Location » Luray, Va.
Phone » 540-743-7111
Fees » Monday-Thursday $45; Friday-Sunday $55
Par/Yardage/Rating/Slope
72/6499/71.2/117
Conditions » 3
Layout » 5
Facilities » 3
Value » 4
* Out of a possible five golf balls
Description » Traditional, 35-year-old resort course with large greens, overlooks the Shenandoah River in the valley between the Massanutten and Blue Ridge mountain ranges. Though the course could use a spruce-up, there’s no arguing with the pastoral setting. This is one of the most scenic courses in Virginia.
Reasons to play » Uncrowded, relaxed atmosphere, jaw-dropping views, and an unforgettable mountain setting. Also within minutes of Luray Caverns and several inexpensive restaurants that serve genuine southern treats. This is the only 18-hole course in Page County. What a shame.
“Get in the hole” » The over-used phrase takes on a different meaning here as cavern entrances mark the course. Hit a ball into one and you are permitted a free drop, a local rule per agreement decades ago with the USGA. The course is built on a bluff above the Shenandoah River, which helped form Luray Caverns.
Old school » You’ll either be charmed or aggravated by Caverns’ traditional touches — just three tees, measurements in meters, and over-hanging trees that need a trim. In the fairway, yardage is poorly marked with the exception of the prominent bird houses, 150 yards out.
Venue change
No. 5, par 5, 527 yards
After four wooded holes, No. 5 is a roller-coaster ride into open farmland. Players can cut distance by going down the right side and bounding down a severely sloped fairway. Great view from the green and the tee on No. 6, which plays toward Hawksbill Mountain, the highest point in Shenandoah National Park (4,050 feet).
Twice as nice
No. 8, par 4, 380 yards
Don’t hit a worm-burner here. Hole plays straight toward a mountain. Watching your drive soar toward it is a thrill, so much so that designer Mal Purdy created a parallel hole with the same effect. At 385 yards, from an elevated tee, No. 17 is a virtual replay of No. 8. This is not a complaint.
A nasty turn
No. 11, par 4, 373 yards
After three wide-open holes, Nos. 6 through 8, Caverns turns tight and penal with three dogleg par 4s, all between 372 and 382 yards, where undulating fairways kick tee shots toward trees. Best strategy on each: Lay up to 150 yards, hit an 8-iron to the middle of the green and be thrilled with par.
Signature hole
No. 1, par 5, 509 yards
The first tee, just a chip shot from the charming, rustic clubhouse, offers a stunning view of the straightaway first hole, tree-lined all the way, with the Shenandoah River on the left and mountains in the distance. Downhill tee shot and uphill approach to the most attractive green site on the course. If that’s not enough to make this the signature hole, then a cavern entrance on the left edge of the fairway, marked by white rocks, clinches it.
