Final tee time at a favorite Williamsburg course
Golden Horseshoe’s Spotswood nine closes to make way for redevelopment
WILLIAMSBURG — For a group of golfers, New Year’s Eve wasn’t just the end of 2022; it also was the end of an era.
Saturday was the last day of operation for the ninehole Spotswood Course at The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation’s Golden Horseshoe Golf Club as the organization prepares for the site’s redevelopment.
A group of enthusiasts called the Spotswood Senior Golf Association has played the course for decades, and it closes this chapter with mixed emotions. Members of the group met one last time Friday to raise a glass to the Spotswood Course and, of course, play a round.
The Spotswood Course was designed six decades ago by famed golf course architect Robert Trent Jones Sr. and earned accolades from Golf Magazine as the “best short nine-hole course in the country.”
Jim Goggin, a member of SSGA who edits the group’s newsletter, said the par-31 course’s design was ideal for members of the group, who generally range from their 60s to 80s, with a recent member into his 90s. The length of the course walking straight down the middle was just 1¼ miles, Goggin said.
SSGA member Jeff Toalson said plenty was packed into the Spotswood Course.
“It’s a classic course from the ‘50s by a great American golf architect, with nine very interesting, challenging, short holes, so it’s great for your game,” he said.
SSGA would hold as many as 16 tournaments a year at the course, the most recent called the St. Nick Classic on Dec. 8.
Another asset was its proximity, Goggin said. There’s no shortage of public golf courses nearby, but for most SSGA members, Spotswood was 10 minutes or less from home.
Toalson, who estimates he has played upward of 1,000 rounds at Spotswood, said the convenience has always been a great attribute. Years ago, before he retired, he could get a 7 a.m. tee time, play nine holes and be working by 8:30 or 9 a.m.
“You can’t do that on a regulation course,” he said.
Janis Walby said she has been playing the course for 25 years and has fond memories. The course has been the go-to place for “friendship, getting fresh air and exercise, and playing nine holes if that’s all you care to play,” she said.
Through the years, the group has witnessed remarkable — and sometimes comical — events. There was the time a member fell into a pond, getting muddy up to his neck — a mishap that didn’t stop him from finishing the last hole looking like something from a horror film.
And among numerous holes-in-one by SSGA members, there was Skip Floyd’s ace in 2016. The ball struck a tree far off the side of the green and with a lucky bounce rolled into the hole. Floyd was picking up his tee and only learned of the feat because the others started jumping for joy.
The Golden Horseshoe’s two other courses, the Green Course and the Gold Course, will remain in operation.
The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation has pondered the future of the course for years. Spokeswoman Ellen Peltz said redeveloping the Spotswood Course, which was not financially viable, will better allow Colonial Williamsburg to accommodate all its constituencies, and generate necessary funds to conduct its work in education, research and historic preservation.
“Golf has been a part of the foundation’s offerings for many years, and we hope it will be for many years to come, but our offerings must evolve based upon societal demand, the needs of the broader Williamsburg community and the foundation,” Peltz said. “The Spotswood Course, while loved by many, has been underutilized for many years and strains the foundation’s ability to deliver its core educational mission.”
Norfolk-based Frye Properties Inc. will redevelop the property, the plans for which are still in early stages, Frye spokeswoman Allie Gorman said. A rezoning application needs to go before the city’s Architectural Review Board and Planning Commission, and the site is in the city’s Corridor Protection District.
Frye Properties’ plans now call for between 165 and 171 custom and semi-custom homes of between 700 and 2,400 square feet. Construction could begin as early as late summer of 2024. Gorman said the development “will reflect and respect the existing trees and topography” of the property.
Colonial Williamsburg has conducted meetings to solicit public feedback, Peltz said, and The Golden Horseshoe Golf Club has been working with SSGA members to navigate the future as they switch their tournaments to the Green Course.
Goggin said Colonial Williamsburg has been very fair throughout the process and that The Golden Horseshoe’s pros are working with the SSGA to modify some of the Green Course’s tees to better accommodate seniors.
One challenge, Goggin said, will be coming up with a new name.
“We’re joking now that we’ll be the Green Course Geezers,” he said.
Toalson said even as they tee up on the Green Course, the Spotswood Course will always retain a special place in their heart.
“We are all very sad to see it go.”