Red/White at Shenandoah Valley Golf Club

I played Shenandoah Valley GC for the first time in a few years today and was pleasantly surprised. I don’t remember the conditions of this course being as pristine as they were when I played. I had just finished a round at Blue Ridge Shadows and was very impressed that SVGC had noticeably higher quality conditions all around. The relatively soft greens were immaculate with little or no ball marks, scuffs, bare spots, or signs of heavy traffic. Putts rolled much smoother (though a bit slower) than they had for me during my earlier round. Bunkers were raked and looked great, fairways and even rough were even and lush.

My biggest complaint about SVGC is subjective and not something that can really be changed and that is the layout of the course. I like that there are 27 holes so that even when there’s a league playing (like there was when I was there) pace of play isn’t disrupted too much. But there isn’t much character or inspiration in the design or layout of the course. Certainly Blue Ridge Shadows and even Bowling Green next door offer a more interesting course design, whereas many of the holes at SVGC run together and don’t offer any particular challenge. This is a relatively short and flat course, with no water hazards that I can remember, no forced carries, and only a few blind shots. This is a very “see the fairway, hit the fairway/see the flag, hit the flag” kind of course.

The upside, of course, is that this is a great course for beginners. The greens are not overly sculpted, the fairways have few undulations in them, and the presence of just three sets of tees often in the same tee box means it’s easy to know where to go and how to play. Just watch out for that rough because there are some areas where it is really thick. I didn’t have a hard time finding my ball but on a few holes I had to hit out of the rough with a wedge to get back to the fairway.

The off-course amenities are pretty good though I haven’t tried the food there yet. A final word of caution for those who like to play in the rain: bring a covering for your clubs, the carts do not have rain hoods on the back.

Overall I enjoyed my third visit to SVGC, and would definitely recommend the course to some (but not all) golfers. The excellent playing conditions alone are worthy of a good GolfNow deal.

The course is very nice. My only issue was the 4+ inch rough with narrow fairways and no first cut. I lost 3 balls because my tee shots missed the fairway and I couldn’t find the ball in the rough.

Fairway and Greens not in great shape. Greens punched recently and no mention of that.
Like the layout (most holes tree lined) but some blind shots and not well marked

The course is in great shape and the price is very reasonable.

Very friendly staff, left my club covers and called back the following more. Pro shop was aware of the left behind covers and had them ready for me to pick up at lunch time. Will definitely be back

Nice local course. Hilly course, greens appeared small, yet speed was consistent. Staff was super nice, pace of play was solid despite the course hosting a group golf event. I’ll golf the course again - even though I STB this round. 🫢😄

Played blue to red. Both courses were in great shape considering the drought were going through. Greens were very nice.