We started on 10 at RNK, right after lunch with no time to loosen up again, and things were moving VERY quickly out of the gate. So until I play it again my memory of the back 9 will be permanently tainted.
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Yikes!!
That sounds fun!
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NY based Golfer here…I have not much going on for the long weekend and thinking about heading down to play Royal New Kent…worth it?
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Will defer to folks that have played in the past week or so, but I played it around a month ago and it was in solid shape and seemed to be approaching its prime season. If you’ve never played it and like GCA, it could be a cool little trip. Could make it a 36-hole day with either a replay or a round at Strantz’s other Virginia course, Stonehouse, but Stonehouse is in the middle of a greens transition (trying to move from bent to bermuda like RNK) so it’d be more of a comparative exercise than anything since the course has struggled with getting the change to stick. I still love the course and think it’s worth seeing. The front nine at RNK is one of the best stretches of golf I’ve played, and I’d definitely recommend it if you’re interested in Strantz.
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Belmont opened up
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@1NoVaPar and @mintbucket and I played RNK and Stonehouse last week. The Bermuda greens at Stonehouse were in decent shape but slow. With the heat this week, they will be better. The rest of the course was in really nice shape. The staff there was really great and were happy we were there to play.
I was not impressed with RNK. The tee boxes were as hard as asphalt and many of them had little grass. It has been very dry here so the fairways were especially hard. I didn’t think it was in very good shape overall. Lots of poa springing up in the fairways too. Greens will be fast as they had just top dressed them before we were there.
We did have a good lunch at the RNK clubhouse!
My 2 cents.
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Similar to what @Zeke said, I really enjoyed the layout at RNK but did get a little frustrated by some of the lies in the fairway. It was certainly a unique experience. Lots of opportunities to hit hero shots. And I’m a sucker for hero shots.
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The layout is great at RNK, front 9 better than back as you don’t see any houses, although the ones you see on tha back nine don’t come into play. Agree with @Zeke the fairways and tee boxes were in rough shape. Stonehouse is another Strantz course just 20 mins us East down the road which played easier than RNK, less bunkering but about equal in blind shots but less risk reward than RNK was in better shape as they were very actively watering everywhere.
If you have time I would wait til the fall unless we get some decent rain. The greens are where you are most challenged at RNK.
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Rnk is advertised as a links course for the record…i came in expecting links type golf and got that. That being said, this course is not meant to be lush, it’s designed to be firm and fast and play like a links course. If it was soft fairways and really green I’d have been disappointed in the course. I don’t think rnk has any plans to ever become soft and lush, it’s not the way stranz designed that place. I thought it was a super nice change of pace from most of the courses in the area.
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I get that, and I didn’t go in expecting a green course with plushy lies, but it had been pretty dry before we were there and I think there were areas that slid from “firm and fast” to sidewalk. It’s entirely possible it was playing just like it’s supposed to, but I’ll have to go there again with someone who knows more than me to find that out.
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To be sure its a pretty unique place and its really hard to compare it to anything else, especially in VA.
I really did enjoy the layout. I haven’t played a ton of unusual golf courses and it was definitely one of a kind and there aren’t a ton of courses you can say that about. I will 100% go back, if for no other reason than I want to hit the tee shots on 1 and 5 again.
Heading to Omni Homestead in Hot Springs for a weekend trip with the wife next month. Has anyone played either of the courses at the resort?
I’ve played both during a VSGA event. Both were a lot of fun, with the cascades being remarkably more difficult, certainly no flat lies anywhere to be found.
Yeah. I don’t remember either being particularly memorable. I may have liked the Old Course better.
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Yes, I have played both a few times.
Cascades is pretty tough, excellent conditioning
Old Course, really tight and pretty short too imo, def a really older style track and its cool running along the hotel and ish in town there as opposed to being set out away from the resort.
They used to have a pretty reasonable twilight rate we’d jump on being about 50 mins south of the resort
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Lol seeing as my home course has a higher slope and course rating than the Cascades course at this point I would probably play worse on a flatter course. The historic aspect of the Old Course just interests me a lot
Would love to play both but will only have time for 18 holes. If you only had to pick one, what would be your recommendation? I just looked and cascades actually has a lower slope and course rating than my home course (Stoneleigh). While I think it would be pretty cool to play on the old course because of its historic value my concern is just that for someone with a long drive that’s not always so accurate I may not hit a fairway LOL
IMO, play the cascades. The scenery and picture opps are unreal out there. Especially if you don’t live in/near mountains like that normally.
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