Appreciation – The Schoolhouse Nine

On a recent trip to South Carolina, I decided to break the drive up by stopping in Virginia. It was a beautiful early spring day, so I took a short detour off Interstate 81 to stop at The Schoolhouse Nine in Sperryville.

Experience the tranquil beauty of Rappahannock County, nestled in the shadow of Old Rag and the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Schoolhouse Nine Website

The unique design features nine challenging par-3 holes, ranging in length from 85-171 yards. The course meanders through a series of native wildflower meadows bordered by the Thornton River and the historic ruins of the original Smoot Tannery.

Schoolhouse Nine Website

Photo Courtesy of The Schoolhouse Nine, the rest are mine

The Schoolhouse Nine opened in July of 2015, as the first and only course in Rappahannock County, Virginia. The architect, Mike McCartin, designed the course to show off its beautiful surroundings and provide an inclusive, architecturally interesting, and – most importantly – fun experience for golfers of all ages and abilities. 

Schoolhouse Nine Website

School House

Practice green and #1 tee

While it was a very nice day, it was too early for wildflowers. The Pro shop was under construction as well as a pub and other shops in what was the old schoolhouse. The green fees were $15 for unlimited play, a pretty good bargain. Just grab a push cart and go.

The course is all par 3s, in an out-and-back routing. The condition of the tees was a little spotty. There were no real fairways to speak of, but with all short holes, that was no big deal. The greens however were surprisingly good, smooth, fast, and had a fair amount of slope.

From #1 green back towards tee

Hole #2

Good shot on #2 lead to the first birdie of 2023

The first three were all of medium length. Hole #4 is a little shorter but plays a little uphill.

Hole #3

Push Cart by #7 tee

Holes 5,6 and 7 are short holes that are bunched together on the back edge of the course.

Hole #8

Hole #9

Holes #8 and #9 are the two longest holes heading back to the clubhouse. You can see to the side where the wildflowers grow in the summer. In the background are the Blue Ridge Mountains containing Skyline Drive and Shenandoah National Park. Luray Caverns are just up the very winding road.

Could’ve just kept going with unlimited play for $15

The old school auditorium being converted to a pub.

Alas, I couldn’t stay and play more as I had miles to go before I slept. I thoroughly enjoyed my loop around The Schoolhouse Nine. Unpretentious and fun, that is right up my alley. I hope my travels let me return on another day.

Appreciation – Disney’s Oak Trail

Photo courtesy Walt Disney World

Walt Disney World – “The Most Magical Place on Earth.” I’ve got to admit, I’ve spent some time there. Amusement parks, water parks, shopping, great dining, and yes, great golfing. There are three 18-hole courses, Palm, Magnolia, and Lake Buena Vista.

The Palm and Magnolia courses are located within The Shades of Green Resort, which is set aside for exclusive use of the Military and their families. But if you look closely at the signs you’ll see another course – Disney’s Oak Trail. Sharing the same clubhouse and shop facilities, it’s a short walk past the Magnolia driving range to the starter shack for Oak Trails. I’ve played Oak Trails several times and enjoyed it a lot. It’s a nice break from the hustle and bustle of Disney World without the investment of time and money the other courses require. I’ve also tried Foot Golf there, check out my review at; “A Pulled Hamstring”

Oak Trail is walking only. There are push carts available and the Club Car Tempo Walk which follows you around. Unfortunately, it was to wet on my last visit to try it out so I can’t provide a review. If you’ve tried it, send in a comment on how you liked it. The course is flat with little distance between greens and tees. Days that I played were uncrowded so I was able to play at my own pace.

The flags on this map are for the Foot Golf. The six holes on the right are from the original course. The flag #1 is for the first hole and #18 is the finishing ninth. The three holes to the left look different because they are holes that were originally part of Magnolia, but were incorporated into Oak Trail when Magnolia went thru a redesign.

You can see from the Scorecard that the first 4 holes as well as 8 and 9 are shorter. They are tighter as well. Holes 5,6, and 7 are more difficult and would fit in with any of the other courses at the resort. For a northerner, this makes for great spring training if you haven’t played for a couple of months. Warm up with a few easier holes, test youself out for a few, then a couple more easy ones to finish.

At just 260 yards, the first hole is drivable. But it is pretty tight and the green is small. Course conditions are good, but not to the standard of the other courses at Disney.

From behind #2

The second hole is a medium length par 3 with a couple of bunkers guarding it. Holes #3 and #4 mirror each other both in length and design. Doglegs left with trees covering the corners of the dogleg.

Hole #5 is when things change. The par 5 hole is a true three shotter except for the longest hitters. A good drive will set up a second shot that should be kept to the left because the right drops severely down to a penalty area. Then a wedge to a well bunkered green with some severe slopes. Hole #6 seems like a medium length par 4 except there is a creek which crosses the fairway about 250 yards out, so the drive has to be laid up short of it, leaving a longer approach.

7th green from the 5th fairway

The seventh hole is a shorter par 5 that has water on both sides and a well guarded green

Hole #8 is another short par 4

Walt Disney World Golf

The last hole is a short par 3, and because it’s Disney you’re left with a reminder about who is the boss of it all. Oak Trail is a solid nine that provides a solid break from everything else at Walt Disney World.