Golf in Williamsburg begins with the three major resorts: the Golden Horseshoe Golf Club that is part of Colonial Williamsburg, Kingsmill Resort on the James and Ford's Colony. The trio provides eight championship courses, an executive-length layout and a par-3 course.

• The Golden Horseshoe, located in the heart of Williamsburg, and Kingsmill, situated along the James River southeast of town, are cited regularly by numerous golf publications as top resorts in the United States and worldwide. Ford's Colony's Manor Club is a four-star hotel.

The Golden Horseshoe's Gold and Green layouts have hosted local, state, regional and national amateur and professional tournaments. Director of golf Glen Byrnes and head pro Jeff Winters know the ins and outs of customer service, and you still can get a lesson from the club's legend and ambassador of golf, Del Snyder.

One of the Golden Horseshoe's other claims to fame is that its courses were designed by a father and son. The classic Gold course was designed by the late Robert Trent Jones during his heyday in the early 1960s. The Green, a more modern-style layout, was designed by his son, Rees, who also oversaw renovation work on the Gold. The Spotswood is a par-62 course that has some tiny greens and is plenty fun to play.

• Kingsmill's River course is the best known of the three 18-hole tracks. The River, designed by Pete Dye in the late 1970s, then renovated by Dye two years ago, hosted a PGA Tour tournament for 21 years.

After the PGA Tour left, the LPGA Tour moved in four years ago with the Michelob Ultra Open. With one of the best fields and largest purses of the year, the tournament frequently is referred to as the LPGA's fifth major.

If you've been there, you know that the Woods course, designed by Curtis Strange and Tom Clark, may be the best of the trio. Unlike its counterparts, the Woods doesn't have houses or condominiums fencing in the layout.

The Plantation, designed by Arnold Palmer and Ed Seay, features numerous doglegs, a tough stretch of holes in the middle of the round, and a beautiful finish with the James River as the backdrop. The Bray Links is an enjoyable par-3 nine if you are strapped for time.

• Ford's Colony boasts the Marsh Hawk, Blackheath and Blue Heron courses, all designed by Dan Maples. Although not as spectacular as the Horseshoe's Gold or Kingsmill's River, the three courses at Ford's Colony are as solid in the playability and challenging categories as 54 holes can be.

Golf at the three resorts is expensive for the most part, but rates are better in the off-season and through various promotions.

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The area's daily-fee courses can hold their own in terms of enjoyment and challenge. And they aren't as expensive as the resorts.

• The Colonial, located in Toano, was Williamsburg's first daily-fee offering. Designed by Lester George and Robert Wrenn, the Colonial is a test for all skill levels. The par-3 sixth, with a forced carry over a marshland to a narrow green, is the most memorable hole.

• Williamsburg National, featuring an original 18 put together by Jack Nicklaus' design group, is a popular, straightforward layout with an excellent mix of holes.

• Traditional Golf Properties runs three courses with proximity to Williamsburg: Royal New Kent in Providence Forge, Stonehouse in Toano and the latest addition, Kiskiack in Croaker.

Kiskiack, designed by John Foy, is one of those layouts you'd be happy to play every day. Royal New Kent and Stonehouse are design products of the late Mike Strantz. Both courses are full of wow-factor shots, and good scores are hard to come by.