With such a large footprint, the park is surrounded by VSGA member clubs offering public play. At the northern end, Blue Ridge Shadows and Shenandoah Valley Golf Club offer convenient access. About halfway up Skyline Drive, you can exit at at U. S. 211 and head west toward Luray to reach Caverns Country Club. The course offers sweeping views of the Shenandoah River and a one-of-a-kind feature: an actual cavern opening in the first fairway.
NEW RIVER GORGE NATIONAL PARK
State: West Virginia Nearby courses: Glade Springs Resort, Bridge Haven Golf Club on the Gorge
Designated as a national park in December 2020, New River Gorge in southern West Virginia offers some of the best whitewater kayaking in the country. The park is also a rock climbers paradise, with more than 1,400 established routes, over 50 miles of hiking trails and excellent fishing( though one must have a West Virginia fishing license to drop a line).
Just outside the park, golfers will find two strong options. The Resort at Glade Springs is a frequent host of interstate competitions between the VSGA and West Virginia Golf Association and is home to three courses— the Stonehaven, the Cobb and the Woodhaven. The Tom Clark-designed Stonehaven course winds through dense forest, dramatic elevation changes and rock outcroppings. The Cobb course, designed by George Cobb, offers a more traditional experience with fast greens and strategic bunkering. The Woodhaven course delivers a serene, mountain golf experience.
Another option is Bridge Haven Golf Club on the Gorge, which opened in 1992 as a nine-hole layout before expanding to 18 holes just three years later. The combined Jekyll and Hyde nines provide a solid 18-hole, par-71 challenge. The signature hole is the 14th, a short par-3 over water to a wide but very narrow green.
Bridge Haven Golf Club on the Gorge.
Shell Landing Golf Club
Shenandoah Valley Golf Club
ACADIA NATIONAL PARK
State: Maine Nearby courses: Kebo Valley Club, Causeway Club, Grindstone Neck Golf Course
A breathtaking gem along the mid-Maine coast, Acadia is home to rugged mountains, ocean shoreline, woodlands, lakes and ponds. If you’ re looking to add golf to your trip, plan to visit between May and October, as most will close for the season once the weather turns cold. Kebo Valley borders Acadia and was established in 1888, making it the oldest course in Maine and one of the oldest in the nation. It was a favorite of President William Howard Taft, who famously carded a 27 on what was then known as the“ Elbow Hole”— now often referred to as the“ Taft Hole.” Its most formidable feature is a massive bunker fronting the green. In 1911, too stubborn to take his medicine and hit backwards out of the bunker, Taft needed 17 tries to elevate the ball and get it past the lip and out of danger.
Staying on Mount Desert Island, you’ ll find the Causeway Club, a scenic nine-hole layout near Southwest Harbor. For another nine-hole option, head north and then east along U. S. 1 to Winter Harbor, where Grindstone Neck Golf Course offers ocean views of Frenchman Bay or the harbor from every hole.
ZION AND BRYCE CANYON NATIONAL PARKS
State: Utah Nearby courses: Sky Mountain Golf Course, Copper Rock Golf Course, St. George Golf Club, Coral Canyon, The Ledges of St. George, Black Desert Resort
The Beehive State is home to five stunning national parks, with Zion and Bryce
PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE COURSES
32 V IRGINIA G OLFER | J U LY / A UGUST 2025 vsga. org