Troon to manage The Virginian and its sister property, Nicewonder Farm & Vineyards
Troon has been selected to manage The Virginian and its sister property, Nicewonder Farm & Vineyards, both of which are located in Bristol, Va.
Troon Privé, the private club operating division of Troon, will oversee golf, club and food & beverage operations as well golf course agronomy and membership marketing.
Set in the Highlands of Virginia, between the Blue Ridge and Appalachian Mountains, the clubhouse and golf course are the centerpieces of The Virginian luxury community. The Tom Fazio-designed golf course opened in 1992 and is ranked as one the state’s top golf courses by both Golf Digest and Golfweek. Fazio made great use of the area’s pastoral setting and distant views in designing the 7,025-yard course. As an added feature, the practice facility is complete with a practice range, short game/bunker areas, massive practice green and three practice holes.
“The Virginian and Nicewonder Farm & Vineyards are absolutely gorgeous properties,” said Matt Hurley, president of Troon’s Honours Golf division and operations lead. “We are honored to be associated with such a wonderful development and community. Our team is looking forward to working with the Nicewonder Group to help enhance these already unique properties, and with the members of The Virginian as we bring added value to their membership through programs exclusive to Troon Privé club members.”
The Virginian’s 44,000 square-foot clubhouse features a main dining room with a dry-stacked fieldstone fireplace at its center, a cathedral ceiling and a newly built 750-bottle-capacity walk-in wine cellar with tasting area. Dinners are served in the formal Main Dining Room twice a week, while the new Twenty-two Bar & Grille is the epicenter of social gatherings as it features a circular bar and is available for members to enjoy days and evenings.
The clubhouse also features an award-winning golf shop, a spectacular boardroom overlooking the back nine and spacious men’s and ladies’ locker rooms. A stone’s throw from the clubhouse is “The Round,” an open-air pavilion utilized for events and concerts. The club’s Swim, Racquet & Fitness Center is complete with a Junior Olympic-size and a children’s pool and four tennis courts (two clay and two hard surfaces), and features one of the top junior instruction programs in the region and a growing pickleball following. Its fitness center boasts the latest Nautilus and cardiovascular equipment, and an outside playground for kids to enjoy.
Adjacent to The Virginian is its 450-acre sister property, Nicewonder Farm & Vineyards which was founded in 2013. There you will find the 10-acre, award-winning Nicewonder Vineyards; a winery; a farmers’ market; livestock; and Taste, Wood-Fire Kitchen, an open-air restaurant that is open to the public and has some of the most spectacular views overlooking the vineyard and rolling hills of the farm.
Construction is currently underway on four luxury yurts which will provide stay and play accommodations for national members as well as members of Troon Privé managed clubs through the Troon Privé Privileges program. The yurts are expected to be completed this fall. The yurts are a prelude to what will become the centerpiece of the property, a 28-room luxury boutique inn with a presidential suite, infinity pool, a 300-person banquet facility and Hickory, the signature restaurant from acclaimed Chef Travis Milton. Construction is underway, with a projected opening in mid-2021. Soon to follow the Inn’s opening will be a spa, fitness center and a commissary kitchen, making Nicewonder Farm & Vineyards and The Virginian a unique destination for those seeking the best in lifestyle and golf amenities.