Par/Yardage/Rating/Slope

Olde-Creek 71/6306/69.7/122

Creek-Miller 71/6539/70.4/119

Miller-Olde 72/6301/69.6/123

Description »  Historic, dated resort facility with three, distinct, playable 9-hole courses, each built in a different era. In the shadow of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Shenvalee is minutes from Interstate 81 and offers magnificent views and friendly, down-home service. Some rooms wrap around a swimming pool, others overlook the course.

Reason to play »  For a unique, small-town golf getaway at a reasonable price. This is a relaxed, golf-centric facility. Players in carts pull right up to their motel room patios to unload clubs. The layout may be rudimentary, but the mountain views and true greens make this course a worthwhile play.

Tale of three nines »  The Olde Course, the shortest nine at 3,034 yards and with the smallest greens, was built in 1927 with the help of horse-drawn wagons. The Creek Course, the longest nine at 3,272 yards and the most rugged and scenic of the trio, was built in 1964. The Miller Course, carved out of the valley in 1992 is open and largely devoid of trouble.

Signature hole

No. 6 (Creek) » Par 4 » 344 Yards

Shenvalee’s best stretch comes on No. 3 through No. 7 of the Creek Course. These holes are separated from the rest of the course on the lowest part of the property with a picturesque lake as the centerpiece. No. 6 wraps around the hazard, the fairway bending left to right. A narrow creek also runs up the left side of the fairway.

Toughest hole »  No. 9 (Creek), Par 4, 451 Yards

On a course full of short par 4s (six less than 350 yards) the finishing hole on the Creek is a rigorous dogleg left, lined with short trees and slightly uphill. With little room to cut the dogleg, most players will be left with a fairway wood approach to a generous green.

Best hole »  No. 3 (Creek), Par 5, 570 Yards

As if to correct the faults of the tiny Olde Course, two of the first three holes on the Creek are three-shot par 5s. No. 1 is a 548-yard double-dogleg that will temp long hitters to cut corners. No. 3 stretches out, long, wide, and inviting, the only par 5 at Shenvalee completely visible from the tee.

Rich history »  On this land, the cadet corps of Virginia Military Institute made their famed charge, turning the tide for Gen. John Breckenridge’s undermanned Confederate force in the Battle of New Market (1864). Sixty years later, construction began on the Olde Course, which opened to much fanfare as golf great Bobby Jones, struck the first shot on July 7, 1927.

Name »  Owner and New Market newspaper publisher John Miller gave the resort its distinctive name, combining Shenandoah, Virginia and Lee.

Package deals »  Shenvalee caters to golf groups, offering inexpensive packages that include breakfast and lodging. Resort has an elegant dining room along with a sports lounge with big screen TV.

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