Fredericksburg, Virginia. My interests there are threefold: the Fredericksburg Golf Courses; the Civil War Battlefields; and the Boyhood Home of George Washington.
So, when I received the invitation to visit the area, it was something of a no-brainer: I jumped at the chance. It was an extremely busy trip: I visited four golf courses, two battlefields and The Union Army of the Potomac Headquarters, George’s Boyhood Home; Gari Melcher’s Home and Studio; and several of the finest restaurants in the area. I was overwhelmed by the history and seemingly endless amenities of the tiny city on the Rappahannock River.
Golf in Fredericksburg:
To tee off on what once was a Civil War defensive line is something one doesn’t often experience. To tee off on a golf course in a region that has such a diversity of golf courses to choose from is something else again. Fredericksburg offers golfers both kinds of experiences – challenging golf and a rich history.
With year-round mild temperatures, more than a fair share of excellent golf courses, quality accommodations, and a whole host of amenities and activities, the Fredericksburg Region is quickly becoming a popular golf destination that can accommodate players of all levels of skill. Year-round golfing is not only a possibility, it’s a fact, and is enjoyable even throughout the winter with seasonal temperatures reaching average highs of 76° in spring, 86° in summer, 74° in fall, and 56° in winter.
Located just 48 miles south of Washington D.C. and 53 miles north of Richmond, The Fredericksburg Area is ideal for a golf getaway - personal or corporate. It’s easily accessible by plane, train, bus and automobile. Even on a Monday morning I found the drive from Washington National Airport to be an easy one-hour commute. True, my GPS system made the trip more palatable, taking me directly from the airport, along the Beltway, to I-95 - a journey I'm not sure I could have made without it. From there it was a straight run into Fredericksburg.
There are four public access golf courses (and several private clubs) in the Fredericksburg area:
Cannon Ridge Golf Club:
The 18-hole "Beman Course" at the Cannon Ridge Golf Club is a 7,010-yard layout designed by Deane Beman & Bobby Weed. With a course rating of 75.8, a slope rating of 147 on bent grass, it plays a tough par 71. Beman an Co., have taken one of the most scenically beautiful stretches of the Fredericksburg area and turned it into a masterpiece of a golf course.
The Gauntlet Golf Club:
The "Gauntlet," an 18-hole championship layout designed by P.B. Dye, plays 6,857 yards from the longest tees for a par of 72. The course rating is 73.2 and the slope rating is 137. The course features zoysia fairways and bent grass greens. The setting is the lake of Curtis Memorial Park, much of which is in play. The Gauntlet was listed as one of Golf Digest's "Top 10 New Course to Play in the US" and Washington Golf Monthly's "100 Best Courses to Play in the Mid-Atlantic."
Lee’s Hill Golf Club:
Lee’s Hill Golf Club enjoys a history rarely found on a golf course. Situated in the Massaponax creek basin where Confederate General Robert E. Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia camped for the winter of 1862 following the Battle of Fredericksburg, the layout, designed by Bill Love, measures 6,834 yards from the back tees for a par of 72. Much of the Confederate defensive line – the trenches and gun emplacements – is can still be seen and identified by the historic markers scattered around the course.
Meadows Farms Golf Course:
The course at Meadows Farms is often described as “gimmicky.” I have to tell you that I didn’t find it that way at all. In fact, I loved Meadows Farms. Aside from its three nine hole courses that can be played in three eighteen-hole combinations, it also has a par 4 warm-up hole – talk about Mulligans. And there’s more: The Guinness Book of World Records certifies Meadows Farms’ 841-yard, par 6, as the longest hole in the U.S. The fairways are generous, the greens are large, and the bunkers are, well… interesting, to say the least. The Waterfall Hole must be one of the most beautiful par 3s anywhere (see the image at top right).
Things To Do – Places to Stay – Where to Eat:
I found the Fredericksburg area to be a classic blend of old-world small town charm and modern living at its best.
Conveniently located on I-95 between Washington, D.C. and Richmond, Fredericksburg is set among the rolling hills and greenway of eastern Virginia.
History provides most of the region’s claim to fame: four major Civil War battlefields, a number of George Washington-related historic sites, the charming Old Town of Frederisksburg itself, along with wineries, the Gari Melcher Home and Studios at Belmont, Lake Anna, the mighty Rappahannock River and more than 7,000 acres of national parks.
Dining:
For such a small city, it offers an experience I wouldn’t have missed. I have never seen as many chef-owned restaurants, art galleries and studios, and antique and specialty shops in one small area as there are in a six-block section of downtown Fredericksburg – incredible.
