Page 10 - The Golf Guide, Winter 2017

Golf Destination

Canaan Valley Resort ~ Close Enough to Perfect

Nick Ciattei

Many of us don’t need to ask ourselves
when we are going to take time off
for rest and relaxation, we ask where
we should go. The mid-Atlantic has so
many wonderful getaway spots, and
Canaan Valley Resort in Davis, West
Virginia, stands among the best. This
four-season mountain destination
makes a great escape for golf buddy
trips, family and friend travels, or a
Hole 3 Par 5

romantic couple rendezvous. In just a
couple of hours you can slip away to a world far from your daily grind. Situated in
one of most scenic and tranquil settings this writer has ever experienced, Canaan
Valley Resort offers a plethora of attractions and activities including a world-class
golf course. Fifteen miles long by three miles wide with a base elevation of 3,100
feet, the actual Canaan Valley is the highest mountain valley east of the Rocky
Mountains. The resort is nestled on a plateau overlooking the valley, offering
sweeping views of the surrounding peaks.

Describing Canaan Valley Resort
and its amenities gives us so much to
talk about, but we have to start with
the resort’s 18-hole championship
golf course designed by Geoffrey
Cornish that carries a four-star rating
from Golf Digest and ranks annually
among the best in West Virginia.
The course is open only from April
to October because weather high
in the mountains turns cold in the Hole 4 Par 3

fall rather quickly. The layout plays
across a surprisingly flat terrain, and the course features four sets of tees with
yardage ranging from 5795 to 6984 yards in length. Several new forward tees were
added in 2016 to make the course more playable for ladies and shorter hitters. With
course altitude at more than 3,000 feet, the slightly thinner air makes balls really fly!
I found the fairways to be very generous with limited bunkering. So, use your driver
quite a bit here. A couple of gentle doglegs and water come into play on eight holes,
but for the most part you get what you see at Canaan Valley’s golf course.

Both the front and back nines at Canaan Valley start with a couple of milder holes
and then grow progressively more challenging late each side. You feel the openness
of the layout instantly on the par 4 first’s tee. Get accustomed to being surrounded
by beautiful vistas, none of which are more stunning than the eye candy found
on the par 5 third. Three of the four par 3s play well over 200 yards from the tips
including the fourth with water up the left side. The outward nine wraps up with

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