Lake Chesdin Golf Club

Just a great day with friends. Start review this way so you know review will be influenced by the mood of the day. We like to move around the Richmond area playing a variety of courses from New Kent to Charlottesville. Never had thought about this course , not sure why , but we enjoyed playing . Course in very good shape and great layout. Just enough doglegs left and right to keep you entertained and being one of my playing partners is a lefty, kept us all happy. Water on a few holes and does have some holes with water , dry ditch or roughs in front of green . One surprised me with water in front of a par five , yep found it trying to go for green in two. Not a long course and some short par 4s , but enough length for good challenge . They recently aerated greens but still running pretty good and won’t be long before they speed up. Plenty of elevation changes and traps located strategically and in very good shape . Good driving range and nice size putting surface . Staff was very friendly and helpful to newcomers and will be back soon. Will discuss with playing partners, but probably made it into our top three to play in the area.

I like the course. It is a classic Virginia layout. Narrow fairways and undulating greens, but not the crazy roller coasters they created at Magnolia Green. I like this course and almost everything about it.

My issues are the greens, good and firm but need better policing. Divots not repaired, etc. As for the water, it is a crime to have moldy and dirty coolers on the course when it is hot out. Clearly they are not refreshing and disinfecting the water coolers EVERY SINGLE DAY.

That should be unacceptable in any club.

Otherwise it is a great track in the middle of nowhere almost. Not much around it but houses.

No food/drink cart, ever any of the times I have played it. Maybe they save that for the tourneys.

Cheers

I was originally thrilled that GolfNow was charging such a low price for this course which is why I played it for the first time. What I did not consider was the consequences. What happens is that the clientele level goes down down down! I had a serious confrontation with a four-some of African Americans who got angry at me for hitting my second shot on a par 5, 30 yards from the green!!!! And then it was a big deal that I wanted to play through as a single! LEARN SOME GOLF ETIQUETTE BEFORE YOU GET ON A GOLF COURSE!!!! I left, but at least the staff wss VERY supportive.

Pace of play was extremely slow. I had to wait at least 5-10 minutes almost on every hole before I could tee off.

Most recently, I played Lake Chesdin as part of a multi-day golf outing that also included Magnolia Green and The Highlands. This course received the best reception of the three by the 20 gentlemen from Harrisonburg that came down to play and I wholeheartedly agree with them. The conditions, though not perfect, were by far the best with good, dry fairways, smoothish greens (despite the aeration from late April), and raked bunkers.

The course also received high marks from the group for its diverse but score-able layout, with many of the guys having their best round here. I’ve always agreed with this sentiment that Chesdin’s layout has a great balance of being inviting yet interesting.

The staff here is top notch and at $55 twilight through GolfNow, it remain a good value.

There are a myriad of public access golf courses in the greater Richmond area, but very few of them are given the care and attention that Lake Chesdin GC is. Great conditions and a very playable layout make it an attractive option if you don’t mind spending a bit more. With Independence still working its way back to its former glory, I now think Lake Chesdin is the nicest course you can play in town.

The greens, fairways, tees, and rough are all in fantastic condition and the bunkers are pretty good considering how wet this summer has been. Even more inviting than the quality of the turf is the wide-open layout from the tees. You won’t have to have the best day with your driver to stay in play but being accurate does have its rewards on your approach shot. There’s a good mix of distance for all the holes and a good amount are memorable but there are some that run together a bit.

Pace of play is another plus for this course as it plays like the semi-private course that it is. You can only book tee times on GolfNow, just don’t expect any Hot Deals.

Value is perhaps the one opportunity for the course as the $65 flat rate seems ok for the morning but for an afternoon tee time, I’d wish for a sub-$50 rate. That said, your greens fee does include free balls for the grass driving range and decent practice facilities, so that helps.

Overall, Lake Chesdin is an excellent course and I definitely recommend checking it out. I can’t afford it more than a few times a year but you get a bit more for the extra cost and that’s what it’s all about in the end.

Lake Chesdin is one the areas top courses I have played. The staff here is very friendly and accommodating. The club house is very nice with a well stocked pro shop. The practice facility has everything you need from grass driving range, to bunker practice area, to a very large practice green. The practice green was exactly how the greens on the course were so no surprises when you got out there. There are four sets of tee boxes so you will have something to match your game. The tee boxes are in good shape overall right now. Only a few have some bare spots from the winter. The fairways are greening up nicely and the Bermuda grass is filling in well. The bunkers are nice with consistent depth throughout the course. The greens are top notch in the Richmond area. They have fully recovered from the aeration and winter. They were rolling true, smooth and consistent. There were only a few spots where the skirts around the greens either needed work or just haven't grown in yet this spring. There is a good mix of holes on this course to say the least. Definitely not a course you can just rip driver every hole and I really like that. The layout is nice and not overly challenging. The carts are really nice with plenty of room for your things as well as two USB ports to charge your stuff while playing. This course is not 100% private as you can book tee times through GolfNow. I highly recommend this course if you want to play something very nice in the Richmond, VA area.

Played here as a single. Before I booked the tee time, pro shop gave me a heads up that pace of play would be slow. They had a lot of rain day before so cart path only slowed things down. I went ahead and booked anyway. Pace was a bit slower, but not that bad. It was a beautiful day and course was very scenic. After the round and as I was packing things up to leave, I heard someone call out my name. It was the gentleman from the pro shop apologizing again for the slow pace and providing me with a significant discount for my next round. I will definitely be back. A great example of how great customer service builds customer loyalty.

8 handicap and I play many courses. This place is serene, inviting and provides a challenge - mostly, a fun and challenging play. Despite recent aeration, the greens rolled true. The rough wasn't overly penalizing. The bunkers were a bit uneven on depth and consistency. Well-kept and clearly has a keeper with pride. Don't expect local amenities, it's off the beaten path. The lack of a beverage cart was overcome by a phone call and fast service to our group - great service! The pro cares about your experience. Overall, I'll be back as often as my wife allows.

Average course with limited amenities available. No food in clubhouse till 5pm. Seriously?

What a fantastic course. Had played this course once last year, and it wasn't quite up to par, however top marks all around this time. Perfect Greens, great fairways, nice club house, great range, and brand new carts! This course is easily the best in the area, and i've played most of them... Magnolia Greens (very over-rated!), Independence, Royal New Kent, Hunting Hawk, the Crossings, Hanover, Birkdale, Brandermill, Jefferson Lakeside, Belmont, Highlands... none of those compare.

First time playing this course last weekend and can't say enough positive things about it. A few of the tee boxes could have been a tad better, but this is by far the best and more challenging(back nine) course I've played. I've played Magnolia, independence, colonial Williamsburg, and countless others and none compare to this course. You won't be disappointed in this playing here.

Great layout, great conditions, friendly staff. Best greens I have played in winter. Plenty of challenge for any golfer but playable for a high-handicapper.