WILLIAMSBURG, Va. (May 20, 2014) – The Gold Course at Colonial Williamsburg’s Golden Horseshoe Golf Club continues to rank among the nation’s best places to play. The Robert Trent Jones Sr. design was again named to Golfweek’s list of Best in State Courses You Can Play (2014).
The Gold Course has been earning a variety of honors for decades. Showing its versatility through the years, the par 71 has been listed among Golf Digest’s list of “America’s 100 Greatest Public Courses” (2013-14), “America’s 200 Toughest Courses,” as well as among “America’s 50 Most Fun Public Courses.”
“It’s an honor to be included in such prestigious company on these rankings,” said Glen Byrnes, Director of Golf at the Golden Horseshoe. “There are so many great golf courses that have come along since 1963, but we are blessed with a championship challenge in a beautiful setting that every golfer can enjoy playing. The Gold Course certainly has withstood the test of time.”
Opened in 1963 and called by Jones his “finest design,” the Gold Course is one of the best examples of traditional golf course architecture in the world. It is the premier course at the Golden Horseshoe Golf Club, which offers 45 holes of championship golf. The Gold Course, the Green Course and the nine-hole Spotswood Course are designated as Audubon sanctuaries, situated just south of the Colonial Williamsburg Historic Area.
Renovated in 1998 by Jones’ son, golf architect Rees Jones, the Gold Course remains faithful to the original design. The project expanded the appeal of the course for higher-handicap players while simultaneously lengthening the course from the back tees to a maximum of 6,817 yards (144 slope).
The professional course record of 67, posted by Jack Nicklaus in an exhibition match in September of 1967, still stands today. Marvin “Vinny” Giles set the amateur course record, 68, prior to the 1998 renovation. The Gold Course has hosted numerous prestigious events, including:
• NCAA Division I Men’s Championship (2007)
• Virginia State Golf Association Senior Amateur Championship (2002)
• USGA Men’s State Team Championship (1999)
• USGA Women’s State Team Championship (1999)
• USGA Senior Women’s Amateur Championship (1998)
In addition to golf at Golden Horseshoe Golf Club, guests have a choice of more than 1,000 guest rooms among five distinctive hotel properties, from economy to luxury surrounding Colonial Williamsburg’s Revolutionary City. Purchase of Colonial Williamsburg resort services and products supports The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, the private, not-for-profit center for history and citizenship that preserves and operates the restored 18th-century Revolutionary capital of Virginia.
Williamsburg, Va., is located within an hour’s drive of Richmond or Norfolk, 150 miles south of Washington, D.C., just off Interstate 64.
More information about Colonial Williamsburg is available by accessing the website at www.colonialwilliamsburg.com/do/wellness-and-recreation/golf or by calling toll-free 1-800-HISTORY (447-8679).
The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation preserves, restores and operates Virginia’s 18th-century capital of Williamsburg as a 21st-century center for history and citizenship. Innovative and interactive experiences, such as the street theatre Revolutionary City® and the RevQuest: Save the Revolution!TM series of technology-assisted alternate reality games, highlight the relevance of the American Revolution to contemporary life and the importance of an informed, active citizenry. The Colonial Williamsburg experience includes more than 400 restored or reconstructed original buildings, renowned museums of decorative arts and folk art, extensive educational outreach programs for students and teachers, lodging, culinary options from historic taverns to casual or elegant dining, the Golden Horseshoe Golf Club featuring 45 holes designed by Robert Trent Jones and his son Rees Jones, a full-service spa and fitness center, pools, retail stores and gardens. Philanthropic support and revenue from admissions, products and hospitality operations sustain Colonial Williamsburg’s educational programs and preservation initiatives.
Contact:
Barbara Rust Brown, The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation
(757) 220-7280 or bbrown@cwf.org
or
Karen Moraghan, Hunter Public Relations
(908) 876-5100 or kmoraghan@hunter-pr.com
