Danville Golf Club - Danville, VA

[HardcoreLooper]

The 3 1/2 hour drive from Richmond, VA to my client in Thomasville, NC takes me through the sleepy town of Danville, VA on the banks of the mighty Dan River.  Running right by the railroad tracks and route 29 is the Danville Golf Club.  A quick check of their website showed me that this is an old Donald Ross course, dating back to 1916.  I was immediately obsessed.  So much so that I seriously considered getting a national non-resident membership (I visit that customer about twice a month).  Then I learned that it participates in the ClubCorp Play Away program, so I joined immediately.

This is everything I could have possibly wanted in an old-school Ross course in the South.  The movement of the land is absolutely incredible.  Half of the holes feature some sort of significant elevation change.  There are several ego-boosting downhill tee shots to make you feel good, but plenty of elevated approach shots that remind you of your golfing fallibility.  There are so many great holes on the course, it's tough to pick a favorite.  But it's hard to get past the par 3 third.  It's just a little short iron, but here's what you're looking at from the tee:

I apologize for not taking more pictures, but I was having so much fun that I forgot to take my phone out.  

The club has recently redone their greens with ultradwarf Bermuda, and they putted remarkably true.  I wanted them to be a little faster than they were, but I spent no time on the putting green getting used to them.  Several (but not all) of the greens featured those signature Ross run-off areas, and a few of those bit me. 

I'd be lying if I said the course was in absolutely perfect condition; there were a few weeds in the rough and a couple of fairways had a bare spot or two.  But this was still in much better shape than the places I normally get to play.  And this is the year of not caring about conditioning and just concentrating on having fun.  I spent 2 1/2 hours grinning like an idiot, even though the course beat me up and took my lunch money.  I can't wait to get back to my new golfing home away from home.

 

 

 

[golfertrb]

That's so cool. Looks like a really fun place to play. I used to live in Richmond and Lynchburg so I know right where Danville is - some really beautiful country there.


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[Bosox04]

I used to drive past that course before they built the bypass around Danville. That is quite a route from Richmond-Thomasville. I usually try to avoid the interstate, too. If you ever come down 85, Hillandale in Durham is kind of a fun course, and it has a nice pro shop, and the course at Duke is only about 10 minutes off the highway. I almost forgot, but there is another Ross course on Rt58 between South Hill and Danville. I can't remember the name, and I believe it may be closer to South Hill than Danville. We saw it when we were coming back from the Tidewater area. I mentioned it to the Pro at my course, and he said it was a good course.

Edited May 25, 2019 by Bosox04
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[HardcoreLooper]

I live about 20 minutes Southwest of downtown Richmond, so it's actually about the same amount of time for me as taking 95-85. I have clients in the Triangle as well, so I will need to check out Hillandale. 

We have family in South Hill, so if there's a Ross down there, I will need to check it out. 

There's also a 9 hole Ross course in High Point that I think I can play on Play Away. 

[Bosox04]

The course in High Point is part of High Point Country Club. It is an old Ross course, and is very short, and very hilly. HPCC has two courses, but not at the same site. The Ross course is in town at their Emerywood location. The other course is a bit out of town at Willow Creek. They used to host an LPGA tournament there, and it's a good course. The muny in Asheboro is a Ross course, but I think that is a 9 hole course. If you are in the Triangle, Raleigh Country Club is the last course Ross built. He died before it was done, and Ellis Maples finished it. It is now owned by McConnell Golf, and they did a great job of fixing it up. It is a very fun course, and if you can get on, you should.

[HardcoreLooper]

 

 

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14 hours ago, Bosox04 said:

 I almost forgot, but there is another Ross course on Rt58 between South Hill and Danville. I can't remember the name, and I believe it may be closer to South Hill than Danville. We saw it when we were coming back from the Tidewater area. I mentioned it to the Pro at my course, and he said it was a good course.

The course between South Hill and Danville, is that Kinderton, in Clarksville?  It sounds like it, and Kinderton is a Ross course.  My oldest daughter played a high school tournament there in the fall, and she liked it.  She wouldn't know Donald Ross from a Ross discount store, but she said it was a good course.  Looks pretty reasonably priced as well.