From a Golf Digest Top-100 private club to public Strantz and Fazio layouts — the ten Richmond-area courses that matter most, in the golfer's relocation order: the best first.
Private
Kinloch Golf Club
Manakin-Sabot, Goochland County
Richmond's highest-ranked course by a wide margin — a Golf Digest Top-100 layout (No. 79 nationally, 2025–26) on a remote, lake-dotted property. Co-hosted the 2024 U.S. Mid-Amateur with Independence.
- Designer
- Lester George & Marvin "Vinny" Giles III (2001)
- Rating / Slope
- 74.8 / 139 from the back tees (7,203 yds, par 72)
- How to play
- Member and guest play onlyFees not published — guests play by member invitation.
- Membership
- Not publicly disclosedUnpublished, like most private clubs.
- Nearby homes
- Kinloch community — median sale ~$1.18M (neighborhoods.com); Kinloch Market Report Q1 2026: $1.23M median (detached single-family); active listings up to ~$3M; HOA $366–$470/mo.As of October 2026. Verify live listings.
Course profile →
Private
Country Club of Virginia
Richmond / Henrico County — 54 holes
Founded 1908, 1,111 acres, three 18-hole courses across two clubhouses. Hosted the U.S. Amateur (1955, 1975) and, since 2016, the PGA Tour Champions Dominion Energy Charity Classic.
- Designers
- Westhampton — Donald Ross (1910, Lester George reno); James River — William Flynn (1928, Rees Jones & Lester George reno); Tuckahoe Creek — Joe Lee (1988)
- Rating / Slope
- James River: ~137 slope (7,010 yds); Tuckahoe Creek: 73.3 / 133 (6,933 yds); Westhampton: 111–125 slope range
- How to play
- Member and guest play onlyMembership by invitation.
- Membership
- Not publicly disclosedInvitation-only private club.
- Nearby homes
- Westhampton / Tuckahoe corridor — 23226 ZIP median listing $639,974 (realtor.com, through July 2026). Course-adjacent streets run higher — check live listings.As of October 2026.
Club background →
Public
Royal New Kent
Providence Forge, New Kent County
A Mike Strantz fever dream: Irish-links-inspired, blind shots, deep bunkers, massive undulating greens. Golf Digest's Best New Upscale Public Course of 1997; ranked 16th in Virginia, 2025–26.
- Designer
- Mike Strantz (1997)
- Rating / Slope
- 76.5 / 147 from the Invicta tees (7,336 yds, par 72)
- How to play
- Public — book a tee time directRack rate ~$119 per Golf Digest's listing; confirm at booking.
- Membership
- No membership requiredPublic daily fee.
- Nearby homes
- Providence Forge — median list price $589,750 (MLS, as of Aug 31, 2026). New construction nearby (Brickshire) from the upper $600s (Lifestyle Home Builders).As of October 2026.
Course profile →
Public
Independence Golf Club
Midlothian, Chesterfield County — 27 holes
Tom Fazio's only public Virginia design (renovated by Lester George), with a 9-hole short course, learning center, and a Jeffersonian-style clubhouse. Longtime host of the Virginia State Open.
- Designer
- Tom Fazio (2001); renovated by Lester George
- Rating / Slope
- 74.6 / 139 from the back tees (7,137 yds, par 72); plus a 9-hole par-3 short course
- How to play
- Public daily feeChampionship ~$139, short course ~$40 per Golf Digest's listing; confirm at booking.
- Membership
- Not publicly disclosedMembership programs exist; tiers and pricing unpublished.
- Nearby homes
- Founders Bridge (club sits on Founders Bridge Blvd) — median ~$870K (2026 market data); HOA $372/mo or $422–495/quarter.As of October 2026. Verify live listings.
Official site →
Private
The Federal Club
Glen Allen, Henrico County
An Arnold Palmer design routed through the Mountain Run residential community — big greens, bentgrass tee to green, and one of the state's longest tests from the tips.
- Designer
- Arnold Palmer & Ed Seay (2007)
- Rating / Slope
- 74.1 / 145 from the black tees (7,073 yds, par 72)
- How to play
- Private — member and guest playOperated as semi-private in past years; confirm current guest policy with the club.
- Membership
- Not publicly disclosedCall the club for current tiers and pricing.
- Nearby homes
- Mountain Run community — recent listings in the $1.5M–$2M range (neighborhoods.com, limited data); Glen Allen overall median listing ~$495K (May 2026).As of October 2026. Verify live listings.
Course profile →
Private
Hermitage Country Club
Manakin-Sabot, Goochland County — 36 holes
One of Virginia's oldest clubs (1900); its original Lakeside course hosted the 1949 PGA Championship — the only men's major ever played in the state. Two 18s on the current property.
- Designers
- Manakin — Ed Ault (1973, Keith Foster reno); Sabot — Ed Ault (1973, Arthur Hills reno, 2000)
- Rating / Slope
- Sabot: 74.2 / 138 (7,048 yds); Manakin: 73.1 / 133 (6,965 yds); both par 72
- How to play
- Member and guest play onlyFees not published.
- Membership
- Not publicly disclosedCall the club for current tiers and pricing.
- Nearby homes
- Manakin-Sabot 23103 — median listing $869,900 (realtor.com, through July 2026). Kinloch/Hermitage-adjacent acreage communities nearby.As of October 2026.
Club background →
Semi-private
Brickshire Golf Club
Providence Forge, New Kent County
Tom Clark's design with Curtis Strange as consultant — a "greatest hits" layout echoing holes from St. Andrews to Augusta. The par-5 18th was once named one of the Mid-Atlantic's best finishing holes.
- Designer
- Tom Clark, with Curtis Strange consulting (2001)
- Rating / Slope
- 75.6 / 144 from the black tees (7,291 yds, par 72)
- How to play
- Semi-private — public tee times availableRack ~$97 per Golf Digest's listing; confirm at booking.
- Membership
- Not publicly disclosedResidents get optional membership access; pricing unpublished.
- Nearby homes
- Brickshire community — new homes from the upper $600s (Lifestyle Home Builders); new-development median ~$547K (homes.com); established resales in the $200Ks–$300Ks.As of October 2026.
Course profile →
Public
Magnolia Green Golf Club
Moseley, Chesterfield County
Nicklaus Design and Tom Clark added a second nine and rebuilt the original Westham layout before the 2015 re-opening. Wide fairways, big scale — the value play of the group.
- Designer
- Nicklaus Design & Tom Clark (re-opened 2015)
- Rating / Slope
- Slope 147 from the tips (7,150 yds, par 72)
- How to play
- Public — book a tee time direct$63–$110 per booking aggregators; rates vary by day and window — confirm at booking.
- Membership
- No membership requiredPublic daily fee.
- Nearby homes
- Magnolia Green community — new builds from $379,950, avg ~$515K (newhomesource); builders include HHHunt Homes and Lifestyle Home Builders; Moseley typical home value $626K (Oct 2026).As of October 2026.
Official site →
Semi-private
Birkdale Golf Club
Chesterfield, Chesterfield County
Dan Maples' rolling 1990 design — a member-friendly club with a family atmosphere that also sells public tee times. One of the area's most affordable ways to play 18 regularly.
- Designer
- Dan Maples (1990)
- Rating / Slope
- 71.1 / 122 from the championship tees (6,544 yds, par 71)
- How to play
- Semi-private — public tee times available$49–$75 per aggregators (figures vary); confirm with the club.
- Membership
- Not publicly disclosedMemberships offered; pricing unpublished.
- Nearby homes
- Birkdale community — median sale $480K; current listings $490K–$565K; HOA $120–125/mo or $87–185/quarter (neighborhoods.com).As of October 2026.
Course profile →
Public
Providence Golf Club
Richmond (Chesterfield County), just south of the city
A Lester George public design close to downtown — 4.5 stars from Golf Digest in three separate ratings years. Straightforward, affordable, and an easy first round for newcomers.
- Designer
- Lester George
- Rating / Slope
- Slope 130 from the back tees (6,524 yds, par 71); blue tees 71.2 / 134
- How to play
- Public daily fee~$81 per Golf Digest's listing; confirm at booking.
- Membership
- No membership requiredPublic daily fee.
- Nearby homes
- South Richmond / Chesterfield 23236 — median listing $455,475 (realtor.com, through July 2026).As of October 2026.
Official site →
