Birdwood Golf Course at Boar's Head Resort
Charlottesville, VA, United States • Public
Stephen Ellis Photography/Courtesy of Boar's Head Resort
Stephen Ellis Photography
Stephen Ellis
Stephen Ellis
Stephen Ellis
Stephen Ellis
Stephen Ellis
Steve Ellis
Steve Ellis
Steve Ellis
Overview
Birdwood is a unique course that typifies the multi-purpose direction that future golf developments would be wise to study. Located about 10 minutes from downtown Charlottesville, it’s a convenient, upscale public course (green fees: $75-$125) that serves as an amenity to an adjacent resort, with a walkable routing across interesting and varied land. It’s also the home course for the University of Virginia golf teams boating state-of-the-art practice facilities, including a new par-3 course called “The Nest.” Originally opened in 1984, Davis Love III, along with brother Mark and lead designer Scot Sherman, re-routed and re-engineered the entire course, forging new holes out of previously unused forest. Rolling across the attractive northern Virginia countryside with long fescue grass buffers, the holes are infused with references to Pete Dye and classical-era template presentations. The Charlottesville, Va., layout hosted the 1991 U.S. Women's Amateur Public Links.
About
Awards
Ranking history:
Best in State: Ranked 15th, 2023-'24.
America's Greatest College Courses: 12th (2023).
Panelists
Ratings from our panel of 1,900 course-ranking panelists
100 GREATEST/BEST IN STATE SCORES
Shot Options
Character
Challenge
Layout Variety
Fun
Aesthetics
Conditioning
Reviews
Review
“The University of Virginia home course with some good holes and a few awkward holes."
Read More2024
Review
“An underwhelming remodel that succeeds in making the course relevant for the college player while keeping it manageable for the resort golfer. Some holes are benched into hillsides and the 8th is a head-scratching misfit. An unwieldy routing, which must regularly cause holes to be played out of order or altogether skipped, requires lengthy green to tee transitions. Green sites are well chosen but contours can be underwhelming. This convenient, well-kept facility stays busy, though, as it caters to members, public players, and resort guests"
Read More2024
Review
“If you have not played this course after Davis Love's redesign, you need to get there. He did a great job routing the course along ridges, over hills, and through dales. It is difficult, but it won't beat you up. The Boar's Head Inn is a great place to stay."
Read More2023
Review
“Excellent design by Davis Love III. Great variety of holes including a number of half-par holes that make for an interesting and fun round. The golfer has to engage mentally and execute, not just blast away. Really good golf course."
Read More2023
Review
“Lots of fun shots of this golf course. Strategic with tee shot placement on many holes. Great little short course also"
Read More2022
Review
“Davis Love's redesign opened in 2019, and this course bears little resemblance to old Birdwood. The new course is an open tree-limited design with large stretches of fescue bordering most holes. This par 71 layout requires a wide variety of shots, and from the tips it can be a monster. All 4 of the par 5s are terrific (2 are reachable), the par 3s can be a real challenge from the back tee boxes, and every green from #8 onward has some unique characteristic. From the 8th tee box you can see 14 holes on a course that is mostly isolated from housing. The facility has has a 6-hole par 3 course and the practice green, which is near one acre in size, and an 18-hole putting course. The zoysia fairways are the best I have played in the state of Virginia, public or private."
Read More2022
Review
“Very nice course, nice resort setting, very courteous and welcoming personnel. With 6 sets of tees, large, receptive greens, and almost no forced carries unless the player choses to challenge the cape holes, the course is very playable."
Read More2022
Review
“Redesign was really well done. Great conditions. Short course was a great warmup."
Read More2022
Review
“Davis Love's redesign opened in 2019, and this course bears little resemblance to old Birdwood. The new course is an open tree-limited design with large stretches of fescue bordering most holes. This par 71 layout requires a wide variety of shots, and from the tips it can be a monster. All four of the par 5s are terrific (two are reachable), the par 3s can be a real challenge from the back tee boxes, and every green from #8 onward has some unique characteristic. From the 8th tee box you can see 14 holes on a course that is mostly isolated from housing. The facility has has a 6-hole par 3 course and the practice green, which is near one acre in size, has an 18-hole putting course. The zoysia fairways are the best I have played in the state of Virginia, public or private."
Read More2021
Review
“If you have not played this course after Davis Love's redesign, you need to get there. He did a great job routing the course along ridges, over hills, through dales. It is difficult but it won't beat you up."
Read More2021
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