The Club At Viniterra

Long course but wide open. Good course for the price. Will play there agian.

Viniterra is in excellent condition and is considered one of the best values between Richmond & Williamsburg. The pace of play was exceptional and the golfcourse was set up fairly. Our threesome played in under 4 hours.

I have only ever experienced friendliness and a welcoming attitude from the staff at Viniterra except for Sunday's round. The cashier that afternoon was unexpectently rude and had a condensing way when he spoke. He stated the course was cart path only and marshals will watch "you" at all time in the event you deviate. What a weird thing to say. I asked if balls were already on the range for us to warm up with and he made a comment under his breath about nothing's free! Crazy!

Play Viniterra every chance you get. It is the best layout within 100 miles of Richmond. Not to be walked, Viniterra will take you through natural woodlands that are nothing short of spectacular.

The course condition is excellent, and pace of play is usually satisfactory.

It is in the league with Spring Creek, and every hole is memorable and different. It is certainly challenging, and some say difficult. I say the natural beauty carved into the landscape more than offsets the relative difficulty.

There are multiple tee boxes on each hole that will give your game a test, regardless of handicap.

One hole, the 13th, is a bit tricky, but I seem to have learned to respect it and usually make a par on this challenging Par 5.

It has all of the things you want in a great golf course, especially one without a clubhouse. I understand that there are plans to build a clubhouse, though.

*This is an updated review. For more thoughts on this course, see my full review from 5/28/17*

It’s not often that a golf course goes through as much change in just two months as the Club at Viniterra has since I first played there in May.

The biggest change is that they have flipped the front and back nines, meaning you now start on the difficult par-5 that used to be #10, with a plethora of fairway bunkers. Apparently the reasoning behind it was to allow for a par-5 finish. Whatever the reason, I don’t think it has a major impact on how the course plays, just something to take note of.

The other big change for me is that apparently it hasn’t rained since I last visited. During my first round, the course was so wet, it was cart-path only. This time around, I doubt they cared where I drove my cart at all. The course definitely looked stressed from lack of water but it didn’t play very different than when it was wet. The greens were still in very good condition and putts rolled as semi-fast and smoothly as before. The bunkers were certainly firmer than I remember and that was a bit of a challenge to adjust (but since you’ll find yourself in them so often, it only takes a few holes to get acclimated).

Lastly, they have been aerating the fairways and of course the holes for that are quite a bit bigger than green aeration so there’s a chance your tee shot can land kind of funny. It doesn’t cause a major problem, just less aesthetically pleasing on those few holes they’ve done so far.

With a $22 Hot Deal on GolfNow for a midday tee time, it’s hard to overstate the value this course can be; it’s easily worth thrice that amount. I still love the secluded feel of the layout and the Rees Jones design. If you are looking for a serene golfing experience and maybe some extra practice at your sand game, I highly recommend checking this course out!

This course was way better than what I paid!! Greens and fairways were in great condition and it was blazing hot out there. Had no problems getting water and they also had ice for the coolers. Definitely will play when I'm back in the area

The clubhouse is certainly undersized, but construction for the new one was fully underway, so I'm sure that'll be great for years to come. Nice putting green/range facility- but that's not the WOW part!

Upon arriving to the first tee, the views from each hole continued to amaze throughout the round. Particularly, I enjoyed the front nine more than the back (holes 1, 4, and 9 are simply amazing). Every hole featured multiple bunkers, all places in meaningful places- places that mean just about every golfer will face 3/4 sand shots a round. The condition of the bunkers varied- some were full of great, soft sand, while others felt shallow and muddy. Only other complaint about the experience was the fairways on 14 and 17. I'm not entirely sure what happened to the holes, but the fairways had been completely aerated and felt completely torn up.

Overall the experience was great, and the course offers an incredible bang for your buck! The best aspect is definately the distance between holes. So many other courses feel like they just weave back and forth, but here you could never see a nearby fairway- just beautiful woods.

Quick tip: don't plan on walking here (if they even tee off walkers) during the heat. 9.2 miles of cart path + hills = a potential disaster.

The assistant pro was a jerk from the beginning. He constantly followed us around the course just because we were young guys in our twenties. We didn't do anything wrong at all the entire

18 holes but he continued to follow us. Very nice course but the staff are very unfriendly.

My son and I were on a short golf vacation to the Wiliamsburg area.

We really enjoyed this course-- long enough, rolling fairways, water and a LOT of sand in a beautiful setting. We found the front nine particularly challenging. Although there seemed to be a lot of groups on the course things moved very nicely with few delays. After our round we stopped in at the vineyard next door and had a great tasting. Really no amenities, but this was great fun for some real hackers.

Having seen the accolades and read the rave reviews of this course, I felt compelled to add it to my list of courses to visit for the first time this year. I’m very glad I did.

The outing was spur-of-the-moment as the weather forecast looked threatening but the rain clouds parted long enough for my 3-hour round. Additional research might have helped as I arrived at the course hungry for lunch and found no clubhouse but only a golf shop shack with some basic snacks for sale and no refreshment cart on the course. Given the fact the course was fairly empty, I can forgive this omission but the quality of this course certainly demands a full clubhouse and more complete staff. That said, the man in the pro shop gave me a lay of the land and even came out to grab a golf cart I had walked right past, so props for that.

Now to the course, it truly is top-tier level both in layout and conditions. I’ve played 75 courses in nearly dozen states and this course is easily Top 5 in both categories. I overlooked the sogginess of the course (cart path only when I played) but the greens and bunkers had completely drained and even the fairways and rough had only a few soggy spots, no standing water. The bermuda turf was very well maintained on both fairway and rough cuts, with firm, perfectly smooth, semi-fast greens that would satisfy even professional golfers. I enjoyed the perfect balance of undulation and tiered effect on many of the greens without being overly sculpted. You never feel cheated missing a putt and all the more satisfaction when you make a long one.

Bunkers are a signature element of Rees Jones courses and Viniterra is no different, so bring your A-game for the beach. As someone who can often go a whole round on a municipal course without finding sand, I easily had 3-4 fairway bunker shots and 4-5 greenside bunker shots as well (and this was me on a good day!). Many players may find the abundance of sand traps frustrating but there’s no debate that they add a distinct beauty and character to the course and they are well maintained.

That brings us to the most unique aspect of this course--the layout of the course in general. With 9.5 miles of cart path, the keyword here is seclusion. Admittedly, it was not at all busy on the day I played (playing on my own, I passed only 6 people in two groups during my round). That said, each hole feels miles away from any others. You can’t see any part of any other hole from the one you’re on and there’s zero sound pollution from traffic, construction, etc. And in between numerous holes are creek beds you drive over, crossing impressive wooden bridges with tall wooden railings that add a level of class to the course I’ve rarely seen. These short drives between holes immerse you in the serenity of Central Virginia woodlands and temporarily separate you from whatever frustration you’re feeling on the course itself. Sure, it doesn’t have any real impact on your playing experience but I found it adding a unique charm, and for a course that’s not convenient for most golfers, the finer details can make a difference.

I have read reviews regarding pace of play. Again, I was on my own and the rain from earlier in the had evidently scared many away so I can’t speak for how it plays when fully booked but the difficulty of the course and distance between holes is certainly conducive to slow play.

Overall I was very pleased with my round and enjoyed the charm of Viniterra. Would highly recommend to others, its praise is well-deserved.

Viniterra is one of those courses you want to go back and play with a different friend each time ! The sweet unique trails through the woods over a dozen different bridges,winding through the trees to the next hole are as beautiful as the holes themselves.

The bunkers are fierce! The greens are fast, and the fairways lush! Don't Miss out on this little Jem.

Easy access from 64E, -40 minutes from Richmond.

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"We'll be Back!!

Even though we had had 2" of rain over the weekend

this course was in very good shape. There are a fair

number of bunkers and you do need to be in the

fairway. All this considered its a great place to have

a special round of golf. There is a lot of wildlife that

still live there.

Seriously, if you live in Richmond or anywhere close, this has to be the best course for the money around. Everything was in perfect shape when I played here. I took a friend from out of town for his first time seeing the course and he was not disappointed saying, "We should just play here every time I come up."

The pro was friendly and knowledgeable. The staff were very accommodating upon arrival, and the additional 18 rate (we played 36 holes that day) was appropriately priced.

I'm tired of being gouged at The Crossings or Providence for a sub-par (no pun intended) experience. What happened to all of the good public courses that made you feel welcome? I'd rather play Vinaterra over any of the other choices in the RVA vicinity any day.

Side note: We played Sycamore Creek in the West End the following day and were pleasantly surprised at the shape of the course as well. If you're not feeling like making the drive to New Kent, we also enjoyed that course.

Keep em' straight.

The tee boxes, fairways and greens are all in very good condition. The layout is great and visually very appealing.

Had beautiful weather (70) and enjoyed the round. Course was in very good shape, especially the greens. Played from the up (white) tees so that made the course much easier. There are multiple tees so you should be able to find the tee that corresponds to your game. Course is not tight, but is heavily wooded so a bad shot is usually lost forever. Greens are heavily undulating and tricky, but it rolls well. We got a special deal so that also added to the enjoyment. Would recommend the course.

Weather was perfect and the course was in great shape. The greens were fast. No better deal on Golfnow than this course for the money.

Heard some good things about Viniterra and made a point to check it out. The course is your typical Rees Jones design with mounds everywhere and bunkers on both sides of the fairway off the tee and well bunkered green complexes. The holes are all tree lined on both sides, so it's not uncommon for a wayward shot to end up in the woods. The average golfer would find the course challenging especially if they haven't played it before as there are several blind shots and odd landing area setups on a good chunk of the holes. It's a contrived design and borders on tricked out. There is nothing special about it's pretty run of the mill for a Virginia daily fee.

Layout aside, my main gripe is with the condition. It looked and played like a burnt out course in August after a dry summer, but it was April 30th. Greens were average, but better than the tees and fairways. You'll land in some bunkers on a course like this and they were often thin on sand and hard. It took our threesome 5.5 hours to play on a Sunday with an 11am tee time. The only course ranger we saw was on hole 15 who apologized for the slow play, however with just 3 holes to go he wasn't really of much help. 2/5 stars

We have played this course several times before - the layout is great, fairly difficult track, no clubhouse and limited amenities. The cart service was good with very fair prices and a pleasant young lady. The tee areas were mixed and needed work, the fairways were satisfactory, greens were decent, rough was below par, the worst area on the course was the sand traps which needed a lot of love (some grass growing, varied depth of sand, inconsistent base and poorly groomed). Overall a 4 star layout that needs some work. I would recommend his course t under 50.00