The Club At Viniterra

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

Definitely a championship course. Surrounded by

beautiful evergreen trees. It's like a true private

course with no adjourning fairways. I've been to

Williamsburg before and this is truly one of the

best and if not played you will regret not playing

it because once played I can guarantee you will be

back with more golfers. It is absolutely a hidden

gem.

It started raining as I was playing but got through 16. It was a great experience

The course was a very well maintained course with each hole winding through trees. Each hole was totally separate from each other hole. As well it was a very challenging course with a lot of sand traps for the ones that like to play at the beach. I strongly recommend this course for players that enjoy a challenging round of golf.

The course is very open but not too forgiving to sliced balls. The course and staff were excellent. By only criticism is that there really is not much selection in the club house for food, but the beer was ice cold! Perfect round and great practice area, would gladly play there all year!

Very challenging course with major elevation changes. Various tees allow golfers of all levels to enjoy the course. Greens had been punched and were still filling in but rolled pretty good. An awesome Rees Jones design utilizing the natural terrain with lots of bunker hazards. Bring your "A" game when playing this one!

This course is excellent. Would greatly like to play it again. Only reason I rated the course a 4 star was the greens had just been aerated. There are lots of places on this course you can get in trouble with so plan your shots carefully and enjoy. I did. TAD

Staff friendliness. We had an 11:20 tee off time and asked to play two persons, at our arrival st the pro shop they told us that we had to play with two other persons as they were very busy that day. Fortunately the persons were very please and we had a good time. After the round 4:05 pm, we noticed that the parking lot was almost empty which explained why we hadn't seen other players on the course. I guess the staff were just in a hurry to go back home.

As for the golf, the course was great, layout was great, and for end of March, conditions were above average. If you are traveling and want to just enjoy your round, play the whites. The course plays long for sure. Practice facility was definitely above average. As for the outside of golf aspects of Veniterra, there is no place to have lunch/ relax and have a beer. Golf now advertises this place based on its proximity to the airport. However, unless you have a car… Uber will not pick you up there, nor will Lyft or a taxi. I had to scramble and pay as much as it cost to play golf, in order to ensure I got a ride to the airport . There is no lockerroom as well. Lastly, the bag staff was very nice, however the Pro Shop staff lacked customer service skills and had no personality. I would recommend this golf course to any golfer Who is simply looking for a nice golf course to play and doesn't care about post around social activities at the golf course . I could only imagine how great it would be in the middle of the summer.

Played this one from the blues. Was duly warned by the starter and ignored his warning. Probably found 5 fairway bunkers and another 6 or 7 green side. 7.000 yards from the blues. Designed by Rees Jones. Great layout, very challenging. Comparable to Bethpage Black in terms of difficulty. Black is longer but the traps here are very strategically placed. If you can avoid them you can score, if not....God bless....

Long for an average golfer. If you don't know exactly where your second shot is going into the green , you are in serious trouble. Greens were great but very fast. Easy to slide by the hole 6 feet.