Ford Colony - My Best Golf Deal Yet in Williamsburg

It was on Monday October 22, 2012 and day 2 of our fall trip that I enjoyed my best Williamsburg golf deal yet. We were at the Ford Colony Country Club home to three beautiful 18-hole courses: Marsh Hawk, Black Heath, and the one we played that day - Blue Heron.

We were staying at the Colonies of Williamsburg Timeshare complex and the golf club was a very short 3 miles (5 km) away; a drive time of about 8 minutes!

On my first trip to Williamsburg in October 2008 I played each of the courses as part of a timeshare deal at the Williamsburg Plantation. We paid $60 for the first round and $40 for the other two. On my second trip in April 2009 we played the Blue Heron course paying the $60 charge but opted not to play any of the other courses due to generally poor conditions.

I played two of the courses again in the spring of 2010 on the timeshare deal. In April of 2011 we played the Black Heath course on a Big Hit Ticket deal through VirginiaGolf.com. The cost was $32.50 per person (booked as a foursome) which included a cart, range balls and one sleeve of balls for the foursome. This was a pretty sweet deal considering the course made a mistake and gave each of us a sleeve of balls but we were still not impressed with the shape of the courses. So yes, it was a pretty inexpensive round, but the course was pretty brown which made for a less than enjoyable game.

First Tee on the Black Heath Course at Ford Colony - April 2011

So on my last trip in October 2012 I was a little nervous about playing there but pleasantly surprised to find that Ford Colony was on GolfNow and offering some decent prices. With a favorable 7 day weather forecast I took a look at availabilities and decided to give them another chance. I came across a tee time for the following Monday at 11:44 am; at $25 + tax it was just too good a deal to pass up!

We drove to Williamsburg on Saturday and played our first round at the Williamsburg National on Sunday October 21st. On the way back to the timeshare we dropped in to have a look at the Ford Colony courses to get an idea what kind of shape they were in. Boy was I pleasantly surprised at what we saw.

Black Heath Course at Ford Colony - October 2012

The courses looked to be in just fantastic shape - the photos looking down the first tee of the Black Heath are the best way to illustrate the difference between visits. I was able to sleep better Sunday night knowing we were in for a good time on Monday.

Ford Colony Club House

The Ford Colony complex is an award winning master planned community consisting of the three championship golf courses, a country club & dining room, surrounded by neighborhoods and parkland. As you play the courses you can't help but experience the beauty of homes, wetlands and forest areas integrated into the local community. I have always enjoyed the course layouts and you never know what you will see when playing.
  

Birds and Other Wildlife Abound

We did not know which course we were going to play when we pulled up to the bag drop-off area. The staff were great in helping us get the clubs out of the van and onto a cart; my buddy headed into the pro shop to take care of the paperwork while I parked. On this day it was the Blue Heron course and after 20 minutes on the putting greens we headed off to the first tee. The course was not overly busy at the time and we were able to tee off as a twosome. This was a bit of a bonus as my buddy is a novice golfer and a little self-conscious playing with people he doesn't know. I like playing without waiting on every shot and the group in front was a hole ahead when we started so we were both pretty happy.

Blue Heron Scorecard

[Note there is an error on the scorecard - the pars are reversed for the 8th and 9th holes].

On previous visits I used the gold tees and generally my scores were in the low to mid-90s. I can also say that in 2011 and 2012 my handicap has declined as a direct consequence of playing more regularly. We chose to use the silver tees at 5,695 yards and a slope of 120 making it a tough challenge for my buddy and something a lot easier for me; or so I thought.

First Hole Layout

The overhead for the first hole illustrates how the community is integrated with the courses. The Marriott timeshare units are on the right side of the fairway (facing out from the tees) with trees on the left leading to a sharp dogleg to a green that is surrounded by more trees. Of course playing off the silver tees did me absolutely no good on this hole as my drive went through the dogleg and left me a partially obstructed second shot. You only need a drive of between 185 to 210 yards from the silver tees to find the ideal position or hit a longer drive with a fade around the corner; unfortunately my attempted fade came out dead straight. Lesson learned that this course requires course management to score.

Overhead of the 4th Hole

There are quite a variety of holes on the course. The par 5 fourth hole while relatively straight away does have a small bend to the right near the green. Teeing off over water puts the pressure on not to mis-hit the drive. The large water hazard down the right side provides a significant obstacle as do the trees down the left side underscoring just how narrow the fairway gets the further down you go.

Looking Down the 4th Hole Fairway

The view looking down the 4th hole fairway is visually deceiving - the bunker can be seen on the right but the only indication of water is the fountain spray behind.

4th Hole Green

 The green is no easy target as anything to the right will bring a very large trap into play. The green is not overly large and any errant shots, left, right, or long could find the trees that surround the green.

Fifth Hole

 The natural beauty of the course can once again be seen from this shot of the par 4 fifth hole with water on the right side and lots of surrounding trees. To add a little more complexity the green is uphill from the fairway.

Sixth Hole

More water again; this time on the par 3 sixth hole. Similar to other holes on the course the water really shouldn't come into play but it still proves intimidating for those less experienced golfers or for those having a bad round.

Eighth Hole

The next par 3 is the eighth hole utilizing a more straight forward layout - larger green with traps on the right and left sides of the green. The green does slope right and a bump and run approach can be used for a pin placement tucked in behind the front right trap. 

Tenth Tee

Tenth Green

Local Residence

The tenth hole is a nice break as it looks and feels less intimidating with some color in the trees and scrubs along the fairway. Yes there are trees and three bunkers to maneuverer around but the tee shot opens up as you come through the chute area. I find the view appears more open as a result.

Eleventh Green

The eleventh hole is a par 4 and requires a drive that is reasonable straight and ideally center to left side of the fairway (looking out from the tees). The green is rectangular in shape with water bordering the right hand side.

Twelfth Tee

The par 5 twelfth hole is a dogleg left with a little of everything including heavy vegetation off the tees, water (out of view on the right) and a couple of fairway bunkers straight out on the right side. The hole is played uphill with another fairway bunker to get past on the left side and a couple of traps around the smallish green.

Thirteenth Hole

There is nothing lucky about the par 4 thirteenth hole; the 2nd hardest ranked hole on the course. This is another dogleg left hole with multiple hazards: a fairway bunker straight out, water on the left and water on the right. It plays downhill with the green tucked in the bottom left corner behind the water.

Thirteenth Green

 The angle for the approach shot from the fairway favors the right side but remember the water and trap are strategically located on that side.

Fourteenth Hole

The par 3 fourteenth hole looks innocent enough. The water on the left side is hidden from view and will come into play on any mis-hits off the tee. The green-side bunkers are large and will find balls that are hit short or too long.

Fifteenth Hole

The fifteenth hole is a par 4 that starts from a narrow chute with water on the right. The fairway opens quickly and as long as you are not too far right the green is readably accessible.

Sixteenth Hole Fairway Views

The sixteenth hole is a par 5 with a sharp dogleg right near the green. There is, like many of the holes, water in front of the tees that really shouldn't come into play. There is a fairway bunker on the right side before the sharp turn right; the green is relatively open with one small trap guarding the front. Course management is again the key to scoring well on this hole.

Overhead View of the Seventeenth Hole

Seventeenth Hole - Views from the Tee

The seventeenth hole is a nice little par 3 that tests your fear of water - there is a lot of it on the left side and it finishes in front of the green. A sloping green and a couple of traps make this a decent challenge worthy of the view.

Eighteenth Hole

The par 4 eighteenth hole is a dogleg left that is uncharacteristically free of water hazards. It has a  tight tree-lined fairway of medium width before the sharp turn to a green protected by a couple of traps. Once again ball placement is critical to leave a shot to the green.

I shot 84 which was the lowest I have shot on any of the courses at Ford Colony (up until then) while my buddy was well over 100 and then some. We both agreed the course was in the best condition of any course we had played in 2012 and the cost was extremely reasonable. For me it is all about value. Clearly this was one of the most inexpensive rounds I have ever played in Williamsburg while the other factors I judge to be important, location, course conditions, easy of play, and layout, were all outstanding. On that basis I have judged this to be my best golf deal yet in Williamsburg.

Now for the bad news. It appears that Ford Colony is not part of GolfNow in 2013 so the cost to play in the fall could potentially be much higher. Would I pay the non-resident rack rate of $89 - probably not; there are other area courses that offer better value on a full cost basis. Ford Colony offers Virginian residents a rate of $55 and military/first responders a rate of $39. I have no problem with the support for the latter but I am dead-set against any course charging visitors a higher cost than residents and typically will not play these courses on principal if I can't get a similar price.

Would I consider doing the timeshare deal again at $60/40/40? Yes if the courses are in the same condition this fall. That said, I am looking forward to trying some of the courses that have joined GolfNow in 2013 - you never know when another great deal will come along like the Blue Heron course at Ford Colony did in 2012.

     

A Bargain - Playing The Williamsburg National Yorktown Course

Seven trips to Williamsburg and I can truthfully say that on the most recent one, October 20th to 27th 2012, we landed some of the best golf deals yet.  Keep in mind my criteria is highly subjective and is based on factors that are most important to me: cost to play, course layout, travel time to the course, course conditions, tee time and ease/pace of play.

To start with we were staying at the Colonies of Williamsburg a timeshare located at 5380 Olde Towne Road Williamsburg, VA 23188 - north and a little east of the Williamsburg city core.

 

 
The Colonies is a fairly new development and units are still being built. It is in an ideal location close to area golf courses and the restaurant strip off Richmond Road. The Colonies is managed by the same company as the Williamsburg Plantation.

The Plantation is designated as a golfing resort in the Interval International resort directory where as the Colonies is not - nevertheless the Colonies has exactly the same golf deals available.

I like the Plantation and their big whirlpool tubs and I like the modern styling of the Colonies. The deciding factor for choosing the Colonies is access to the free Wi-fi; it is usually fast, reliable and available throughout the complex.

Our check-in date was Saturday October 20th and from experience from previous trips, it makes sense to book a Sunday tee-time before arriving whenever possible.


I typically monitor the 10-day weather forecast as we get closer to our departure date. On this particular trip the forecast was for clear weather on either side of Sunday and therefore I felt very confident booking our first round a week before leaving home in Mississauga Ontario.

I used an internet based service called GolfNow to book a 12:50 pm tee time at the Williamsburg National Yorktown; our cost was $35 plus 5% tax of $1.75. I routinely use GolfNow for bookings so I am comfortable with the service. GolfNow normally charges a booking fee which would have been $3.98 on this reservation. I was exempt from paying the fee by virtue of reaching a minimum level of booking activity in 2012; that exemption happens to extend through to the end of 2013 - a nice incentive to continue to use the service. You can appreciate one of the reasons I value internet access so highly on these trips is for booking discounted golf through GolfNow. 

The Yorktown along with its sister course The Jamestown, are part of the Williamsburg National Golf Club. It is a Tom Clark designed course, was in reasonable good condition when we played it, and is close to where we were staying; about 6 miles (10 km) and a 10 minute drive away from the Colonies. The price was very attractive for a Sunday tee time and a bargain versus the posted rack rate of $79.

Score Card for the Yorktown Course

GolfNow will typically offer a single tee time for each of the Williamsburg National courses at a deeply discounted price at his time of year. In the event we can't get one of those times there is a fall-back position. Timeshare visitors in Williamsburg are eligible for a special offer at the course. The deal is $60 (plus tax) for the first round and $40 (plus tax) for all subsequent rounds which includes a cart and is applicable to both courses. That is still a nice discount versus the rack rate, allows for bookings up to two weeks in advance of playing, has no restrictions as to when you can play,and the more you play the cheaper the average cost. If you are on your own you can book as a single and the course will pair you so you still get the deal.

I have also used Virginia Golf.com to purchase rounds at the National through their feature Big Hit Ticket promotion. Before heading down I always check to see what might be available. They currently have an offer at the National that is a little cheaper than the timeshare deal and as a bonus includes a bucket of range balls. It is perfect for groups of two or four golfers. You can book your tee time two weeks in advance and your rate is very reasonable, particularly if your preference is to play a single round at the National and try your luck at other area courses for the rest of your stay.

Virginia Golf.com - The Big Hit Ticket

I have golfed at both the Yorktown and Jamestown courses before and at this time of year the courses are not busy in the afternoon. After warming up on the putting green for about 20 minutes we headed over to the first tee and went off early at 12:30 pm.

Practice Green

There was one group ahead of us and they remained a hole ahead through the front nine. We moved along at a steady pace all afternoon until we hit the 12th hole. At that point we had caught up to the morning crowd and had to wait to play every shot until we finished. That I was not happy about! Nevertheless the whole round only took us 4 hours and 15 minutes to play; all things being equal not bad for a weekend. We were just happy that we didn't tee off any earlier  as it would have just added to the length of the round.

As far as the course goes the Yorktown has more than its fair share of bunkers protecting the fairways and greens. There are a number of holes where water comes into play so it is a pretty reasonable test for better golfers. I was golfing with a buddy who is a relative novice at the game. This was his second trip down and the second time we played the Yorktown. We used the white tees which have a yardage of a little more than 5,800 and a slope of 121. Although he finished over 110 for the round the course didn't overwhelm him by being unfair. By that I mean there weren't holes where a long tee shot or iron was required to clear hazards; he could always lay-up or play safe around them.

I faired better and broke 90 but I wasn't happy with my play. A couple of years ago I played the course in the spring off the blue tees-6,400 yards and slope of 130. It was my 6th round of the season and the first time I had played the Yorktown. I broke 90 barely that day as well. The difference is I had to play a heck of a lot better golf - the course is really that much tougher off the back tees.

The difference between where you play from is most noticeable when teeing up on #1. The first time playing the course I remember looking down the fairway and seeing all these bunkers; visually it is very intimidating as they seem to stretch across the fairway. From the white tees however you don't get that same look.

Yorktown First Hole (White Tees)

The bunkers in the shade at the left are less likely to come into play from the forward tees and being up closer some of the further out bunkers are blocked from view  by the mound on the left part of the fairway.

One of the challenging aspects of the course is that the greens can vary greatly in size with some pretty wicked undulations. 

First Green

The green on the first hole is not overly large. Landing left of the pin I had a deceivingly fast putt down a hill that managed to find its way off the edge turning my 15 foot birdie into a three putt bogey. I sure would like to have another crack at this hole just for a chance to get even.

Par 5 Third Hole

Moving forward to the par 5 third hole you get a sense of the beauty and toughness of the Yorktown course. The drive starts over some nasty vegetation to a fairly wide landing area; stay left  or the fairway bunkers on the right will gobble up your drive. The next shot is uphill and as you get closer to the green the fairway narrows with a new set of bunkers and traps coming into play. The trees provide a picturesque backstop to the elevated green. 

View from the Third Hole Fairway

Seventh Hole

The seventh hole provides an interesting challenge with water on the right and fairway bunkers on the left. How much of the water do you want to go over to cut the dog-leg? There is a generous landing area that extends outwards into the water. Hit it too long or put too much fade on your drive and you can find the fairway narrows and slopes down towards the water. Laying back works for the tee shot but the second shot requires some precision to stay dry with a creek in front and water partially surrounding the green with a trap on the left side thrown in for good measure.  

Tenth Hole

The tenth hole is a par 4 that always seems to give me trouble particularly off the white tees. The bunker to the left is in play and going over it and your ball could catch the down slope into the trees or worse, a ravine.On the right there are more bunkers that are reachable off the shorter tees with a long drive; too much fade trying to cut the dog-leg and you will find more trees on the right side.

Tenth Green from the Fairway

A closer look at the green from the fairway and you can see the size of the bunker on the right. The green slopes and going too long with your approach and you will be chipping up a hill coming back.

There are three holes on the back nine where water is close to or bordering the greens. The first is the par 3 fourteenth hole which features a two-tiered green. Whenever I have played it the pin has been cut at the bottom of the green. You might get lucky and see the tip of the flag but it is essentially a blind shot off the tees. The hole is a little gimmicky because of the steep slope. Chipping or putting downhill it is everything you can do to stay on the green - I imagine putting up-hill would be an adventure as well to get the ball to the top. The first picture is from the right side of the green with the seventeenth green across the water in the distance.

Fourteenth Green

Below is another view of the hole from across the water looking back from the seventeenth hole. The tees you are using will greatly influence the degree of difficulty; as far as 200 yards from the back tees to as little as 115 yards from the front tees. Water could come into play on this hole particularly if you hit long or badly miss the green with a low tragedy bullet. I have seen shots go in and suspect it is the intimidation factor of knowing the water is there that causes the problem. This can happen when playing from the sand or from the top of the green to the bottom.

Fourteenth Hole looking back to the Tee

The sixteenth hole is a very long par 5; just under 500 yards from the front tees and over 600 yards from the back.

Sixteenth Hole looking back to the Tees

The tree lined fairway opens up to water on the golfers left and a green side trap to the right. The safe play is to stay a bit right on your second shot and take the water out of play on the final approach. 
 

The Sixteenth Green

Another view of the sixteenth green shows the trap on the right, the water to the left and in the distance the seventeenth green. Pin-high the green is cut very close to the water on the left. This stretch is the most scenic part of the course in my opinion.

The Seventeenth Hole

 The seventeenth hole is a tricky par 3 that is visually intimidating with the water on the left, the trees on the right and with lots of sand near the green.

 
The water comes into play with a poor shot to the left or a mis-hit off the tee. There is also the possibility of rolling down the slope if your ball doesn't hold the green on the left.

The large sand trap to the front makes it near impossible to play short and run onto the green. Too long and right and you find the second trap in the first picture.

Finally there is the green itself - large and tiered. I remember one shot that I thought was going to be close that ended up fifty feet away due to the slope. In this picture you get a sense of it by where the man is standing for his putt and how the green appears to have swallowed his legs. My advice for someone who has never played the course before - have a good look at the hole when you are playing the fourteenth and if you have the opportunity, drive up and have a closer look at the green before teeing off on seventeen. 

The Yorktown Course is worth playing if you get the opportunity.  The rack price it is more expensive than what I am used to paying in Ontario - but then again I rarely pay the rack price anywhere! The course layout is challenging but not overwhelming for a higher handicap player off the front tees (white or gold). My experience in playing the course on a Sunday be prepared for a long round if you tee off early. I have also played here during the week - same tee time and the price using GolfNow has been between $28 and $32 plus tax, a little more for Fridays. It is usually not busy weekday afternoons and we can play the course in 3 1/2 to 4 hours depending on how many in our group.

Given the choice of paying the rack rate or playing elsewhere - I think there are better deals elsewhere. Luckily with the timeshare deal, the Big Hit Ticket, and GolfNow to name a few there are bargains available for playing the National at a very nice discount to the rack rate. At $35 or less this is a very attractive course to play and I would highly recommend it.

And as good a deal as this was for us it was not the best one we got that week in October...