I took Friday off and was supposed to head to Tennessee to meet up with a friend for some golf, but that trip had to be postponed. I kicked around a few other golf destinations before deciding to go to Central Kentucky.
I left Charlottesville early in the morning and stopped in West Virginia for Friday’s round. I looked at the website for The Greenbrier, but decided to pass on their astronomical green fees this time around. I then looked at Glade Spring’s website and they had a special for $77 here. That seemed like a good deal considering the normal green fee here is $130.
However, I found a deep discount on Golfnow for $28 and snagged that one instead! Many of the golf magazines rate the courses at Glade Springs among the top public courses in West Virginia, so I was excited to play one of the courses for the killer price I found!
A front was blowing through so it was chilly, the wind was up a bit, and it looked like a light rain might fall. Apparently, the weather ended up keeping everyone else off the course and there were not many cars in the parking lot when I got there.
Like many courses in the region, Stonehaven is heavily tree lined and had some very nice elevation changes. I opted for the blue tees at 72.6/140/6678 and thought it had a great mix of shorter layup holes, longer holes requiring an accurate drive, and some uphill and down shots. I didn’t find that the course had any really silly holes, as some mountain courses tend to have.
One of the most interesting features about the course are its green complexes. There is a nice variety here with some different shaped greens, various tiers and slopes that can be used to feed the ball towards a pin.
There are plenty of holes on Stonehaven that stand out! The par-3’s on the front are especially dramatic. The 2nd is a pretty, downhill par-3 that is framed by a hillside in the background and a charcoal-colored bunker short of the green.
The 6th, a 198 yard par-3, is the other intriguing short hole on the front nine. It plays uphill and is unique because of all the rock outcroppings that dot the landscape.
On the back nine the par-5’s were the best holes. The 10th is a solid risk/reward par-5 (498 yards) with trouble all down the left side. If you hit a good tee shot you are going to be forced to make a decision. You can go for the green and carry a hazard, play out to the right with a long club or lay the ball well back. Lots of options!
The 16th, a downhill par-5, is probably the signature hole on the course. The cart path has a massive set of switchbacks to get down to the tee box. If you stop at the top you’ll be treated to a great view! In a way the cart path reminded of Wente Vineyards in Northern California, just going downhill instead of uphill.
Stonehaven has received quite a bit of rain in recent weeks so it was cart path only. However, it was in fantastic shape! The greens were fast and rolled pure. The fairways were great to play from and I enjoyed the bent grass.
I enjoyed my round on Stonehaven and cannot wait to get back to play the other two courses. The course is tough, but I think it throws in enough easier shots to allow for a nice blend, especially considering the severe terrain. If you are passing through the area Stonehaven is certainly worth a look.
Course Pictures (click any picture to scroll through the gallery):