways were dead!!! No mention of this when booking, no discount, no free replay NOTHING!!! Stay away until next spring.

This was my first time playing Magnolia Green and I walked off the 18th hole with a 5 star experience. The clubhouse is newly built and includes a spacious golf shop and large dining area. The course was very playable yet strategic and required you to think before every shot. What club to hit, where to place it, etc. The Greens were difficult, yet fair and called for precise iron play. I was a single and played in 3.5 hours. The staff was incredibly friendly. I recommend this course to anyone who's in the Richmond area looking for a fun golf challenge!

This has always been one of my favorite courses to play here in Richmond. Between the lack of rain and heat the greens and fairways are in real bad shape. No reason that they should be charging the rates based upon these conditions.

Very challenging layout, well bunkered on every hole, including fairways on par 4s & 5s

Super friendly staff, excellent clubhouse, good value

This course is very challenging but definitely a fun play. In my opinion it's the best in the area. Their customer service is very top notch as well. Golfnow decided to cancel our tee time 20 minutes before we were supposed to tee off for no reason at all. Even on a busy day they were able make room for us. A+ course and A+ staff. We will definitely be playing again.

*This is an updated review. For more thoughts on this course, see my full review from 3/7/18*

It didn’t take long for me to re-visit Magnolia Green GC after playing my first round here a month ago. While I wasn’t having to rush myself to finish before dark this time, I still don’t feel like this course has shown me its best side. The dormant grasses and minimal maintenance definitely takes away a bit from the overall experience, though this remains one of the best layouts in the area.

While it’s fair to point out that many courses in the area are in equally sub-par condition, I do have higher expectations for this course based on the greens fees and the reputation it has built. The bunkers are messy, the greens are getting bumpy, and there are several large areas of the rough (and even fairways) that are GIR or should be marked as such.

The service here remains top-notch with a very helpful starter and my first sighting of the year of a beverage cart girl.

My hope is that with some April rains in the forecast and warming temps, the maintenance crew will have more to work with in getting the course back in shape. For now, it’s just ok.

If you talk to any local here that’s played Magnolia Green Golf Club, you’ll almost certainly be told a version of the story of how Jack Nicklaus designers were hired to construct the back nine to complete this course and then not invited back to renovate the front nine. But what this course lacks in total fairness and continuity, it gives up nothing to beauty and a unique challenge that will have you coming back.

On the day I played it was quite rainy and I was chasing daylight most of my round, so my views on pace-of-play and of the last few holes are only partially formed. Although it was just myself and one other single on the entire course, the course still had a starter on hand to give me a good overview of the course and what to expect. And while it rained off and on throughout my round, there were never any soggy areas; the course drains very, very well.

As for the layout itself, there is no question the front nine is easier on the nerves while the back nine is arguably easier on the eyes. Wide open and inviting fairways eventually give way to narrower ones with bunkers placed right where you don’t want them. It’s a bit of a mind game though as they are fairly easy to avoid if you focus on the task at hand.

The greens are the real story though. Yes, the back nine greens are smaller and more heavily tiered and contoured, but the front nine’s aren’t exactly Fazio-style either. You’ll be challenged throughout your round to get not only direction and shape correct with your approach shots but distance too. Shots that find the front of the green (and even occasionally the center) don’t hold. If you want to hone your chipping skills, this is the course to do it; you’ll get quite a bit of practice. In terms of conditioning (again, early March here), my only complaint is the clumpiness of the fringe around the greens, which really rears its ugly head when you’re forced to land so many chips and pitches short of the putting surface.

Strategy plays a heavy hand here as well. I found multiple holes where landing left of the green guaranteed me of bogey or worse. Other holes are really much more enjoyable if you leave the driver in the bag. While there are a few blind shots I never found myself tricked by the layout, even though I had nothing to guide me along the way.

The dormant rough and painted Bermuda fairways don’t give justice to this course’s beauty. A quick google search will show you this is perhaps the prettiest golf course in the area, and I eagerly await the arrival of spring to see it in all its glory.

This is only my initial thoughts of this course and now that I live just down the street from it, I’ll have plenty more opportunities to form a more complete opinion of Magnolia Green. It probably says something that I’m looking forward to my next round here.

Great course and great price for the round. Ran out of daylight due to the pace of play and couldn't finish the last 3 holes.