This Highland Course at Primland course review is based on a round played on July 26, 2025.

The Highland Course at Primland is a public golf course on Primland Resort in Meadows of Dan, VA (which is not particularly close to anything). The green fee is around $310/round.

F1C’s Final Score: 68/80 _{^{(Top 200 U.S.)}}

Learn More: How We Rate Courses

I’m not sure what’s up with me and the weather lately, but just like my last review, this review will also begin with a weather story. It begins in Pinehurst, NC in July – we have a 36-hole day of golf planned on the next day at Mid Pines, and while we are accustomed to high heat and humidity, a warning pops up on our phones the night before: Extreme Heat Warning.

As our foursome sat around our AirBNB in Pinehurst trying to figure out whether we wanted to make this an 18-hole day or try to brave the weather for a 36-hole, 120-degree heat index affair, I had an idea. I knew the Highland Course at Primland was somewhere near the VA/NC border. I figured out that it was a two-hour-and-thirty-minute drive, and we all laughed at how preposterous it would be for us to drive from the golf mecca of Pinehurst, NC to play a course in the mountains almost three hours away.

But then I glanced at the weather forecast for Meadows of Dan, VA: 83 degrees and sunny. Suddenly the tides began to turn for our foursome. If we drive quickly, a two-hour drive for 30+ degrees cooler weather? Enticing. Then I checked tee times? They had an open 9:00am. Then I checked Golf Digest? The Highland Course is a Top-200 golf course in the U.S., the fourth best course in Virginia, and the best public course in the entire state.

Suddenly, I was entering our details into the tee time system online and we had a 9:00am tee time in Primland; it was nearly midnight by this time. We’d need to leave at 5:30 to get there by 8:00am. And we did. We pulled up to the clubhouse right at 8 to find a welcoming staff, complementary valet parking, an absolutely stunning clubhouse with incredible views, a $100 replay rate, a BBQ lunch that was included with the round, and one of the best public course locker rooms that could exist. We were ready for our marathon golf day now, for almost the same price as two Pinehurst courses, just 35 less degrees Fahrenheit.

I have to make a mention of this before I move on as well, and mostly I intentionally avoid these discussions because it is all so very personal and doesn’t matter in the grand scheme of evaluating the golf course. But this was the most welcoming staff at a public golf course. My friend & I are fortunate enough to get to play a lot of really good golf courses, both public and private, and as we drove to the first hole, we both were commenting that the staff was so friendly that they must have been mistaking us for members, because we were being treated like members – by everyone from the valet drivers, to the clubhouse staff, to the starters. I guess, due to the nature of public golf post-COVID, it seems like every starter I meet, and a lot of golf course staff (especially at a public course), seems to be inconvenienced at the thought that I would attempt to play golf at their course. I’m not sure why that is, but it is definitely a thing. But it was not a thing here. Major kudos to the management at Primland, and all the individuals helping us during our visit, because every single staff interaction that we have was overwhelmingly positive; we were treated as important members.

So needless to say, we were in incredibly positive spirits as we headed to the practice green. In true mountain golf fashion, as I warmed up on the putting green, a literal bear and two cubs came walking up. Of course, I got out of there quickly, but still a cool sight to see. The range was great as well – no bears. After the drive, the incredible service, the bears, and some warmup, we were ready to evaluate the course to see whether this Donald Steel designed course, ranked #173 in the U.S., was worthy of that ranking from the first tee to the eighteenth green.

The First Tee

If the Highland Course at Primland has a signature hole, it is either the first or the second hole, so the course starts incredibly strong. Also, a bit of a unique start here, as the course goes par 5-3-5-3 on the first four holes. The first hole is a hard dogleg right par-5 with an interesting tee shot.

Basically, the hole doglegs into a very narrow area over the bunker array on the right. The landing area for driver gets pinched between the rock bluff on the left and the bunkers on the right. The option also exists to take something less than driver and lay back a bit, however it leaves a really long second shot. Also, a Driver into the right half of the fairway over the bunkers leaves a sub-200-yard approach on this par-5, but the right half actually gets blocked out by protruding trees, at minimum requiring a decent intentional fade to reach the green.

The second shot does play directly downhill, so laying back may not be much of an issue, a well struck shot will still roll down the hill to the approach of the green, at a minimum. It is an absolutely beautiful approach from atop the hill. The very large green tabletops the mountain, so it’s a big target that will not tolerate much of a miss. The view from the green here is so beautiful that it is actually somewhat distracting.

The green is relatively tame for its size. This hole is one of my favorite holes in the U.S. Really great design, strategic options, an absolutely breathtaking view from atop the mountain, danger around but not dangerous, and a puttable green. Scores from 3 to 7 are all totally possible here, even for good golfers. A really great “signature” hole.

The drive from the first to the second is probably the best drive on the course, and the second hole perhaps the second best. The mid length par-3 plays downhill to another tabletop green carved into a flat spot of the mountain.

From a pure aesthetic standpoint, the second is the best par-3 on the course and maybe the best hole on the course. The large green is receptive to mid or long irons, and the green largely slopes back to front. The only real place to miss is short and pin high left, anywhere else will likely be a lost ball or a tough up-and-down.

Before we go further, let’s talk about lost balls. The Highland Course may impart a different impressions or opinions depending on a person’s handicap level. This is a course filled with forced carries, and while the greens here are all quite large, missing them comes at significant penalties. The lower handicap players in our group found the course to be a bit easier than expected, mostly challenged by the very fast greens and a few holes with a bit of tightness off the tee. The higher handicap players in our group, however, commented how challenging the course was constantly, and donated multiple sleeves of golf balls to the woodland creatures. Accordingly, from the back tees, the course rating is 75.1 (which felt a touch high), but the slope was a staggering 150 – that’s up there with some of the highest in the U.S. To the lower handicap player, I’d say not to be afraid of that course rating, but to the mid or higher handicap player, it may be smart to play a bit shorter distance than you usually play, just due to the amount of forced carries and lost ball opportunities.

The third hole at the Highland Course is a quirky par-5 where the fairway essentially drops off a cliff at about 240-yards from the tee. A hazard, easily reachable due to the elevation, cuts in on the right at about 330-yards. Essentially, there’s two ways to play this short par-5: layup on top of the hill, leaving around 260 yards into the green, or bomb driver into the narrow pinching area at the bottom of the hill, which will leave a short iron into this green. This is an interesting hole because, the reward in the risk-reward calculus is immense, but the area between the hazard and the trees is only 35-yards wide, meaning it is pretty tough to pull off.

The fourth hole is a short par-3 on the corner of the property at Primland and plays a touch uphill. The shot here is a bit blind, but the player can see the flag and flagstick. The fourth probably has the smallest green on the course. There’s not much to this hole, just a simple pitch and putt where short-iron accuracy is at a premium.

The fifth hole, oddly enough, is the first par-4 on the course, and it’s actually a short par-4. Not quite drivable, but a good drive will leave your smallest wedge into a very large green. The hole plays downhill significantly from the tee into the valley, and then back uphill to the green. A fun hole and another birdie opportunity.

My least favorite hole on the front nine was almost certainly the par-5 sixth, and the sixth begins the most difficult three-hole stretch on the golf course.

This long par-5 is a bit ill-conceived, as it is very narrow off the tee up to the bunker on the left, which is about 3-wood distance. All the options off the tee suck here: (1) driver with a fade, but not too much or too little fade; (2) a three wood into the already narrow area pinched by the fairway bunker; or (3) a hybrid or iron into the even narrower area in which the second shot will be blocked out. The tee shot ruins this hole, and I’d actually like to see them connect the sixth and seventh fairways to fix the issue, like this:

This would also fix the issue of an overly narrow tee shot on the sixth and the seventh, and provide a few more options off the tee on either hole

The seventh is a very long par-4 with an extremely narrow tee shot that must be squeezed between the tree line and the bunkers on the right, with little ability to layup of the tee due to the length of the hole.

Fortunately, the second shot at the seventh does play a bit downhill, and the drive will run out a bit down the hill if struck well, leaving a shorter iron than expected from the tee. The short areas of the green are protected by small bunkers on both sides, but this green is large, open, and puttable, meaning that the difficulty of this hole is almost entirely off the tee.

The eighth hole is the third par-3 on this nine and is a long par-3 that plays straight downhill to a well-protected green. I love that the three par-3s on this side vary in length: short, medium, and long. I hit 4i, 7i, and 9i on the three par-3 holes, which is a testament to the varying length, wind conditions, and challenge of the three-shot holes on the front 9. They are also very aesthetic, with one using the mountain views, the other a quaint hole through the trees, and this eighth hole using an elevation drop and flanking penalty area to the right.

The ninth is another short par-4 that plays uphill through a chute of trees and hills to a large green that sits protected by only a lion’s mouth bunker. Theres a few different options off the tee here, and all will leave less than a short iron into the green here. The difficulty here is the slight blindness of the second shot up the hill, as the surface of the green is not visible.

But, just to recap on our earlier thought about the course rating: on the front we have three par-5 holes (two of which are easily reachable), three par-3 holes (two of which were mid or short irons), and three par-4 holes (two of which were shorter than 380 yards from the tips). A fun setup, but not a difficult one, as by my count, there are 6 birdie opportunities on this first nine, and three difficult pars (six, seven, and eight).

Making the Turn

The tenth hole is a gorgeous hole set just below the clubhouse and hotel, a longer par-4 hole with a challenging tee shot squeezed by a large fairway bunker on the right and hillscape on the left.

Much like the first hole, after the fairway bunker, the fairway slopes off considerably downhill, meaning a lot of extra distance can be gained by carrying the bunker. However, this hole isn’t downhill in totality, with the green sitting at roughly the same elevation as that fairway bunker. The Highland Course again gives you the option of hitting less-than-driver short of those bunkers and hitting a longer approach into the wide green; that is seemingly always an option here, especially for the confident long-iron player.

A short drive awaits to the eleventh hole awaits, and for our group, a huge decision off the tee. You see, the free lunch is served between the tenth and eleventh, at a small pavilion setup. For us? A smoker with a choice of pork or brisket. The only question was whether to eat it now or after 8 more holes. We decided to wait, since we were playing 36 and it was still early, and fortunately, the lunch was available from 11am to 4pm. But I have to say, what an absolutely crazy concept at a public golf course: a lunch included with the round? What a fantastic touch.

The eleventh is a quirky dogleg-left par-4 that requires a bit of a layup off the tee; not a full layup, just a bit off driver, a mini driver, or three-wood. The fairway is wide, but the shorter approach comes from the left side, over the wide ravine, to another wide green protected only by a small bunker short and right. In hindsight, it is on the eleventh where I noticed that the complexity of the putting surfaces began to increase. This green in particular had a very high degree of slope in several pin-able areas. That trend would continue for the twelfth and thirteenth.

The twelfth was a cool par three, reasonably long and requiring my 5-iron (my fourth different par-3 club of the day, major bonus). The green here is another huge target with a small false front and major undulation. Notice again however, another forced carry, terrifying our higher handicap playing partners.

The thirteenth is a long double-dogleg par-5 that is out of reach of mortals in two shots; rather three quality shots are required at the par-5. From the tee, you’ve guessed it, another forced carry on this dogleg-right tee shot.

Once in the fairway, the hole gently bends back to the left, requiring an accurate and awkward layup shot to a wide part of the fairway. The thirteenth also begins a three hole stretch where the holes are bunkerless, which is a relatively interesting quirk. Instead, the rolling hills, trees, ravines, and runoffs play the hazard in this stretch.

The third shot plays a touch uphill to a wild green. This green is defintely the biggest on the course, some 62-yards from front to back, and features essentially four cascading tiers, sloped back to front. These tiers are relatively severe between them – not quite biarritz height, but close enough to make placing this approach shot on the correct tier a significant priority.

The fourteenth is a shorter par-3, perhaps a club longer than the fourth, played over a wide valley of long grass. The green here is very large but there are few places off the green to miss, a reinforcement of the theme at the Highlands Course on the last par-3 of the day. Otherwise, this is a straightforward test with, you guessed it, another forced carry.

The fifteenth hole was a decent little hole that was tough to figure out from the tee. Not particularly aesthetic of a mid-length par-4, but quite narrow with a forced carry again from the back tee box to the fairway. A deep valley flanks the right side of this hole for the last 100-yards, meaning positioning off the tee is more important than length here.

The sixteenth hole makes a 90-degree turn on the ridgetop and begins the last stretch back to the clubhouse. Here a mid-length par-4 hole bends to the right around two inside bunkers and a deep valley on the right. The approach plays to an opening area where a large green sits protected only by a small but devilish pot bunker pin-high left. Again, the Highland Course gives you the option of laying up a bit off the tee or challenging the bunkers on the right for a shorter approach.

My least favorite hole on the back nine was definitely the seventeenth hole, a long uphill par-5. The tee shot is almost a carbon copy of the sixteenth, just without the bunkers on the inside of the dogleg. Once in the fairway, the hole twists uphill between some trees, and the target acquisition is a bit difficult here.

The green surface becomes visible by the third shot, but before then, the only guidepost to the seventeenth is the large white sign behind the green.

Then, the eighteenth hole, a brutally difficult and long par-4 awaits to finish off the round. Admittedly, I doubled this hole both times around, so maybe my opinion is biased, but I wasn’t much of a fan of what this hole was asking on the last tee shot of the day.

This landing area at the top of the hill is only 40-yards wide, which is honestly pretty bad design for a 480-yard par-4. Laying up, oddly enough, simply not an option. The slope of the first half of the hole makes that impossible. Even when the landing area is found, a 180-200 yard approach downhill awaits (admittedly, to a giant green, but still). I think this hole is asking WAY too much from the tee shot, especially this late in the round. If it was asking that of a long iron, I’d be okay with it, but a driver into a 40-yard-wide corridor is always too narrow (industry standard is more like 65 yards of width from the tee where driver is expected), especially on this long of a par-4. It is a bit of a sour ending to an otherwise fantastic golf course, because with that narrow of a landing area, statistically, there are a large percentage of golf rounds ending with a lost ball from the eighteenth tee.

Final Thoughts

In all honesty, this course is just a few holes away from being one of my favorite courses that I have ever played. I really disliked the sixth & seventh and the seventeenth & eighteenth. Mountain course design is often more dictated by necessity than designer choice, as the routing has to make some type of sense, but I digress. Otherwise, the other fourteen holes at the Highland Course are among the best golf in the U.S. The first and second holes may be the best two-hole starting stretch of public golf anywhere in the U.S. The staff was first-rate. The shower in the locker room was first-rate. The meal after the round was first-rate. The conditioning of the golf course was elite, from the speed of the greens to the perfect sand to the flawless bentgrass fairways. The Highland Course is probably underrated due to it being public access; itis much closer to being a Top-100 course in the U.S. than it is to falling out of the Top-200. It is a better golf course than private courses that occupy higher ranking spots in the same general area of the U.S., like Valhalla, Canyata, and Victoria National. It was very hard for me to pick a winner between closer courses like Diamond Creek and The Olde Farm. I think those courses are slightly better, but not much – and those places are a different level of private. The Highland Course at Primland is very close to being as good as those prestigious neighbors, while maintaining itself as a public golf course.

Primland has an excellent thing going, they do everything the right way, and I am someone who appreciates that to a fault. The little things matter to me and the Highland Course at Primland gets all of the little things right. Golf as a sport desperately needs more high-level, daily-fee, public golf courses, and the Highland Course should serve as a model to the industry on how to execute that concept perfectly.

F1C’s Final Rating:

Shot Options: 9
Challenge: 7
Layout Variety: 9
Distinctiveness: 8
Aesthetics: 9
Conditioning: 10
Character: 8
Fun: 8
Total: 68/80

Read More: How We Rate Courses

Rating Scale Details

> 70: Top-50 U.S.
65-70: Top-200 U.S.
60-65: Best-in-State List
57-60: Best-in-State List Contender
53-57: Very Good
48-53: Good
40-48: Average
> 40: Poor