Williamsburg, VA: Weekend Golf Guide
Williamsburg occupies an unusual position among American golf destinations. The courses are strong enough to anchor a dedicated trip, but the surrounding area carries a depth of history and non-golf activity that most resort corridors cannot match. Colonial Williamsburg, the restored eighteenth-century capital, sits at the center of town. Jamestown and Yorktown bookend the Colonial Parkway within a twenty-minute drive. The golf exists alongside these attractions rather than in spite of them, which makes Williamsburg one of the more versatile weekend destinations on the East Coast for groups that include non-golfers or for players who want something beyond the course between rounds.
This itinerary assumes arrival on a Friday and departure on a Sunday, with three rounds and time in the historic district.
Day 1: Arrive and Play Golden Horseshoe Gold
The Golden Horseshoe Gold Course sits on the grounds of the Colonial Williamsburg Resort, a short walk from the historic district. Robert Trent Jones Sr. designed the layout in 1963, and it remains one of his most celebrated works. The course routes through ravines and dense hardwood forest, with dramatic elevation changes uncommon for the Virginia Tidewater. The par-3 sixteenth, a 169-yard shot across a pond to a shelf green backed by forest, is the most photographed hole in Virginia and has earned that status through genuine design quality rather than aesthetics alone.
Royal New Kent Golf Club
Kingsmill Resort
The Gold Course demands precision from tee to green. The fairways are generous by modern standards, but the green complexes are elevated, contoured, and defended by Jones's characteristic bunkering. Missing a green in the wrong spot creates recovery shots that test imagination and touch. The course walks well despite the terrain and feels more like a mountain layout than a coastal one.
Fly into Richmond (RIC, 55 minutes west) or Norfolk (ORF, 65 minutes east) and plan to reach the course by early afternoon. After the round, Colonial Williamsburg's lodging options place the evening within walking distance of the historic area's taverns.
Day 2: Kingsmill River Course and Colonial Williamsburg
Kingsmill Resort sits along the James River, approximately ten minutes from downtown. The River Course, designed by Pete Dye and originally opened in 1975, hosted the LPGA's Kingsmill Championship for more than two decades. Dye's routing follows the river bluffs, with the closing three holes running along the James in a finish that gains drama with each successive tee shot.
The River Course favors position over power. The par-3 seventeenth, played from an elevated tee to a green perched above the river, offers one of the more memorable one-shot holes in the state. Conditioning at Kingsmill is consistently strong, and the resort context ensures attentive pace management.
Dye's greens are relatively small, with false fronts and subtle breaks that reward players who study their approach angles.
Book a morning tee time and plan to finish by early afternoon. The balance of the day belongs to Colonial Williamsburg. An evening walking the historic district, with its candlelit taverns and period architecture, provides a contrast to the golf that few destinations can offer. Christiana Campbell's Tavern and the King's Arms Tavern both serve historically inspired menus in settings that are engaging without becoming approximations.
Day 3: Royal New Kent, Then Depart
Royal New Kent Golf Club lies thirty minutes west along Interstate 64. Mike Strantz designed the course in 1997, and it carries his signature boldness in every feature. The fairways are wide, but the visual intimidation off the tee is deliberate, with waste bunkers, ravines, and native areas framing the corridors in ways that demand commitment. Strantz designed courses that required the golfer to trust the architecture, and Royal New Kent rewards that trust consistently.
The par-4 eleventh, with a blind drive over a waste area to a fairway tilting toward a creek, exemplifies the Strantz philosophy: theatrical but fair.
The greens are among the most dramatic in the Mid-Atlantic, with severe contours that create pin positions ranging from accessible to punishing within a single putting surface.
An early tee time allows completion by midday, with a comfortable drive to Richmond or Norfolk for an afternoon departure.
Budget Overview
Williamsburg offers strong value for the quality of golf available, particularly compared to coastal Virginia and Carolinas destinations.
| Category | Estimated Range |
|---|---|
| Green fees (3 rounds) | $250–$450 |
| Lodging (2 nights) | $200–$450 |
| Rental car (3 days) | $80–$150 |
| Meals and incidentals | $150–$250 |
| Total | $680–$1,300 |
Colonial Williamsburg Resort packages that bundle lodging, Golden Horseshoe golf, and historic area admission represent genuine savings and are worth investigating.
When to Go
The Williamsburg golf season peaks in two windows: mid-April through early June and mid-September through early November. Spring brings azaleas, dogwoods, and temperatures in the 70s. Fall offers cooler air, foliage color, and reduced crowds at both courses and historic sites.
Summer is playable but hot and humid, with afternoon temperatures regularly exceeding 90 degrees from late June through August. Winter rounds are possible on mild days, though conditioning suffers and daylight is limited.
The verdict