VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. -- It was conceived three decades ago as a private club serving a modern housing development. But the demise of Glenwood Country Club has worked to the benefit of public players in the Virginia Beach area as Honey Bee Golf Club has thrived as a modestly priced, well conditioned muni.
Surrounded by busy streets and a bustling community, Honey Bee has some limitations imposed by its cramped quarters, playing to a par of 70 and only 6,075 yards from the back tees. Opened in 1988, the golf course -- like the surrounding development -- is starting to show some age. But Honey Bee has remained a popular choice for locals who prefer its friendly, neighborhood feel.
The golf course also appeals to discerning players drawn by Honey Bee's sophisticated design touches. Rees Jones, the famed "Open Doctor" who is known for his severe treatments of U.S. Open courses such as Torrey Pines and Bethpage Black, built Honey Bee G.C. His influence is especially evident in the course's elaborate bunker complexes.
Honey Bee is one of seven golf courses under the management of Hampton Roads Golf. With green fees that top out at $43, it's one of the best bargains in Tidewater-area golf.
-
Intricate bunker complexes, like this one at no. 14, give Honey Bee Golf Club its character. Kevin Dunleavy/GolfAdvisor
-
Honey Bee Golf Club introduces players at no. 1 with a tough tee shot over water to a busy fairway full of distraction. Kevin Dunleavy/GolfAdvisor
-
The first hole at Honey Bee Golf Club is a treacherous par 5 with a waterway all the way up the left side and decorative pampas bushes on both sides of the fairway. Kevin Dunleavy/GolfAdvisor
-
The second hole is the first of six par 3s at Honey Bee Golf Club in Virginia Beach. Kevin Dunleavy/GolfAdvisor
-
No. 4 at Honey Bee Golf Club is a 180-yard par 3 with water up the right side. Kevin Dunleavy/GolfAdvisor
-
Honey Bee Golf Club has an odd flow on the front nine with two straightaway and parallel par 4s (no. 6 and no. 9), both 374 yards, which transition players through a housing development. Kevin Dunleavy/GolfAdvisor
-
One of the prettiest holes at Honey Bee Golf Club is no. 8, a 180-yard par 3 over water. Kevin Dunleavy/GolfAdvisor
-
Creative bunker schemes help distinguish the six par 3s at Honey Bee Golf Club, all between 172 and 196 yards. Kevin Dunleavy/GolfAdvisor
-
Water runs up the left side of the 339-yard 12th hole at Honey Bee Golf Club. This pampas bush makes players think before they bail out to the right. Kevin Dunleavy/GolfAdvisor
-
The place not to be on no. 13, the best par 3 at Honey Bee Golf Club, is the steep-faced bunker to the right, as the green slopes away. Kevin Dunleavy/GolfAdvisor
-
Another of the steep-faced bunkers at Honey Bee Golf Club, this one at no. 14, a tight dogleg right. Kevin Dunleavy/GolfAdvisor
-
At 498 yards the par-5 finishing hole at Honey Bee Golf Club can be reached in two shots, but the approach requires a bold shot over water to a protected green. Kevin Dunleavy/GolfAdvisor
