Originally constructed at the end of the 1990s by Brian Ault and Thomas Clark, the River Course was completely remodeled by Pete Dye midway through the following decade when he moved around 40,000 cubic yards of earth whilst rebuilding all eighteen greens, reshaping many of the fairways and rerouting a couple of holes.
A new clubhouse, inaugurated in 2010, now overlooks the holes from a cliff top position high above the course, and now that most of the old trees have been removed from the property, golfers are afforded wonderful views out across the New River as its fast flowing waters skirt the course.
The signature hole is the 159-yard 7th, where the green is protected by sand to the front and right of the green. With the river and a railway line above the riverside in view from the tee, it’s one of the architect’s favourite holes – no surprise for a man who loves trains and rivers.
Toughest hole on the card is kept until last at the long par four 18th, which often plays a full stroke over par in competition. A tight fairway – bounded to the left by tall fescue-covered mounding and water to the right – leads to a narrow, slightly offset green that’s well protected by small pot bunkers.
One of the leading golf magazines compiles a Top 30 chart of leading campus courses in the country and the Pete Dye River Course of Virginia Tech, after entering the rankings at number 18 in 2010, jumped ten places to position 8 when the listing was updated two years later.
It has also been selected to host one of the state’s top events, the Virginia State Amateur, in 2016.
