Rolling up I-81 about an hour from Abingdon, and just on the other side of Wytheville, VA, is Draper Valley Golf Club. Draper Valley is in a golf desert. The I-81 corridor between Abingdon and Radford, VA near Virginia Tech (about a 75-mile stretch) has, by my count, three 18-hole golf courses: Holston Hills, Wytheville Golf Club, and Draper Valley golf Club.
This course was reviewed as part of a broader Journal entry exploring golf courses in the Southwest Virginia area.
Accordingly, you would be correct to have low expectations for Draper Valley. But somehow conversely, it is a bit of a hidden gem. I’ve written how I think that term is overused and actually just means a decent golf course in the middle of nowhere, and applied to Draper Valley, that’s exactly what it means. I found Draper to have good conditioning, interesting holes, and a fun routing, and it definitely felt like I was in the middle of nowhere in Draper, VA.
What Works: Set at the base of a mountain ridge in the Blue Ridge mountains, it also had a nice, natural scenery. I wouldn’t expect Draper to blow the Top-200 golfer away, but it is clear from the first few holes that Draper Valley is more than you’d expect from a golf course in this area. Conditioning was similar, if maybe slightly below Glenrochie, but still perfectly playable without any concerns. For those that care, Draper Valley has no homes on the interior of the course, just a few dotting the edges of certain holes, which does help create a cohesion and favorable Parkland style routing, rather than a “nature walk” or neighborhood alley.
The sixth hole at Draper Valley Golf Club from overhead
Best Hole: My favorite hole was probably the mid-length dogleg right par-4 that played to a green set on the other side of a small, intruding lake. What you see is what you get here, but the view from the fairway is nice, and the only real hazard to avoid other than the lake is the fairway bunker.
The eighteenth hole at Draper Valley Golf Club from overhead
Interesting Hole: The eighteenth hole is an interesting 90-degree dogleg right that plays into a straight fairway, where pretty much any length of tee shot will work, and then plays directly over a small lake that protects the entire front of the eighteenth green. This hole is both scenic, with a small house behind the green, but also means that matches that come down the eighteenth have plenty of suspense, with the final shot being a tricky wedge or short iron over the water hazard.
Limitations: Draper Valley is a solid golf course, but its limitations are the same as many around it. It wouldn’t make a ton of business sense for them to increase the quality of the course and charge $125/round for public play. It does not exist in an area where that business strategy would work. However, it is a really solid local golf course built primarily for local play, and from a raters perspective, that is its limitation to becoming a better or more highly ranked golf course. However, Draper Valley fits its objective quite well, balancing affordability and course quality.
Final Thoughts: If you find yourself driving down I-81 in Southwest Virginia, Draper Valley is an great spot for some golf, and should have limited regional intrigue to come play the course if you live within an hour or two. This course exceeded my expectations in a major way, but admittedly, my expectations for high quality golf in Draper, VA were very low.
