The Club at Viniterra is the newest Rees Jones-designed championship golf course that is part of Viniterra, the new upscale residential gated community located within the New Kent Vineyards development in New Kent County, Va. The picturesque member-only Viniterra course is scheduled to open for limited play in late 2008. It's less than a 30-minute drive east of Richmond, just off of Interstate 64.

Nestled in a beautifully wooded area between Richmond and Williamsburg, the Viniterra golf course incorporates a surprisingly wide variety of natural elevations, changing as much as 70 feet from tee to green on several holes. Multiple tee boxes can be found on each hole, usually five or six, to provide the overall yardage and angle-of-play flexibility required for golfers of all skill levels. Depending on which of the tee markers a golfer elects to play, this flexibility allows the course to measure anywhere between 5,300 and 7,600 yards.

The Club at Viniterra is the only course in this part of Virginia's Peninsula that incorporates working vineyards alongside fairways throughout, one of the signature hallmarks of the new Viniterra community. The development also boasts a beautiful new winery which will produce its own varieties of New Kent Vineyards wines this year.

The course features old-growth specimen oak trees that Jones has incorporated into the design as corner points along several of the course's key holes. Moreover, Viniterra's estate homesites were designed so that no home face directly into the view of another and will have minimal impact on the golf experience.

Hole No. 9 is already noted for its unique beauty as it finishes along a lake and the clubhouse while flanked by one of the working vineyards. Another Par 5 is No. 10 which also includes picturesque vineyards along the fairway and a bunker complex overlooking yet another stand of vineyards.

"This is a classic Rees Jones design which makes it good golf both for a championship experience or for a private club membership," notes Viniterra partner and well-known developer Kitty Hawk Land Company President Mickey Hayes.

"It promises to be a very playable design for everyday member play," said Hayes, "but still presents the kinds of challenges that better golfers have come to expect of Jones as the so-called 'U.S. Open Doctor.'"

The course also will feature the Club at Viniterra clubhouse which will be managed by ClubCorp of America with a planned 14,000-square-foot clubhouse, pro shop and nearby teaching studio and practice range. The first of these facilities is scheduled for opening in 2009.

The Viniterra community also includes the nearby Bordeaux-style New Kent Winery surrounded by acres of vineyards, a café, wellness center, polo fields (which will have their first event this year), equestrian center and small town village with boutique shops.

What the Rees Jones team says about the Viniterra golf course design:

Our overall design philosophy at Viniterra is to work with the natural site elements to create a variety of memorable holes that genuinely challenge more accomplished players, but remain playable and enjoyable for average and beginning golfers. We want to create as much diversity as possible, in all aspects of the design, to help insure players enjoy each round.

We envision the club utilizing five sets of tee markers on each hole, not including the longest, "Tournament" tees (the few premier players that desire that type of challenge will "find" these tees without us having to dedicate a separate set of markers). Because we've constructed multiple tee boxes on each hole, the club can shift each set of markers - on a daily basis - to create a wide range of yardage fluctuation, thereby providing a continually varied experience for the members.

For example:

The diversity of the natural topography is unique and provides this course a distinctive character. When developing the initial routings, we worked hard with ownership and Kevin Jones, the land planner, to insure the course maximized the various plateaus, rolls, and valleys of the site. We're pleased how well each hole "fits" the existing contours, thereby minimizing required grading. By maximizing the varied topography throughout the site, we are also incorporating a variety of wetland areas, both as strategic hazards and aesthetically unique course components.

The site also features a nice blend of wooded and open areas. This helps create more diversity among the holes, throughout the round, both in terms of visual, as well as increased variety in the shapes and boldness of the course features.

I think most golfers will agree this course features a unique and dramatic collection of Par 3 holes. Varied in yardage and orientation, each incorporates a significant, natural 'draw', as a strategic hazard. Of course, a variety of tees and angles of play help insure each of these holes remain playable for the less skilled player.

Rees Jones