Where to Play in Virginia Beach / Sandbridge area?

[RobYakes]

Headed to Virginia Beach, VA (technically just south in Sandbridge) for the Labor Day Weekend (Thurs-Mon.) and wanted to see what courses were worth a play in the area?

 

I'm a ClubCorp Travel member so I can pay cart fee only at Greenbrier Country Club, but wasn't sure if there were others that I should look at instead....any thoughts??? Thanks

 

Virginia Beach National

Heron Ridge

Hell's Point

Cypress Point CC

Red Wing Lake

Honey Bee

Cahoon Plantation

[9ccat9]

Vacationed in Sandbridge this summer and played Heron Ridge, VB National, and Hell's Point. The only one I would not recommend Hell's Point. Did not enjoy the layout seemed too tricked up in places.

[Adler]

I've heard Cahoon is a fun course, haven't heard much about the others. My dad and I are trying to get on Greenbriar one day, please post how it is!

[RobYakes]

I've heard Cahoon is a fun course, haven't heard much about the others. My dad and I are trying to get on Greenbriar one day, please post how it is!

 

Greenbrier was great. A fun Rees Jones track, only one gimmicky hole (#10). In great shape for late August/early September and the greens are pure. Good layout.

[Insidious2]

bump to this - doing VA Beach for Turkey day weekend. Want to make tee-times. What are the top 3 public courses in the area?

[cristphoto]

I like Riverfront which is on the Suffolk side at Hampton Roads. Also TPC Virginia Beach is good too but it may have been renamed.

 

Edit: TPC now called Virginia Beach National.

[Insidious2]

Booked for VB National, Cahoon, and Heron ridge

[Adler]

Booked for VB National, Cahoon, and Heron ridge

 

You might want to check that Cahoon reservation again... They shut down.

[jasonfish11]

Swap it out with signature at West neck and call it a day

[Insidious2]

Swap it out with signature at West neck and call it a day

 

Yep that's what I meant actually when I said cahoon haha

[8overpar]

Booked for VB National, Cahoon, West Neck, and Heron ridge

I lived in the the middle of all 3 of these for a couple of years. Only played West Neck once and don't remember much at all. Paint on the clubhouse was still wet when I went out there.

Not sure if VB National still has the "waste bunkers" or not, but good thing about those is you don't have to rake them.

Cahoon closed? That was a fun links track.

Bow Creek, Red Wing, Kempsville Greens and Honey Bee are good "value" (nothing fancy, but it's a golf course) tracks.

[Insidious2]

How is Battlefield?

[Adler]

My wedding is at the signature next September, can't wait to play that one. Looks fun, and the few times we've been there it looks like it's in good shape.

[jasonfish11]

How is Battlefield?

 

I haven't played it, but I heard it's the worst course in the area. Well 2nd worst, Cahoon is now the worst.

 

For more info and just an FYI, VB National is in the middle of redoing their bunkers. So some bunkers will have brand new super soft sand, some will be "washed out" and very thin. This is just their bunkering and not the waste areas. The waste areas are more "native areas" kind of like what was done at pinehurst.

 

 

If you want something more of a value, I love redwing lakes. The people that work there are nice, and the course is normally in decent shape for a muni. There are no houses on it unless you really block a shot on #9, and there are 1 or 2 interesting holes and the rest of them are just pretty standard holes you'd see at most golf courses.

 

I play VB national most of the time because it's 5 min to the 1st tee from my house, but when I venture out it's usually redwing. There is nothing "special" about that place, but I really like it for some dumb reason.

 

If you do go to redwing, don't blow a good round with your layup on #18. The FW slopes down towards the water and the water is about 90 yards out. When it's cold like this you get a little more run out, so I try to lay up to the 120 just to be safe. Even then I've had balls roll down right to the waters edge when I'm hitting a 8 or 9i to lay up 30 yards short of the water. I've never had the balls to go for the green in 2 because it's a blind shot. I've pulled 3w twice stood over the shot and backed off then laid up with a 9i because I couldn't get comfortable with my aim point.

[Insidious2]

Played VB national and as you mentioned the bunkers are bad. Several of them have already been redone and they're still bad, as in loaded with water...zero drainage. They also chose a very weird sand that when wet is essentially mud..not sand. I enjoyed the layout but those bunkers...what the hell.

[jasonfish11]

Played VB national and as you mentioned the bunkers are bad. Several of them have already been redone and they're still bad, as in loaded with water...zero drainage. They also chose a very weird sand that when wet is essentially mud..not sand. I enjoyed the layout but those bunkers...what the hell.

 

The biggest issue with the bunkers was how poorly they drained. Glad to see they are attempting to fix that by putting new sand in and nothing else. Lipstick on the pig.

[jasonfish11]

Played VB national and as you mentioned the bunkers are bad. Several of them have already been redone and they're still bad, as in loaded with water...zero drainage. They also chose a very weird sand that when wet is essentially mud..not sand. I enjoyed the layout but those bunkers...what the hell.

 

What other courses did you play, and what were your thoughts on them?

[Insidious2]

Played VB national and as you mentioned the bunkers are bad. Several of them have already been redone and they're still bad, as in loaded with water...zero drainage. They also chose a very weird sand that when wet is essentially mud..not sand. I enjoyed the layout but those bunkers...what the hell.

 

What other courses did you play, and what were your thoughts on them?

 

Had Westneck booked for Saturday but the weather ruined that. I've played there once 4-5 years ago and remember it being nice but nothing else, was looking forward to playing it again. Played Battlefield with family on Friday in the freezing temps. Played there as two in our group are newish golfers and that's a pretty friendly course for them (they booked it).

 

Sounds like Battlefield gets s*** on pretty steadily but I thoroughly enjoyed it. I think they did a good job with that they had to work with and I thought the conditions were actually very good. Looking forward to playing both Battlefield and VB Natl again in the spring/summer, as well as getting to Heron Ridge and back to Westneck.

[irsihmen453]

Does any one know why Cahoon shut down? I live 5 min away and while it wasn't my favorite it was a quick ride and I could play and be back home in under 4 hours.

 

Other than that I am a big fan of Red Wing. The bunkers at VB National do need work but I haven't played since the summer. West Neck and Riverfront are both usually in really nice shape.

 

Went up to Golden Horseshoe and out to Bay Creek back in October and both are great courses if youre ok with spending a little more.

[Oh Hi Carl]

Are any of these significantly less expensive than others? I'll be there this summer with some family members who enjoy playing golf but aren't serious enough to pay big $$$.

[jasonfish11]

Does any one know why Cahoon shut down? I live 5 min away and while it wasn't my favorite it was a quick ride and I could play and be back home in under 4 hours.

 

Other than that I am a big fan of Red Wing. The bunkers at VB National do need work but I haven't played since the summer. West Neck and Riverfront are both usually in really nice shape.

 

Went up to Golden Horseshoe and out to Bay Creek back in October and both are great courses if youre ok with spending a little more.

 

I heard the owner tried to rezone it for real estate 1.5 years ago and the city told him to shove off. Apparently since then he quite putting money into Cahoon.

 

VB National is about 50% done with their bunker renovation. It will be done by spring I've been told.

[jasonfish11]

Are any of these significantly less expensive than others? I'll be there this summer with some family members who enjoy playing golf but aren't serious enough to pay big $$$.

 

I assume the cheapest regulation golf course might be bow creek or kempsville? I haven't played either of them but they will probably still run $20-$30. To me it's worth the extra $25-$30 to play VB national, or the extra $10-20 extra to play redwing.

[irsihmen453]

Battlefield is also very cheap. Honey Bee isn’t too bad for your money either.

 

It was definitely evident that they stopped taking care of Cahoon. My biggest issue was every hole felt like it had the same layout.

[Prof3ssor]

Whenever I am in the area, I always make sure to take a trip over the bridge and head to Cape Charles to play Bay Creek. It's a bit far but well worth it.