The Omni Homestead Resort & Spa

What a great golf course! Staff and conditions were the best I’ve played in many years! Will definitely be back. I will admit I waited to get an afternoon tee time because I don’t believe in paying over 150 to play, I’m not rich! But it was worth the 150!

I had a truly first-class experience playing the Cascades course. From the moment I arrived, the staff was welcoming, attentive, and friendly, setting the tone for a great round. The course was in outstanding condition. Beautifully maintained fairways, smooth/fast greens, and stunning scenery throughout. The layout was fun and challenging, with just the right mix of holes to keep things interesting. I can easily see why this course is rated so highly. I was able to enjoy 18 holes in just 2 hours and 30 minutes on a relaxed afternoon. Highly recommend!

Very nice course but not an easy one! Bring your “A” game, especially to the front 9 where it’s very tight. We enjoyed the course.

Played this course several times and it is a true joy. As a 10 handicap, it provided a challenge and many birdie opportunities. (Not all capitalized on). Excellent greens and fairways. This and the old course combined with the Homestead Resort (now Omni) are a dynamic duo unmatched in Virginia.

The routing is equal parts agreeable and dangerous, where sweeping elevations and water team up to test golfers. It flows wonderfully with the surrounding landscape, sometimes pinched tight by trees. Even the easy holes - the 294-yard fourth comes to mind - feel arduous. The finishing foursome of holes comprises a famously unique stretch, pars 3-5-5-3, that differentiates contenders from pretenders. Cascades was recently named one of the Top 100 Tournament Courses in the Country by GolfPass. The old clubhouse, recently renovated, is a great spot for lunch or drinks after golf.

The day starts off at the oldest continuous first tee in America and only gets better from there. At only 6,099 yards, the Old doesn't feel that short, thanks to the peaks and valleys of the sloping fairways and the difficulty of making solid contact against a barrage of crooked lies. I consider the opening holes - a fun stretch with a 5-3-5-5-3 par combination - as the most "gettable" start in golf. It's not out of the realm of possibility that an average player could reach the sixth tee across the street under par. All of the par 5s are less than 475 yards. The back nine offers a couple nice views of the hotel tower, too.

The weather was great. Course conditions were excellent - the greens rolled true. Views from the course were very nice. I highly recommend!

What a treat it was to play this classic mountain gem. I live about 2 hours away from the Homestead and have been itching to get out here for some time now. Let me start off by saying, no matter where you are coming from, it's worth it!

It all starts when you come into Hot Springs and see the Omni Homestead Resort (which is gorgeous). The Cascades course is about 5 minutes South of the resort and the Old Course. You twist and turn through mountains and beautiful views for the last 45 minutes of the drive if you are coming from the North/East.

Once you get to the Cascades you are greeted by what feels like half the course. You can see 7 or 8 holes from the parking lot alone. I got very lucky that when I pulled into the parking lot at 12:30 pm on a Sunday, I was only the 6th car, so I had the course to myself!

In terms of the course, I got a tee time deal and was able to play for less than $100, which made it even better. The course is a typical golden age course with small greens, minimal (but very well placed) bunkering and superb conditions.

The course has a bit of a out and back routing, so the first 6 holes were all downwind (I played in 25-30 mph winds all day) then 7, 8, 9, 11,12 & 13 were all dead into the wind.

One of my favorite holes was 6. It is really the first time you encounter a meandering creek, which runs through the property. The creek runs through just about every hole from 6-18 , except 14 and 15. For me, there is nothing better than playing golf in the mountains next to a crystal clear creek.

For $280-$300, the Cascades is definitely on the higher end of what I would pay for a round of golf, but it is 100% something worth experiencing once.

They want $175 to play the old course and $275 to play the Cascades (if you're not staying at the property; if you are it saves you $25). Both courses are nice, but nowhere near meriting those price points. Their greens fees are a joke--definitely not what the market is to play these rural courses. For reference, you can play the Highlands Golf Club at Fisher Mountain right now, which is just as well maintained, more challenging, and with better staff and scenery for $40. Omni's driving a venerable old institution into the ground, and its not all their fault, COVID's hurt us all. But their desperate solution is to price gouge? Bold strategy, let's see how it works out for em.