WILLIAMSBURG, Va. (Sports Network) -- The Kingsmill Resort and Spa is one of the Anheuser-Busch Companies in Williamsburg, part of the 2,900 protected acres along the James River. The resort features 63 holes of golf, tennis, a full-service spa and marina, numerous restaurants, indoor and outdoor pools and of course, Busch Gardens Europe and Water Country USA.
The signature venue at Kingsmill is, without a doubt, the River Course, designed by legendary architect Pete Dye in 1975.
One of the most innovative course designers, Dye has left his mark on many tracks around the world. In the United States alone, Whistling Straits in Wisconsin, the Pete Dye Golf Club in West Virginia, The Golf Club in Ohio, The Honors Course in Tennessee, the Stadium Course at the TPC at Sawgrass in Florida and the Ocean Course at Kiawah Island in South Carolina, are all ranked in the top 20 of America's Top-100 Modern Courses by Golfweek. And let's not forget Blackwolf Run, Harbour Town Golf Links, Long Cove, Crooked Stick, Bulle Rock and Oak Tree, all of which have hosted professional and amateur events.
In 2004, Dye returned almost 30 years later to supervise a multi-million-dollar facelift, as he recontoured the greens, reshaped fairways and rebuilt bunker complexes. The result was excellent.
The par-4 first hole is a perfect opening hole -- not too hard, not too easy, just the right kind of start to ease you into your round. Just 369 yards from the gold tees, the first features a two-tiered fairway with plenty of room to the left. Stay clear of the deep pot bunker in the right-center of the landing area, as to leave yourself with a short iron to a fairly large green. The putting surface is not too tricky, but a bunker short-left and one right must be avoided.
A wonderful par 5, the third is a tempting dogleg left where the big hitters can give it a go to get home in two. After a successful tee ball down the left side, the player is left with roughly 225 to the green. The difficulty here is that the green is elevated and a narrow target. Water looms left of the green, not to mention a long, trench-like bunker. The smart play is to lay up in the left fairway, thus leaving yourself with a little wedge to the putting surface. Nothing tricky on the green, so you should have a reasonable chance at birdie.
The hardest hole on the course, the fourth is a bear of a par 4, stretching 439 yards from the back tees. Doglegging to the left, the key is to play toward the right-center of the fairway, as the landing area falls hard to the left toward deep rough, sand and a creek that runs down the entire left side. A medium iron remains to a fairly long green, with a pair of very deep traps on the left side. Par is a wonderful score here.
One of the signature holes at the River Course, the fifth is a beautiful par 3 of 173 yards. A meandering creek and a 50-yard trap cover the entire right side through the green. Spectator mounding supports the left side and behind the green, along with a very deep trap. A back-right flag could be the toughest pin placement on the hole, which makes club selection so important.
The opening nine closes with the longest par 4 on the course, 467 whopping yards. The hole bends slightly to the left and requires a massive blast off the tee to have any shot at getting an iron on the ball. Sand left and right guards the landing area, but the difficulty arises by the green.
The elevated surface is protected by a series of well-defined traps right, one short and one left. Any shot offline to the right will be well below the green, making for a difficult up-and-down. The kidney-shaped green is one of the longest on the course at 44 paces, making two-putting a real chore.
The inward nine features four par 4 over 400 yards, and the home stretch at the River Course is outstanding. Start off with the par-5 15th, reachable in two and certainly a birdie chance. The hole snakes from the tee in an S-shape and requires a 200-yard shot to clear a ravine to the fairway.
A handful of bunkers protect the right landing area off the tee, so favor the left side, thus setting up the best look toward the green. At all costs, avoid the right side, as trees cover that side through the green, not to mention a deep ravine, short and right of the landing area. The green is very receptive and could be had with a good wedge play. Look for birdie, but accept par.
One of the finest holes in the Williamsburg area, the 16th is a rugged par 4 stretching 458 yards. Usually into the wind off the James River, a big tee ball down the left side will set up the best approach to the green. The fairway is quite wide, however any shot down the right, might drift off into a long fairway trap.
Your second shot, with a medium to long iron and with the river in the background, plays down to a large putting surface. Bunkers short, left and deep are well-defined and difficult to maneuver in. Mounding behind the hole makes this one of the most viewed spots on the course come tournament time.
The most recognizable hole at Kingsmill is the par-3 17th. Along the banks of the James River, this hole features the longest green on the course, some 50 yards in length and one of the widest. But don't let that fool you, as with the wind coming in from the left, this could play as one of the most difficult greens to hit. One pot bunker and one 30-yard trap guard the right side of the putting surface, while mounding left and deep frame the hole wonderfully. Three-putting is a common occurrence, making club selection quite key.
Slightly reminiscent of the TPC at Sawgrass' closing hole, the 18th is a sweeping dogleg left par 4. Water down the entire left side makes for an unnerving tee shot. A draw from the tee to a wide fairway should leave nothing more than a mid iron to another large green. The putting surface is protected left by two long trench-like traps and one deep trap, right-front. The green is two-tiered, with a back-left flag quite diabolical. An outstanding finishing hole.
Kingsmill has so much to offer that you'll never have to leave the property, but there is no doubt that the River Course is the crown jewel of the resort. Beautifully conditioned, well maintained, accommodating staff and one heckuva layout make the River a great destination.
Although not long by today's standards at 6,800 yards from the back tees, the River Course has all you can handle for a par of 71. The course is also for all players, not just the single-digit player, as tees begin from 4,800 yards. It's not a killer, but a course that will give and take shots from your score.
The Kingsmill property dates back to the early 1600s, where the first Englishman dropped anchor in the James River. Although they settled upstream in Jamestown, the Virginia Company of England granted 300 acres to Richard Kingsmill, a member of the organization. Col. Lewis Burwell III, a member of the Governor's Council, inherited the land from his grandfather and named it Kingsmill after the original owner. Burwell's Landing was an integral part of the American Revolution and can be seen from the 17th hole.
The River Course has held some lofty tournaments over the years. Anheuser-Busch brought the Anheuser-Busch Classic to Kingsmill for the first time in 1981, when John Mahaffey outdueled Andy North by two shots for the sixth of his 10 career PGA Tour wins.
Calvin Peete became the first player to win back-to-back at Kingsmill with his victories in 1982-83, while Ronnie Black set a new tournament record score of 267 when he titled in 1984. Fuzzy Zoeller won the last of his 10 PGA Tour titles in 1986, and Lanny Wadkins set a new tournament record in 1990 as he shot four rounds in the 60s for a total of 266 and a five-shot win over Larry Mize. David Duval captured back-to-back titles in 1997-98, while Notah Begay III won the second of his four career titles in 1999 and David Toms clipped Mike Weir in 2000.
The PGA Tour's era at Kingsmill ended in 2002, and the LPGA Tour arrived on the scene in 2003 with the Michelob Ultra Open at Kingsmill. Grace Park, Se Ri Pak, Cristie Kerr and Karrie Webb have titled here the first four years.
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