Williamsburg Lodge, Autograph Collection

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.

Love this golf course. The staff is awesome. Unfortunately the new greens have not taken with the weather. Real shame, it renders the golf course somewhat unfair and unplayable.

Give it some time.. The layout makes it a must play and trumps the deplorable green condition.

Played the day after 2" of rain. Course was very wet, but payable. Greens were just aerated, but still had nice pace to them. you could tell that the greens were nice, smooth and fast before aeration. I liked the layout, all the holes were framed nicely, and they had nice flow to them. Rough was long and tough. Staff was extremely helpful in getting be out when 2 people in my group couldn't play.

In drier conditions this would be an excellent course to play.

Green Course at Golden Horseshoe is a great value. The staff was very professional from bag drop, to check in, to the starter, to the finish with the staff cleaning your clubs while you finish 18.

There is a complete practice area with grass driving range, large practice putting green and small bunker practice area.

The course conditions were just short of excellent due to some invasive grass growing in many spots on every Bent grass green they have. It has been very wet and hot in the Williamsburg area lately so the Bermuda rough was long. The fairways were manicured and rolled out well. The bunkers were edged and the sand was a little thin but even throughout the course. The greens held approach shots due to being soft from the rain but they rolled true if you didn't have a clump of invasive "Goose Grass" in your line.

Pace of play was just over 4 hours for our foursome. They had a full tee sheet for the day so I was very happy with pace. There was a beverage cart out that was fully stocked.

I recommend this course if you are in the area and looking for an all around experience for your golf dollars.

This was my first time playing the course. I LOVED the course layout and the beauty of the golf holes. There are some really spectacular looking golf holes. However, the greens were terrible. Almost every single green had LOTS of bare dirt where the greens had been burned up by the sun. Several greens were being repaired (old, dead grass being removed and new sod being laid down).

The driving range is mats only which is kind of a bummer. The practice area is very nice with lots or areas to practice.

The course is really nice and VERY well maintained, all except the greens. The staff is super friendly and happy to have you there playing golf. If the greens were in half way, decent condition I would give the course five stars. However greens didn’t roll well due to being burned up and lots of bare dirt. I just think for the price, I expected more.

I would love to play the course again when the greens are in better condition. However, several of the holes are beautiful and specticular (#16 and #18).

Definately play the course. You will not regret it.

Had a great time at this course. Great layout. Greens have been aerated but not bad. In a few weeks they will be great. Staff was very helpful and friendly. A must course to play.

This course is challenging with amazing vistas and surprising elevations. Well worth the Golf Now greens fees. If in Williamsburg for a golf vacation, this is a must-play course.

Roughs will cause problems for you, they are very difficult to get out of. Greens were fair, rolled well.

Staff was very friendly and helpful. Overall, was a good experience and I’d recommend this course.

We played in wet conditions so the course played long. I do not like courses which have big differences in the distance from one 9 to the next. Par on both sides was 36 yet the distance from the white tees was 150 greater on back vs. front and about 250 yards longer for the silver and gold tees. I played white front and silver back to come closer to equalizing the distance between front and back 9's. The course for the women is quite long compared to other course in the area - especially the back 9.

The Green course at Golden Horseshoe offers public golfers an exceptional experience for a fraction of the cost of its more well-known sister, the Gold. With the same outstanding staff, course conditions, and practice facilities, the Green is a great choice for those who put a premium on value, just don’t expect to be wowed by the course itself.

Golden Horseshoe carries a level of prestige probably higher than any public course in Virginia. With that prestige comes a world-class experience from the time you arrive until you drive away. The best thing about the Green course is you get the same experience as you do spending upwards of $100 more for the Gold. You enjoy the same friendly and professional staff, premiere facilities and practice areas, and course conditions that are the best in Williamsburg.

Despite the persistent wet weather, the cart-path-only conditions were far better than you’d find anywhere else. Groomed bunkers with no standing water was the most surprising thing I saw all day (and that includes the 12 feet of backspin my 80-yard wedge shot produced). Some of the fairways were a bit soupy but I never encountered a single mudball. The greens rolled very true and were plenty quick if understandably soft.

What still makes playing the much more expensive Gold course an option is the rather mundane layout of the Green course. Yes, it’s a Rees Jones course and there certainly is care and craft put into the design but there also a level of repetitiveness that goes along with it. By the fifth hole you find yourself saying “Ok, I get it, it’s going to be pretty wide off the tee with mounds on one or both sides to kick my wayward tee shot towards the fairway, got it!” Of course, the benefits the “stadium-style” mounding offers is also its undoing. If your shot doesn’t kick back onto the fairway you’re often left with an awkward lie, and awkward stance, or both and the rough is pretty thick. And while the greens are decently quick, there’s very little tiering or undulation in them, making them seem a bit boring to me (but still a challenge to read properly).

The other aspect of the layout that caught me off guard were the tees/course ratings. I typically play from the second-to-farthest tees which almost always puts me on a tee with a course rating between 70 and 72. Those tees here (blue) had a rating of 73 despite measuring only 6700 yards. So I played up (white) with a course rating of 70.8 but with it playing just 6200 yards I found myself hitting a lot of wedges on second shots. One caveat to this: Even with good tee shots, I had no chance to make the green in two on any of the par-5s.

I am a value golfer at heart, so the $39 I paid for a weekday afternoon tee time at a course as prestigious as this is not something I consider lightly. It is an outstanding value for the conditions and experience alone. But premiere courses like GH are also about the course itself and I couldn’t help but find the Green lacking in that department. If you are on a budget, you won’t be displeased playing here at all. But I do think if I were to come back, it would be with a bit more cash to play the Gold. Only then will the Green’s value truly be know.