Golf at Kiskiack Golf Club
For those seeking the country feeling the game once offered (minus the organic land mines, of course)-I’ve got a suggestion. Go to Kiskiack Golf Club. Kiskiack is located approximately fifteen minutes from Colonial Williamsburg and thirty-five minutes from Richmond, Virginia, but it’s centuries away from your typical house golf course.
You get the ‘country’ feeling right away, even exiting the interstate. You head north towards a hamlet called ‘Croaker,’ and all that surrounds you is farm fields. You just sense this place is different.
Kiskiack Golf Club boasts a John LaFoy design that plays to 6,775 yards from the championship tees and a par of 71. In addition to the beautiful parkland setting, it’s an incredibly playable golf course. There’s very little not to like about Kiskiack-it’s the way golf was in the old days when a ‘country club’ truly was in the country.
There are only three par fours over 400 yards, and none greater than 428 yards; three of the par fives are reachable in two; and many of the holes have no out of bounds to threaten your wayward shots. And, the course is very walk able.
But for those reading who’ve never played Kiskiack, don’t get the wrong impression-the course isn’t a cakewalk. It’s not just a flat muni in the middle of a farm quarter. There’s more than enough golf challenge and hole variety to keep you occupied, never fear.
All of the par threes are pretty long–the shortest from the back tees being number seventeen at 181 yards, but even that’s slightly uphill and often plays into the wind.
The others play at 200 yards or more-so you’ll be hitting long irons or fairway woods into all of the greens.
The course’s player friendly nature is demonstrated by the first hole. At a straightforward 528 yards with a wide fairway, you’ll have a good chance to make your first shot of the round a successful one. Avoid the fairway bunkers that frame the long-range landing area, and you’ve got a decent shot at going at the green in two.
There’s a trio of bunkers laying approximately 80 yards before the green, but clearing those allows for a reasonable run-up opportunity. A fairly easy par builds confidence for the round.
The balance of the outward nine winds in and out of parkland and open-space, where you’ll see the true character of the course unfold. There are some mild elevation changes, some generous tee box opportunities, some elevated greens and some incredible scenery. Water comes into play on the eighth and ninth holes-the left side for both the par five eighth and par four ninth.
The backside’s opening holes bring the largest body of water on the course into play. The tenth is a medium length slight dogleg right with wetlands on the right and the lake in back of the green. The eleventh is the club’s signature hole-a 200 yard par three calling for a full water carry to a three tiered green guarded by a sizeable set of bunkers in front and to the deep side right. Some holes look scary but aren’t; some holes look tame, but are deceptive; the eleventh looks scary, and is-no deception.
The round concludes with another great hole. The eleventh gets top billing for the signature hole, but the eighteenth has to be right behind it-mainly because of the view from the tee. The tee box is elevated, and your sight line includes a large pond in front, with landing areas to the right and across the pond.
A great way to end the round. A confidence builder for the first hole, and a round maker for the last. But that pretty much sums up the entire experience at Kiskiack. Make a trip out there when you need a break from modern day evolution.
Kiskiack Golf Club
8104 Club Drive
Williamsburg, VA 23188
Phone: (757) 566-2200
1-800-989-4728
Williamsburg Outside.com 