Williamsburg Lodge, Autograph Collection

Truly one of the most fun and interesting courses in Virginia, the Gold Course at Golden Horseshoe is a must-play if you're anywhere near Colonial Williamsburg. First of all, it's in one of the most historic parts of the United States, so if you can pair it with a stay at the Williamsburg Inn and a little sightseeing, you've got quite the complete vacation.

But the golf course stands out quite nicely on its own, thank you. This Robert Trent Jones Jr. layout, which opened for play in 1963, has been renovated twice by son Rees Jones (the first time in 1998 with Greg Muirhead), most recently in 2016. The results of the latest round of improvements are more fair greens and a golf course that's simply more playable, while losing none of its charm.

I went into this round having heard that the Gold Course had the best collection of par 3s in the state, and I wasn't disappointed. All of them are dramatic and quite challenging, punctuated by the 16th, which features an island green. The rest of the golf course doesn't lack character either, and I thought the par 5s were particularly intriguing, starting with the second, which plays down to a green fronted by a pond, setting up a compelling risk-reward situation if you hit a good tee shot.

And inside the clubhouse, the fun continues with a most friendly staff from Kemper Sports, well-stocked golf shop, grill overlooking the 18th hole and a golf museum as well. Inside you'll find historic photos of RTJ, legendary pros and presidents who have played the course over the years. There are also some familiar replica trophies (Ryder Cup and PGA Championship, for example) that were crafted by a local silversmith in Colonial Williamsburg.

Fantastic course. Excellent and well supplied pro shop. On course personnel were excellent. This hilly course and very greatgreens. Would not hesitate to return. Will highly recommend to friends.

Great course. Nice pro shop. On course personnel were excellent. This hilly course and very good greens. Would not hesitate to return. Will highly recommend to friends.

8 of us came down from Toronto area to play golf for a week. It was our favorite of the 7 courses we played but also twice the money on average. Everything about the Gold course is top notch from the bag drop to the restaurant afterwards. We realize it is earlier in the season but some of the courses we played were in better shape which was disappointing especially for the rather high green fees. We got a deal on GolfNow or we probably wouldn't have played here.....but we did and we were glad we did.

Such a beautiful course! I played back in January and it was ok. The course wasn’t in the best shape, but it was January. Having played the course before, I figured it would be very wet with a few solid nights of rain just prior to playing... I was very surprised how dry the course was. The greens were in awesome shape! Firm yet receptive, smooth and great speed. There were 1 or 2 greens with some minor rough patches but didn’t make the green unplayable at all. The layout is so much fun and every hole has a different challenge. All the par 3’s are beautiful and fun to play! 18 is a great finishing hole as well! Such a treat to play there!

Just too early in the season it seemed. Fairways were soggy, standing water in bunkers, but the greens were actually true and in shape. Just need a month or two to dry out. Layout seemed to be repetitive on the par 4s and the par 3 greens were tricky to read. I'd like to return in a summer month and give it another look. The staff here is top notch though! Professional, attentive and knowledgeable.

I'd love to see the course in about a month. Still too early in the season. Very, very wet. Greens were great, very fast. Bunkers were wet and hard as they have not been conditioned after the long winter season. One of the best course layouts I've played anywhere. Does have some long required carries in areas, but if you commit to playing the right tee box you'll be fine.

The layout is nice, the par 3s are excellent... but at this time of year (March) the fairways were basically mud; no grass at all.. anywhere. Would be much better in the later spring and summer.. but at this time not recommended. Also, my wife found the par 4s on the back way too long from the ladies gold tees, no other tees further forward, so it became a struggle for her.

Poor markings from hole to hole. Greens very small and poor condition!

This is a great course and I enjoy playing here! But, the wet winter months have made some fairways fairly poor. A few dry and warm days will bring out a little more green, per the name!

A few bunkers were almost hardpan, with very little sand.

Delightful to be on the course with no intrusions from the built-up world.

Even with the recent weather the conditions were quite acceptable. Nice layout with plenty of risk vs reward . Would definitely play again

*This is an updated review. For more thoughts on this course, see my full review from 7/23/18*

The Green Course at Golden Horseshoe is a course full of contrast. Its sister course, the Gold course is still recovering from a horrific 2018 weather season that didn’t allow the new greens to take hold. As such, you’re much better off spending less to play the Green course, but only in some regards.

The layout of the Green couldn’t be much more different than the Gold if it tried, and as I complained about in my initial review last year, the repetitiveness of the holes is perplexing for having such a big name (Rees Jones) behind the design. The stadium-style layout has its benefits for ease of play but seemingly renders each hole with the same feel and shape as the last. The shortness of the course (relative to the difficulty posted on the scorecard) is also a bit jarring and found the need for driver on MAYBE half the holes and I’m not a particularly long hitter.

The service at Golden Horseshoe is consistently excellent and makes you feel you are at a very premium course no matter which one you play. From the cart assistants and starter to the marshalls and pro shop staff, everyone greets you with a smile and helpful information. The on-course snack shop was even open during my round in mid-March a stunning but welcome surprise.

The conditions at the Green course are better than the Gold but not by much. The greens are still pretty bumpy from the last time they were punched and the dormant Bermuda fairways have a lot of other grass starting to creep in. Perhaps once the season is underway it will all flush out and not be an issue. The bunkers were groomed nicely and the rough is thankfully not as thick as it is in the summer.

Overall, this remains a very good value and great if service and facilities are your priority. For those looking for a killer layout, I’d recommend the Club at Viniterra or Colonial Heritage instead.

Course is in good shape considering all the rain we had in Va. Can’t wait to play again this spring when things are in full bloom. Friendly staff

Only negative was the soggy conditions but out of courses control. Greens in phenomenal shape for this time of the year. We had a blast! Can’t wait to come back when it’s warmer and drier

What a disappointment. Checking in I ask the pro Lester how are the conditions he says great. First green almost inputtable. Next green ok. Third green sod patches, dead spots, dirt. And so in and so on. I would reccomend not playing this course at least 8 weeks to see if they can save it for the season.

I was expecting to be blown away by this course, however, after only a few holes you could tell that it was not that special. Fairways dried out, greens were very bumpy, mind you due mostly from people that can't pick their feet up and can't bend over to fix ball marks. Great Rees Jones layout, just a little over priced for what you get. Other local courses are in much better shape for less money.

First time playing the Gold course at Golden Horseshoe. As soon as you arrive you feel you are at a very special place. Excellent staff, practice area all top notch. The layout and playability of this course is great for any golfer.

However they had a problem with their greens this year due to adverse weather conditions. Greens were certainly playable and putted well in the areas that were unaffected. This will be a 100% great condition course once the greens recover. Just be aware that this condition exists before you arrive so you are not disappointed in paying top dollar for spotty greens.

First time playing The Green Course at Golden Horseshoe. What a fabulous day! Course “feels tight” off the tee but in essence there is plenty of room out there. Nice Bent Grass greens rolled true and fast. The staff was super friendly and helpful. We got a great deal to play this course on Military Tee Times but we would have been satisfied even if we paid a little more.

This is a “must play course” on your list for Williamsburg golf.