Golfers, if you’re looking for a challenging, well-maintained course that plays true, features five different tees at every hole, and provides excellent food and service in the clubhouse, make Colonial Heritage Golf Club your next outing. Some golfers compare the fairways to carpet, praising them because they’re consistent to play and offer championships conditions, general manager Rich Stanfield says. Yet, the course also poses difficulties with ravines and other forced carries that will help you improve your game. You’ll get the opportunity to see deer, turtles, and other wildlife and appreciate the scenery with streams and hills.
“Coming here is like visiting a private club that is open to the public without the private club pricing,” Stanfield says. You can play a round of golf, buy a player’s pass card with discounted rates, plan a tournament, or join as a golf member. All course fees include cart, golfing range and range balls.
“It’s a really good value for your money,” local golfer Nick Crowe says about the course, which is the only area course designed by Arthur Hills. “I’ve played every course in the Williamsburg area and I’ve been a member at half of them. The upkeep of the course is far superior.”
Playing a difficult course with consistency on the greens is important for Crowe, who barely missed qualifying for the U.S. Open and is trying again in May. “Because I play golf at a fairly high level, I’m looking for a course that’s going to present a challenge and will prepare me to play in tournaments elsewhere,” he says. “I know what a good golf course is.”
When Crowe putts the ball, he wants a green that’s fast and true and that’s what he gets at Colonial Heritage in Lightfoot. “It’s no fun if you’re playing well but
you’re not scoring well,” Crowe says. “There’s nothing worse than hitting a perfect putt that should go directly to the middle of the hole but because it hits a rotten patch of grass or a place where the green hasn’t been mowed correctly, it goes crooked. At Colonial Heritage, if I roll the ball on the line where it’s supposed to, the ball is going to go exactly where it’s supposed to go.”
If you’re not as confident or as skilled, no worries. Colonial Heritage offers five different tees at every hole so that novices and near pros such as Crowe all can all enjoy a good game. “Some people can not hit a ball that far so they’ll want to hit from a shorter tee box so they can enjoy the game but they don’t have to be a long hitter,” Stanfield says. “We have holes that can play as long as 544 yards up to as short as 115 yards. The hole that plays 544 yards can be shortened to 374 yards. Multiple tee boxes allow for any level of play to achieve success.”
If you’d rather, you can play nine holes for half the price. “We’re encouraging late afternoon play after work,” Stanfield says.
Still not confident? Then you might be a candidate for Colonial Heritage’s Player Development Program, offering monthly sessions with golf pro Josh Alsip. These group lessons give would be golfers who are too intimidated to play lessons in technique and golf etiquette, says Bonny Young, director of sales and marketing.
Whether you’re on the golf course, in the pro shop or eating in the clubhouse, you’ll appreciate the service.
If you haven’t been to Colonial Heritage in the last year, now is the time to go back. KemperSports took over management of the course and clubhouse and has upgraded quality, maintenance and service to rave reviews. “The staff is very good, very personable,” Crowe says. “If you make a request, they will do everything they can to fulfill it. The folks who man the phones, the wait staff, the events coordinator, they make sure they take care of you.
If you’re looking to dine out, The Magnolia Dining Room and Gallery Grill serve delicious food in a casual atmosphere, Stanfield says. Open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sundays, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays and Tuesdays and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday. On Friday nights in the restaurant and on the outside veranda overlooking the golf course, Colonial Heritage hosts jazz bands and other musical guests, sure, to entertain all ages. Monthly wine dinners on the third Thursday (reservations required) are becoming a favorite for many people, Young says. T he wine dinners are limited to just 30 to 35 guests, creating an intimate atmosphere and exquisite dining as the executive chef prepares each plate. In fact, the wine dinners are becoming so popular, Colonial Heritage may expand the wine dinners to twice a month in June.
So, plan to visit Colonial Heritage. The great golf, excellent service and fine food will ensure that your first visit will be the first of many.
Williamsburg Outside.com 