Primland Resort

The Highland Course at Primland opened in 2006 atop a mountain plateau in Meadows of Dan, in the heart of Virginia's Blue Ridge. British architect Donald Steel designed it with his then-associates Tom Mackenzie and Martin Ebert, routing holes along ridgelines, over chasms, down valleys and into sideslopes while always leaving a safer alternative to each daring carry. The par-72 layout runs about 7,050 yards over wide fairways, strategic bunkering and fast bentgrass greens, all set against views of the Pinnacles of the Dan River, tall rock spires rising from the gorge below. Part of a secluded resort now operated under the Auberge collection, the course has been ranked No. 1 in Virginia by both Golf Digest and Golfweek. Elevation changes, mountain weather and sheer scenery give the round a wild, high-country feel unusual for the American East.