Glenrochie at Glenrochie Country Club

Glenrochie Country Club sits in the hills of southwestern Virginia near Abingdon, a region known for its Appalachian topography and rolling terrain. The course was originally designed by Alex McKay and later redesigned by Dan Maples, a North Carolina-based architect whose work throughout the Carolinas and mid-Atlantic often emphasizes natural land movement and strategic variety. Maples is known for routing courses that work with existing elevation changes rather than against them, and Glenrochie reflects this approach with holes that move through wooded corridors and across sloping fairways.

The layout takes advantage of the property's natural contours, with elevation shifts that require thoughtful club selection and create visual interest throughout the round. Tree-lined fairways are common in this part of Virginia, and the design incorporates both risk-reward opportunities and straightforward holes that reward accuracy over distance. Water features and bunkering provide definition without overwhelming the strategic character of the holes.

Glenrochie serves as a traditional country club for the Abingdon area, offering a familiar blend of golf and social amenities typical of clubs in smaller Virginia communities. The course provides a home for local competitive play and member events while remaining accessible to the surrounding region. Its setting in the southwestern corner of the state gives it a distinct character compared to courses in Virginia's more populated areas, with a quieter, more rural atmosphere that reflects the broader landscape of the Appalachian highlands.