18-hole beauty carved out of rolling terrain
and located in the shadow of the inn. The
highly acclaimed resort course offers a variety
of tees to fit all ability levels and can be played
from 5,000 to 7,000 yards. Dye designed this
new tract with mostly open-front greens to
offer the option of flying shots at the flagsticks
or to bump and run onto the greens.
Charlottesville’s Downtown Mall is one
of the nation’s most beautiful pedestrian
shopping districts, boasting more than
120 shops and 30 restaurants and outdoor
cafes. Kids may enjoy visiting the Virginia
Discovery Museum, a hands-on facility to
encourage learning. Great live music can
be found at the Jefferson Theater, the Par-
amount, the Southern Café and the outdoor
Sprint Pavilion.
Popular Charlottesville breweries
Three Notch’d Brewing Company (434-
293-0610), South Street Brewery (434-
293-6550), Champion Brewing Company
(434-295-2739) and Starr Hill Brewery
(434-823-5671) aren’t just for the college
kids. In fact, six local breweries are a part
of the Brew Ridge Trail, which celebrates
the thriving craft-beer industry in Nelson
and Albemarle Counties.
NORTHERN VIRGINIA
The Norman Course at The Golf Club
at Lansdowne has undergone total bunker
renovations this spring, with completion
expected by May. The upgrades are designed
to reshape and rebuild the course’s bunkers
for more efficient drainage. The Norman
Course features a four-hole stretch described
as “the hardest mile in golf” since the total
distance of holes 6 through 9 equals one mile.
The 18-hole Jones Course winds through
woodlands and nature outcroppings of
rock, as well as historic rock walls. In addi-
tion to the two 18-hole courses, Lansdowne
also offers a nine-hole course designed by
32
V I R G I N I A G O L F E R | M AY / J U N E 2 0 1 7
Norman called “Sharkbite,” which is tai-
lored for all skill levels and family play.
Loudoun County is known for its thriving
community of wineries and local breweries.
Winery tours are offered from Lans-
downe, with bus trips leaving the resort
each Saturday at 11 a.m.
Hiking and biking trails are also a pop-
ular choice while staying at Lansdowne.
Take a run, hike or bike along the Potomac
Heritage Trail or the Loudoun Trail, where
you can take in views of the Potomac River
from high bluffs or cross a historic Civil War
battleground site.
vsga.org
ABOVE: Hole 4 of the
Birdwood Golf Course
at Boar’s Head Inn in
Charlottesville, Va., serves
up challenging obstacles.
LEFT: The Robert Trent
Jones Jr. Course at
Lansdowne Resort and
Spa in Leesburg, Va.,
features woodlands,
natural stone outcroppings
and historic rock walls.
RIGHT: Wintergreen
Resort in Wintergreen,
Va., is home to Virginia’s
highest-elevation golf
course and another in
historic Rockfish Valley.
Lansdowne Resort and Spa (703-729-4071),
located in Leesburg only 30 miles outside
Washington, D.C., offers 45 holes of champi-
onship golf and an upscale resort-golf expe-
rience. Managed by Troon Golf, this private
club in Northern Virginia offers stay-and-
play packages on courses designed by Greg
Norman and Robert Trent Jones, Jr.