The Atlantic state of Virginia, or the Commonwealth of Virginia to be precise, is synonymous with the Blue Ridge Mountains and immortalised by Laurel & Hardy in the Trail of the Lonesome Pine. A state with many nicknames: Old Dominion State – thanks to Charles II of England, Mother State – as it was the first state to be colonised, and sometimes the Mother of Presidents – because eight US presidents were born in Virginia.

Regardless of nicknames, the most important association for golfers in the Old Dominion State is the Virginia State Golf Association which has been serving the needs of Virginians since 1904. With nearly 330 golf clubs across the state, there is plenty of choice for locals and visiting golfers and there is history aplenty too.

The Virginian No.1 position is fiercely contested and usually results in a tussle between the modern layouts at the Kinloch Golf Club and The Olde Farm. However the Homestead is America’s premier mountain resort and Virginia’s equivalent to Scotland’s Gleneagles, so most intrepid golfers head to Hot Springs to sample Golden Age architecture in both turf and mortar.

Cutalong at Laka Anna opened at the start of 2021 within a new residential development close to Lake Anna. Tom Clark collaborated with journalist Ron Whitten to fashion an array of holes based on designs from Golden Age designers such as Colt, MacKenzie, Ross and Simpson.

Our Virginia Best In State Rankings were last updated in November 2020. Click the link to read the story.