With a few more rounds at Schoolhouse Nine under my belt I thought it was about time to update my review! Plus, I wanted to get some fresh pictures posted because the old ones I had on the site were from a gloomy winter day.

As it stands now I’ve played probably a dozen rounds at Schoolhouse Nine. One of my friends had played here a bunch of times before I had ever even played one round, so he basically got me interested in this place! Before ever playing here I had driven by the course many times.

Since 2016 I’ve got hooked on Schoolhouse Nine for various reasons. It is a convenient spot to meet my friend, it has some good views and the design is a lot of fun!

Schoolhouse Nine is in Sperryville, which is a small town with probably less than 500 residents (think middle of nowhere). The town is out in the country, up against the Blue Ridge Mountains and in a very scenic area!

The course is actually the only course in Rappahannock county, although Caverns Country Club isn’t too far away. But, Caverns CC is in Page county. If you find yourself in Rappahannock County make sure to resist the temptation to speed on the back roads! I follow a car blog and one of the writers ended up in a local jail for speeding, so be careful!

As the name indicates, Schoolhouse Nine is a nine hole course. Apparently the course was built on just 20 acres, so there wasn’t much space for it! It is an executive course and plays to a par of 27, with all holes being par-3’s. I wouldn’t have minded seeing a couple par-4’s, but the space just isn’t there. For what little land there is, the designer made good use of it.

When trying to describe Schoolhouse, the words “fun” and “relaxed” come to mind! The course is associated with The Headmaster’s Pub, where we’ve eaten many times after our rounds. There is a neat porch that overlooks the putting green and 1st/9th holes.

What is a bit crazy is that you actually pay your green fee at the bar! The course is first come first serve so you just pay and go on out when you want. Usually we are never hurried and occasionally have had the course to ourselves. Normally it takes an hour max to get around Schoolhouse – and some speedy play is one of the things golf needs these days!

I’ve seen couples, families and even a group with a dog out playing at Schoolhouse. The course seems to encourage you to come out to play, no matter your level of ability or knowledge of the game. This would be a no pressure place to learn the game!

In addition to the funness (skip that word those of you who love grammar) of the course, the design is interesting to play! I believe the designer, Mike McCartin, did some work with Coore and Crenshaw, who are big names in the design business. There is some chatter in the golf industry that McCartin is one of the up and coming golf designers! I’ll be curious to see what other work he does in future years.

As mentioned, the course is only par-3’s. All in all, their distances vary quite a bit and I normally hit 6 irons to wedges off the tees. If you like the minimalist bag concept you could probably get away with a putter, pitching wedge, and two mid irons.

There is a nice variety of green sizes and the slopes in the greens will keep you busy! The greens have tiers, valleys, little depressions, spines and subtle slopes – so they are very clever. The 1st, 2nd, 6th and 7th greens are all a bit nasty too! Make sure not to knock it over the greens here or you’ll probably have to risk getting a good bounce in the rough for your chip.

The course is always in good shape. The greens are full and roll well, just on the slower side. The maintenance sticks with the minimalist theme as well because only the green complexes are irrigated. As you can imagine the tees are scruffy, just as they were designed.

For the price you really cannot beat a round here. The course has tried a few different pricing options and I purchased a 10 play card back in 2017. That was a good deal! Currently, there are some low-cost monthly plans on the course’s site which wouldn’t be a bad option.

I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend a stop at Schoolhouse and I always look forward to getting back here to play! If your group is looking to settle some bets after a morning at Cavern’s Country Club or Shenvalee Golf Resort, then this is the spot.

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