CR&J’s Final Rating: 68/80 (Top 200 U.S.)
The Olde Farm probably deserves a full-length feature, but unfortunately, it has been several years since I last visited the Olde Farm. The Olde Farm is very private and membership is limited, making accessing the course very difficult outside of specific social circles. If you are lucky enough to come across an invite to play, The Olde Farm is undeniably a special place. Currently, The Olde Farm is ranked by Golf Digest as the #103 course in the U.S., and #2 in Virginia, with the other ranking services generally agreeing. The property is ordained by a number of special “barn” venues that serve as comfort stations and dining venues, in the coolest possible way.
This course was reviewed as part of a broader Journal entry exploring golf courses in the Southwest Virginia area.
The course’s owner and founder Jim McGlothlin (former CEO of United Coal), who owned the only home with a connection to the golf course, recently passed away. It remains to be seen what, if any, effect that has on the future of The Olde Farm. Should I ever regain access or get another invite again in the future, expect a full long-form feature.
What Works: The Olde Farm is characterized by three main positives: (1) elite conditioning, (2) wide fairways, (3) tricky putting surfaces. First, as of my last visit years ago, The Olde Farm set the standard in course conditioning. I remember talking to someone who had visited The Olde Farm shortly after attending the Masters. I asked them “how did the course conditioning compare” to which they responded “the same.” As for the actual golf, The Olde Farm is not a difficult golf course, but it certainly has some challenging holes. However, most of the fairways are very wide with limited tree trouble. Most of the way-off-line-hazards are tall grass rather than trees. The main defense of the course is typically a set of very fast, very undulating putting surfaces with deep grass faced bunkers surrounding the greens. Bobby Weed did some of his best work at The Olde Farm and designed some truly unique holes that present a TON of character and distinctiveness. Some of the property has natural character (particularly the northern boundary of the property), but most of the character and genius of The Olde Farm was crafted by Weed on a otherwise uninspiring piece of farmland. The Olde Farm also has a delightful short course and one of the best practice facilities in Virginia.
Best Hole: There is a ton of contenders for this title, and it is hard to pick just one, but my favorite holes often fall in the shorter to mid length, option/strategy variety of hole, and that’s the theme here as well. The par-4 eighth hole is a short drivable par-4 with a ton of different ways to play it.
I’ve always seen six distinct ways to play this par-4, depending on where the tee box is located on a particular day. Laying up in front of the bunker at #1 leaves only 125-130 to the hole and each successive option brings more risk, but perhaps a better angle, depending on the pin position. Options 1, 2, and 3 in the fairway are actually significantly below the surface of the green, whereas 4 and 5 are more on the same level of the green. There is, perhaps, 10-15 feet of elevation between the lower fairway and the green surface, making the lower fairway just tricky enough to be discouraging. If you try to drive the green, it is less than 300-yards from the back tee so it is certainly possible, but a miss will likely leave you in one of those deep pot bunkers surrounding the green, which is slightly perched on top of the small hill.
Interesting Hole: Probably the most photographed hole due to the uniqueness is the mid-length par-3 sixth hole, which is right beside the “long barn,” which is an amazing comfort station with tons of great drinks, snacks, and alcoholic beverages.
I’ve seen many slightly pushed fades be banked off the long barn and onto the green. That result is much preferable than the left miss, which will either leave you in a tightly mown area below the green, or in a deep, lion’s mouth bunker on the centerline. It might be the only hole in the Top 200 that allows you to bank a shot off of a metal barn to hit the green.
Limitations: It would be almost sacrilegious for me to say that The Olde Farm has many limitations, but it does. When comparing it to the elite company of the courses it is ranked near, it perhaps lacks a bit of aesthetic value, due do its setting in the Southwest Virginia farmland, without an abundance of natural features nearby, but for some small mountains in the distance. Additionally, the course is not a difficult course, and while it does present a stern test, particularly on the third and fourth holes (very difficult), the course is definitely a second-shot course, because the fairways here are probably a time and a half wider than normal, and three times wider than a “tight” course like Olympic Club or Sahalee. I reason because this course was built for Mr. McGlothlin, wider fairways were something he desired. Now, I say that as a reviewer and not personally – because personally, I love it. Fairways should be wide; it really fits my game! But to a professional golfer, the width of this golf course would allow a highly skilled golfer to hit a ton of drivers, hit a ton of wedges off the perfectly manicured grass, and make a ton of birdies.
Final Thoughts: The Olde Farm is a special place. Everyone I talk that has been there comments on just how special The Olde Farm is, and they always use that word: special. It is special, because there isn’t that much in the world of golf like it, making it a unique experience, particularly in this part of the US. I think it should rank into the bottom of the Top 100, and would rank it above similarly positioned courses like the Highland Course at Primland, Valhalla GC, Canyata, and Victoria National.
CR&J’s Final Rating: Shot Options: 9; Challenge: 6; Layout Variety: 9; Distinctiveness: 9; Aesthetics: 7; Conditioning: 10; Character: 9; Fun: 9. Total: 68/80 (Top 200 U.S.)