Sunday was supposed to be a nice day and I was hoping to check out a new course! After a few text messages, a friend and I made last minute plans to play at Bryce Resort, which has been on my list of places to play in Virginia.

As the crow flies, the resort probably isn’t more than 50 miles from Charlottesville. However, there isn’t a great way to get there with two mountain ranges in the way. The drive took me almost two hours, but if you are traveling along the I-81 then it is only a half hour detour to get to the course.

Not long into our round, what stood out about Bryce Resort to my friend and I were all the perfect “little” things. The tee markers had a glossy finish, the golf carts had a fresh coat of Armor All and the cart bridges all were maintained. There were bird houses throughout the course and colorful flowers. It was clear that plenty of attention was given to the course’s appearance!

I played from the blue tees which are only 6,260 yards. The course plays as a par-71 with five par-3’s and four par-5’s. The rating and slope are 69.7 and 127 so Bryce Resort is easier than the traditional Mid-Atlantic course.

The course plays on the shorter side because it lies in a small valley – along with the clubhouse, ski lodge, and driving range. Even with all of the attractions located in such a small area, I never felt that the holes were too close to each other. The location of the course is solid, as the views are great!

Bryce Resort is an Ed Ault design and he is a name that I’ve become more familiar with recently. His courses don’t seem to be anything flashy and are geared towards the average golfer, which I like a lot. That’s the case here as you can take a swat with the driver on many holes and then go find it.

I expected a short, tight course similar to the Mountain Greens Course at Massanutten. Instead, the fairways here are generous and the course has an open feel to it. Trees pinch for a couple shots, but you can get away playing your own game for the most part. The 10th, 17th, and 18th are the narrowest holes on the course as they play through a group of trees.

I’m sure critics would say that the course is too easy, but I love a course where I can make some birdies. Actually, I didn’t make any birdies during my round, but I always thought that I could! The biggest challenge is going to be trying to putt the greens. Many of the greens slope from back to front so keep that in mind if you are in-between clubs.

Besides the greens, the other challenge might be a creek that meanders through the course. To me, it was one of the best features of the course. It was running at a good clip after heavy rain earlier in the week and it was peaceful to hear the water while hitting golf shots.

As you can probably tell I enjoyed the design. Well, I also enjoyed the conditioning. The course was in nice shape and drained well from last week’s rain. For the $30 green fee we got by using our VSGA cards it was a good deal. The fairways were a bit long, but nothing that running the mower couldn’t mix. The tees and fairways were full and the greens were smooth.

You won’t find Bryce Resort on any of the best in state listings and those who love golf course architecture probably will be disappointed with the course. The course has a linear design, without any real signature holes. I’m on the opposite side of things and consider Bryce Resort one of those “hidden gems”.

Course Pictures (click any picture to scroll through the gallery):