Pete Dye River Course of Virginia Tech — Attraction in Radford City

I grew up playing a Pete Dye course and I love the layout here. It is a beautiful setting with nice facilities. As with all Dye courses it is definitely a challenge I love.

Now for why I am giving this place 1 star and will not return unless changes are made.

Incredibly rude individual named Mike Cole working as the clubhouse manager. This guy should not be customer facing for any business. Definitely should not be interacting with customers at what is supposed to be a championship level course where a certain decorum is expected. My group was going to walk on a Saturday morning. I handed Mike my credit card and then over my shoulder one of my group members asked if we could ride since he left his pushcart at home. I asked Mike if I could pay cash for the cart fee and he lost it. "It's not that simple. I now have to back this out and ring it all up again" while he is slamming his stapler multiple times . This is apparently too much for Mike and he proceeded to upset my entire group with his horrible demeanor. He was asked who he reports to by a member of my group and he responded "himself" which is a lie. Just read his bio on the staff portion of their website and it says he was a coach for young people in NRV which is also horrifying to think about after that experience.

Greens. I love the shape and speed of the greens. They are small and you need to be precise. I love all of that. These were horribly over sanded and bumpy. Not sure if there was an issue at aeration or what but they didn't putt at a level I would expect on a course like this. Probably added 3-4 strokes to my score. I couldn't make anything outside of 10-15' due to the inconsistency of the greens. I am a member at Blacksburg Country Club and the greens role much more true here (slightly slower).

I want to love this place. It brings back fond memories of the course I grew up playing. I play with very competitive golfers who would all love this place. I would have also been interested in holding charity fundraisers and other events here due to the setting and facilities. But I wont bring any of that business. I will never bring people to a place that treats guest the way we were treated here. The experience starts from the moment you park the car and this one is...

This is a fantastic track. The views from the clubhouse are gorgeous. Either side overlooks both nines which are way down below on the riverbed. One of the flatter courses I've ever been to as well. The routing is very well done and the river can come into play quickly on a few holes. Not many trees except on the edges of the property. Pete Dye uses mounding (eyebrows) on the far side of his fairway bunkers to play tricks with you visually. I actually liked it. From above they seem like little dabs of paint on a beautiful canvas. If you are at the far side of one, it's easy to get out but you can also roll against that raised face and have to go out sideways. Honestly sometimes playing down the wrong hole is the easier way to get to your green. All the holes are memorable but take the time to climb some stairs to get to some of the raised tee boxes for the championship tees, they have the best views. As with most Pete Dye tracks, the greens have shaved sides where you golf ball can end up far below the level of the green so be careful. Middle of the green isn't a bad place to be.

Up above (maybe 80+ feet above the course?) you have the clubhouse. The pro shop was decently stocked but the person working there seemed more annoyed by any questions I had about the merchandise and pricing. The starter, however, was excellent. The practice green gives you a good sense of what you will face on the course. There is also a practice chipping green/bunker area and a small driving range. There seemed to be a learning center on the far side as well.

I played as a single on a summer Sunday afternoon and got around in 2 hour and 20 minutes. Had to play through two groups but that's making good time. Next time I hope to walk this course. The only brutal part would be the long climb back up the hill. I definitely...

A "must play" for any golf lover who happens to be in the area. Gorgeous and unique location with a beautiful clubhouse perched high above the river providing expansive 270 degrees views of the course and surrounding valley from the deck, the ideal after-round gathering spot. The condition of the course is near perfect with velvet fairways and fast smooth greens, truly remarkable considering the time of year. In typical Pete Dye style, it's a challenging course with lots of undulations, bunkers and elevated greens and is a true test of skill from either set of back tees while being equally challenging and enjoyable for shorter hitters from any of the other three sets of tees. Also typically Dye, each fairway feels insulated from the rest of the course without being constrained or isolated due to the mounds between holes and relatively few obstructing trees. And the river running alongside many of the holes is an instant penalty for errant shots yet doesn't feel intimidating or intrusive. Overall, one of the most enjoyable and best courses I've played anywhere and one I'm already looking forward to playing again on my next visit...