WILLIAMSBURG, VA. – Golden Horseshoe Golf Club already was home to two popular, full-sized courses. The Gold Course, designed by Robert Trent Jones Sr., is ranked by Golfweek’s Best as the No. 3 public-access course in the highly competitive state of Virginia. The Green Course, designed by Rees Jones, ranks No. 13 on that state list.
Why did the club, part of the popular Colonial Williamsburg experience, need more golf? It was all about offering something new, brisk and – of course – enjoyable to a wide range of players.
“You know, the trend in golf is that if you’ve got great 18-hole golf courses, you can add a new par-3 course,” Golden Horseshoe head golf professional Jeff Winters said. “And we thought it’d be important to be a part of that trend. I can’t tell you how thrilled we are to have this.”
He’s speaking of The Shoe, Golden Horseshoe’s new nine-hole, par-3 course designed by Rees Jones that opened in July. Built through sections of corridors from a previous layout that had laid dormant for years, The Shoe is 760 total yards of good times packed into about an hour of playing time. Holes range from 43 yards up to 137, draped through a mildly hilly landscape alongside the club’s Gold Course.
“People are having the best time,” Winters said, standing on the ninth tee watching a father guide his two young sons toward the final green. “They’re raving about the conditions, and it’s only going to get better as it continues to grow in.”
Golfweek hosted a group of its course raters at Golden Horseshoe in August, starting at The Shoe before tackling the main 18s over the next two days. Several raters broke free to play a quick skins game on The Shoe the second day, and nine holes weren’t enough – they (or to be more precise, we) started making up their (our) own holes in an impromptu game of cross-country golf to settle things.
That’s the point of par-3 courses and other short and non-traditional layouts that have been introduced at so many destinations in recent years. Anything goes, so long as you’re smiling.
“Hey, with my game at this point, I’m thrilled to come out and have to hit nothing but wedges, 9-irons and putters,” Winters said with a laugh. “It’s a lot of fun. It’s so playable. And you know, the best part is I can come out here with a friend and play this in under an hour and be done. It’s just a lot of fun.”
