US Airways - July 2013 - 123

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A Course Apart
Primland combines a brilliant
layout with unparalleled
natural beauty.
By john Maginnes

★

Photos courtesy of Primland

A cleanly struck drive on the first hole of the
Highland Course at Primland resort shatters
the mountain silence and echoes through hardwood trees. The echo subsides, and everything is
still again. There is no more tangible silence in
nature than the quiet that inhabits a mountain
golf course on a summer morning. But this is no
ordinary mountain course. The scenery here, in the
Blue Ridge Mountains of southern Virginia, would
make any course memorable. But the confluence
of architectural ingenuity and nature makes the
Highland Course unique. Excellence is the
standard here, as it has been from the beginning.
When the owner of Primland was considering
golf course architects, he went back to his own
European roots and sought the expertise of a legend

Golf

in design. While Donald Steel isn’t as famous in
the U.S., his work in other corners of the world is so
highly regarded that he was named the fourth most
influential golf course architect in the world by Golf
Magazine in 2003. The Scottish craftsman brings a
singular perspective and philosophy to any project.
And, like Primland’s late founder, Didier Primat,
Steel is a naturalist. “Good golf courses protect the
environment,” Steel says. “Bad designs disfigure it.”
One need only glance at the Highland Course to

Fairways
& Greens

From top: the
18th green and
Primland lodge;
hitting out of a
bunker on No. 1

usairwaysmag.com

july 2013

123

http://www.usairwaysmag.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of US Airways - July 2013

US Airways - July 2013
Table of Contents
CEO Letter
From the Editor
Did You Know?
Making It Happen
Hot Spots: Family-Friendly Vacations
Wine & Dine: The Other Portland
Great Tastes: Benjamin Steakhouse
Wine & Dine: A Crafty Measure
Diversions: Fresh as You Please
Great Tastes: Savor
Great Escapes: Now Resorts & Spas
Adventure: Climbing Mt. Rainier
Travel Feature: Grand Cayman, the Epicure's Island
US Airways: Top Dogs
Special Section: Northwest Arkansas
Golf: Primland, a Course Apart
Special Section: North Carolina High Country
Puzzles
Readers Resource Index
Your US Airways Guide
Video Entertainment
Audio Entertainment
U.S. and Caribbean Service Map
International Service Map
Airport Terminal Maps
US Airways Fleet/Customs & Immigration
Passenger Info/Contact US Airways
US Airways MarketPlace®
Window or Aisle?

US Airways - July 2013