The Cascades is the reason to make this trip. Sam Snead grew up on these mountain slopes, and the course, a William Flynn design that dates to 1923, carries that history without being a museum piece. Old Course, redesigned by Donald Ross in 1913, is the underrated second round. The Homestead's operating history goes back to 1766, and that depth gives the trip a character most modern resort properties cannot manufacture. Come for a long weekend and play Cascades twice.
Courses included
The trip experience
Cascades is the better course here, by enough that some groups skip the Old Course entirely and just play Cascades twice. William Flynn built it in 1923 on land that Seth Raynor and A.W. Tillinghast had both already turned down as unworkable, and it plays like land nobody thought would work: tight, tilted, and unwilling to give you a flat lie for very long. Sam Snead grew up on this course and was the head pro here for decades. That tells you something about how much this place expects from you.
The valley routing means the corridors are narrow and the trees are close, so a two-shot miss off the tee turns into a three-shot hole fast. Elevation changes run up to 150 feet in spots, greens are small and angled, and the back nine follows the stream down into the bottom of the valley where the lies flatten out but the mistakes get more expensive. Distance off the tee matters less here than it does almost anywhere else you've played. Position is the whole game.
"The Cascades is the kind of course where your handicap stops being predictive around hole five: the mountain terrain and tight corridors reset everyone's expectations."
Old Course is the other round, and it's a different animal: shorter, more open, dating back to 1892 with a Donald Ross redesign in 1913 and more work done since. Somebody in every group ends up calling it a warm-up round, which undersells it, but it does the job it's supposed to do: an easier day for whoever's back is acting up, or a contrast round so the whole trip isn't Cascades twice.
Book Sam Snead's Tavern for the night after the harder round. It's named for the man himself and it knows what golfers want after eighteen holes in a mountain valley: a full bar, a menu that doesn't require a jacket, and a pace that doesn't rush you. Save the Dining Room, jacket preferred, for the last night if your group wants one dressed-up dinner before the drive home.
Both courses are booked through the resort, and the window fills faster than the price tag makes you expect: 2 to 3 weeks out in peak summer, so call when you book the room, not after you arrive. Neither course does walk-ons on a summer weekend. Plan around that instead of hoping around it.
"Hot Springs sits at 2,000 feet, which means spring and fall temperatures run 10 to 15 degrees cooler than Richmond or Washington; bring an extra layer and expect genuine mountain weather variability."
Play Cascades twice if the schedule allows it. The course shows you things on the second lap that you missed on the first: the correct miss on 14, the way the wind turns at the valley's midpoint, greens that read flatter than they play. Groups who only play it once almost always wish they'd built the schedule differently.
Two or three days is right. The drive up from anywhere on the East Coast is long enough that you should plan on staying the extra night rather than making it a one-and-done weekend. The Warm Springs Pools down the road date to 1761, the oldest spa structure in the country, and they're worth an afternoon for whoever in the group wants a day away from the course. Fill the rest with the grounds and the spa. There's enough here that the resort earns its own half-day.
Side trips & bonus golf
The Pete Dye River Course in Covington is the premium golf add-on: a Dye design built along the Jackson River about 80 miles from Hot Springs, playing with a more modern and technical sensibility than either Homestead course. It is a harder 90 minutes of driving each direction, but groups who want to extend the trip with a genuinely different design challenge will find it worth the time.
Birdwood in Charlottesville and Poplar Grove in Amherst are more accessible additions for groups extending the trip. Birdwood makes the most sense if your group is routing through Charlottesville on the way to or from the resort: a parkland design in the Blue Ridge foothills that is easy to incorporate as a day stop. Poplar Grove is closer to Hot Springs and provides a value-priced final round for groups who want one more Virginia course before the drive home at under $100.
The Allegheny Highlands around Hot Springs have genuine outdoor appeal beyond golf. The Warm Springs Pools, in operation since 1761, are a short drive from the resort and worth a stop for any group traveling with non-golfers. Homestead also coordinates hiking trails, fishing, and falconry on-property for afternoon activities.
Is this trip right for your group?
- ✓You want a course with genuine difficulty and mountain terrain that exists nowhere else in the Mid-Atlantic
- ✓Your group is comfortable with resort rates and expects a full resort experience alongside the golf
- ✓You are routing through or targeting Virginia and want a golf-focused long weekend with real historical depth
- ✓Sam Snead's home course carries genuine weight for golf-history-interested groups
- ✓You want two course options without driving to multiple facilities
- ✓Spring or fall travel aligns with your schedule; the shoulder season offers the best conditions
- ✓Your group includes non-golfers who will benefit from the resort's full amenity structure
- ✗You are looking for public-access pricing: the Cascades functions as a resort course in both rates and operations
- ✗Your group needs more than two distinct course options within the base trip
- ✗The drive is prohibitive: Hot Springs is genuinely remote and there is no commercial airport close
- ✗Budget constraints make $300-plus tee fees alongside resort lodging difficult to justify
- ✗You want a city-adjacent destination with dining and nightlife options outside the property
When to go
- Best course conditions from May through September with full resort amenities operational
- Summer heat and humidity arrive in July and August; morning tee times are essential from mid-June onward
- The Cascades books 2-3 weeks out in peak season; reserve at the time you book your room
- Mountain humidity on the course can be significant in July and August; hydrate before the round
- Memorial Day and Labor Day weekends book out fastest; avoid these if flexibility matters
- April and October provide the best combination of conditions and value at the Cascades
- Temperatures in the 50s and 60s; comfortable for all-day golf without the summer humidity tax
- Fall foliage in October is a genuine visual addition to the mountain routing
- Rates run 15-25% lower than peak summer at both courses and at the resort
- Both courses close for the winter, typically November through late March
- The resort remains open for non-golf amenities and spa during the winter months
- Some outdoor activities remain available but golf is not among them
What a Omni Homestead trip costs
| Item | Peak | Shoulder | Off-Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| Old Course x1) | |||
| Tee fees (3 rounds: Cascades x2 | |||
| Lodging (2 nights, Omni Homestead) | $525–$800 | $400–$600 | — |
| Food & drink on property | $650-$850 | $550-$650 | $400-$500 |
| Ground transport (rental car, 3 days) | $150-200 | $150-200 | $120-180 |
| Total (est.) | $1,325–$1,850 | $1,100–$1,450 | $520–$680 |
| Item | Peak |
|---|---|
| Old Course x1) | |
| Tee fees (3 rounds: Cascades x2 | |
| Lodging (2 nights, Omni Homestead) | $525–$800 |
| Food & drink on property | $650-$850 |
| Ground transport (rental car, 3 days) | $150-200 |
| Total (est.) | $1,325–$1,850 |
Per-person estimates for a 3-round, 3-night trip with a group of 4. Excludes flights. All-in: $1,500-2,100 peak, $1,100-1,600 shoulder.
How tee times and lodging actually work
- 1Book with your roomTee times at both the Cascades and Old Course are booked through the resort concierge; Reserve your room first and then call the pro shop to lock in tee times.
- 2Advance windowThe Cascades books 2-3 weeks out in peak season; Do not wait until arrival to figure out tee times.
- 3Rate structureResort guests pay $342 (Cascades) or $242 (Old Course); Non-registered visitors pay $362 and $272 respectively.
- 4Walking policyWalking is permitted at both courses; Carts are available but not required.
- 5Pace of playThe Cascades can run 4.5 hours on busy weekends; Plan your day around the longer round.
Common mistakes
- !Booking only one Cascades roundThe course reveals things on repeat play that do not show on the first visit; Groups who play it once usually wish they had given it two.
- !Underestimating the tightnessThe Cascades fairways are narrower than most public courses your group has played; Accuracy off the tee determines the score before the approach even begins.
- !Playing morning rounds without a layerAt 2,000 feet, spring and fall mornings run 10-15 degrees cooler than the forecast at sea level; Start with more clothing than you think you need.
- !Ignoring the Old CourseShorter and more accessible than the Cascades, it provides a useful contrast and is worth a round for groups with mixed ability levels.
- !Not reserving tee times in advanceThe Cascades books out in peak season; Showing up expecting walk-on access on a summer weekend does not work.
- !Skipping the afternoon walk through the resortThe historic main building and grounds are a significant part of the experience; Groups who shuttle straight to the room after the round miss half of what they paid for.
What to pack
Sample itinerary
Where to stay & eat
Know before you book.
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