MORGANTOWN, WEST VIRGINIA - The traffic on normally hectic High St. has all but vanished as we stroll along the main downtown thoroughfare on a delightful summer’s evening in this charming home of West Virginia University.

The sounds of gospel music and angelic voices bounce off the colonial buildings that make up the centre of this sleepy city through which the lazy Monongahela River flows.

Outside the Morgantown Theatre we see a group of blonde-haired beauties gathered and they are giggling as they fiddle with their tiaras and fuss with their makeup and new dresses.

The only thing prettier than West Virginia beauty contestants are West Virgina's golf courses.

The courses here are almost all championship quality and many are part of state-of-the-art resorts that spare no expense making their layouts pristine pastures.

However, top quality comes at a reasonable price in West Virginia and golf packages, which include accommodation and rounds on courses designed by a Who’s Who list of golf architects – think Palmer, Dye, Fazio, etc. – start well south of $100. The thrill these courses and resorts offer is priceless, though.

There’s no better example of that than The Woods, a 5-star resort tucked away in the stunningly beautiful northern Shenandoah Valley in Hedgesville, West Virginia. The Woods has blossomed into a must getaway because of the amenities offered here, including two golf courses, one of which, the Mountain View, is rated 4-star by Golf Digest.

The people at Golf Digest mustn’t be able to count past 4 because we give this a 5-star rating and don’t make any apologies. The second course at The Woods, baptized Stony Lick, is a mid-range layout and a playful little track perfectly suited for resort golfers.

But if you’re looking to test your game against the best Mother Nature and a golf course designer named Ray Johnston has top offer, than Mountain View is the place you want to put your tee in the ground.

As the name suggests, Mountain View is dominated by mountain scenery and primarily by Third Hill Mountain, which casts its shadow over the resort and gives golfers a stunning backdrop at which to launch their shots.

The 6,600-yard Mountain View track plays flat and fair for the most part but challenges your accuracy and shot making ability on just about every hole.

The holes here are all christened with names like Bogie (the No. 2 hole which plays short but tough like Humphrey Bogart but its name comes from the fact that most people take this hole for granted and end up with a bogie); Guy’s Gully (No. 11 – the name speaks for itself); Eyebrows (No. 17 – the challenge this hole offers certainly raises eyebrows); Dam Hole (No. 9 – yes, it’s spelled right but it leaves most people spitting the other word); and Grand Ganyon (No. 6 – no explanation needed). Mountain View is championship golf at its best. The conditions here are exceptional and the layout, while challenging, offers thrills for every level of game. Because of its relative shortness, better golfers have a chance to score well and feel good after a game – which is what resort golf should be all about.

The Woods is located just across the Pennsylvania border outside charming Martinsburg and attracts a lot of attention from golfers in Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and even as far away as New York City. Canadian golfers would love this track and its location just a few kilometres off Interstate 81 – the main thoroughfare from Kingston, Ont., to West Virginia – makes it very easy to get to.

Here’s a rundown of how you should play the 18-holes at Mountain View once you arrive:

1- Play the right tees and you’ll walk away with a gimmie par.

2- Prevailing tail wind gives you a chance to score well of this shortie.

3- This short par-3 surrenders a lot of hole-in-ones.

4- Long hitters will be putting for eagle on this short test.

5- Two-tiered green is a challenge but birdie possibilities abound.

6- Blue tee showoffs will have to carry a 150-yard uphill hollow.

7- This is called the Road Hole and it’s every bit as challenging as its Scottish cousin.

8- Shot makers only need to aim and fire here.

9- The pond guarding this par-3 supplies balls for the range.

10- This is an easy start to the back nine.

11- The toughest par-3 on the course so aim for the sandtrap.

12- This is a thinking man’s hole – so think hard.

13- This par-3 is hidden behind an old oak tree so your best club her may be a saw.

14- Tree-lined fairway will punish hookers – no not, that kind!

15- Small green awaits on this par-5

16- Eagles (of the golf variety) land here a lot.

17- Sandtraps behind the green are an unwelcome surprise.

18- Z-shaped par-5 is a great finishing hole.

Now that the round is over, it’s time to enjoy the other amenities The Woods offers – like its world class spa, the Sleepy Creek Spa, where well-trained therapists sooth away golf aches and pains so well you end up falling asleep.

The beauty of West Virginia is that while the golf courses maintain a high quality that is equal throughout, the accommodations and resorts offer their own individual charm, ranging from 5-star deluxe resorts to wilderness experiences like the Wildernest Inn, which sits on a stunning mountain ridge surrounded by thick foliage and overlooks beautiful South Mill Creek Lake. This is where we watch white tail deer dance in the forest and listen to black bear rustle trees.

This is the Inn place to hang out if we want to play nearby Highlands golf course, we are told. The Highlands is located in Franklin, a short drive from Wildernest’s Petersburg location and is a highly recommended track. But pulling ourselves away from Wildernest is not easy. The brightly-lit rooms are comfy-cozy and the friendliness of the staff is intoxicating. The Inn’s six rooms are tastefully decorated with priceless views of the surrounding eye candy, which is oh, so sweet to look at in the early morning.

Being golfers at heart and not naturalists, we finally give into our temptation for the game and head out to challenge The Highlands, a beautiful piece of real estate wedged between the George Washington National Forest and the Monongahela National Forest.

This course borders farm land and thick forest and thrills with some unique touches like an island green on No. 10 followed by a sand island green on No. 11, narrow fairways and bentgrass greens with tiered landing areas. This course is magical from start to finish.

It stretches out to 6,796 yards from the championship tees and is a bear of a course – one that even the Golden Bear himself might like to play. The designer, a chap by the name of Bill Ward, challenges us right from the start with a 577-yard, par-5 that requires bear strength to reach in regulation.

It doesn’t get any easier after the turn, with the two island green holes awaiting you at 10 and 11 – so make sure you drink something stronger than pop before teeing it up on the back nine.

West Virginia has become a four-season destination for travelers and many resorts combine the best of all seasons for outdoor enthusiasts. A great example of that is Snowshoe Mountain, a high-end resort that caters to skiers in the winter with some of the finest runs in the United States, and golfers the rest of the year with a course that has few equals.

The Raven Golf Club at Snowshoe Mountain is a Gary Player-designed gem that must be seen and played to be appreciated.

The 7,045-yard course is carved out of West Virginia’s mountain wilderness and supplies golfers with a roller coaster thrill ride that would make any amusement park blush with envy. It’s fit and tough just like its designer. Think Mont-Tremblant or Whistler here – without the high price tag.

The course was built in 1993 but it looks like it’s been here since the beginning of time – Player merely put in the flag sticks. The course’s design stays true to the area’s typography and the par 3s are some of the best in mountain course design. Just remember to play them two clubs less.

Most of the holes are downhill – what else would you expect in ski country? But there’s plenty of elevation changes that tests every part of your game. The course is bordered by a natural stone fortress and the altitude makes some you’re your shots look almost Tiger-like.

This is resort golf at its best – but at packages starting at $113, which includes one night’s lodging and one round of golf, this may be the steal of all time. Even walking in off the street won’t bankrupt you. But value is what West Virginia golf is all about. And there’s no better value offered golfers than at the state’s pristine state park courses.

The main state park courses are Pipestem, Twin Falls Resort in the park of the same name; Hawks Nest; Canaan Valley Resort; wonderful Cacapon Resort near Martinsburg and fabulous Stonewall Resort near Weston – one of the best golf resorts anywhere, in or out of a state park.

Pipestem is one of the best known among the state park courses and its $25 weekend green fees ($20 on weekdays) is especially appreciated by Canadians. The handsome course is nestled in the beautiful state park of the same name in Pipestem, not far off I-77.

This wide-open course is great value for the price and one Canadian group, according to head pro Bill Robertson (he’s held that job since 1969) has been coming here for over 30 years. That may be the best endorsement for this quality course highlighted by wide, sweeping fairways and some inspiring views, especially the one near the 17th hole. Many golfers beat a path to Pipestem – named after a plant used by Native Americans to make their pipes – and the course annually accommodates over 28,000 rounds. Golfers can rent cabins here that were designed with group travel in mind.

Cacapon is a Robert Trent Jones Sr. gem with a 48 room lodge, conference centre, 31 cabins and lots for families to do. The 6,827-yard course in a four-star beauty (Golf Digest).

Twin Falls has that Pipestem feel and look about it and was designed by the legendary Geoffrey Cornish and George Cobb. Its 6,382 yards are some of the most beautiful and challenging real estate anywhere. Like all the other state parks here, this is great value for the money.

Hawks Nest and Canaan Valley Resort are joys to play as well but the best value in the golf world is Stonewall, where the Arnold Palmer Signature course ranks among the best. And it has plenty of awards to prove that – voted one of America’s “Best New Courses” by Golf Digest and a “Top 10 New Course” according to Golf Magazine.

Located in Stonewall Jackson Lake State Park, the course is a remarkable achievement. The exciting challenge of this Palmer Signature course and the added attraction of deer dancing on the fairways and the breathtaking scenery surrounding Stonewall puts this high on the “must play before I die” list.

Stonewall is 7,149 yards of sheer delight. From the first shot to the last, this course fulfils a golfer’s dream of playing one of the truly memorable courses in America. The fact there’s an excellent 198-room lodge with state of the art everything right next door only gives golfers more reason to make Stonewall a destination instead of a stopover. Unlike the other state park courses, Stonewall is privately run and offers some great play and stay deals.

Speaking of great deals, Glade Springs Resort and Oglebay Resort offer golfers some of the best packages anywhere – and the golf is outstanding as well.

Golf doesn’t get much better than Glade Springs. The resort caters to golfers with well planned accommodation consisting of large plantation style residences where players share space and stories after playing two of the most magnificent courses in the United States.

The Cobb is the older of the two Glade Springs courses and a Pinehurst No. 2 look-alike which makes it a favorite with golfers of all ages and ability. This course can make a high handicapper happy or be toughened up to bring the best young golfers in the U.S. to their knees, which it did recently when it hosted the NCAA championships – the winner was kept to an even par total.

The Stonehaven layout is one of the best courses this golfer has ever played. The typography this beauty is wrapped around is simply breathtaking. From start to finish, Stonehaven is a series of WOW! holes where beautiful vistas and sweeping fairways greet golfers at every tee. Here players get the chance to test their skill against some unique features, like black bunkers – made from a byproduct of coal known as “swag”. It has a gravel-like consistency which we found quite easy to escape.

They write books about courses like Stonehaven, whose 16th hole may be the most visually beautiful of any in North America.

Oglebay is one of the best-kept secrets in the golf world. It features three courses, two of them fantastic layouts that bear the signatures of Robert Trent Jones and Arnold Palmer.

The Jones course has been around since the ’70s and hosted an LPGA event for 13 years. It’s a wide-open layout with some “trick” holes like No. 5, which takes some imagination to conquer, and you’d better have a vivid imagination. The Palmer course, like Stonewall, requires some thoughtfulness on just about every shot. The wide fairways and generous landing areas give you plenty to aim at off the tee but the course’s sloping terrain will still challenge your shot making abilities. The key here to a good round is to play from the right set of tees, so consult the yardage book before teeing off and don’t bite off more than you can chew. The resort’s David Flatley tells us that lots of Canadians stop here on their way to Myrtle Beach each year but he’d like them to make this their destination for weekend trips. The entice Canadians, the resort offers a golf package that includes games on both the Palmer and Jones courses as well as accommodation in one of the rustic cabins on site and breakfast all for around $110. Once you see what awaits you at Oglebay, located off I-70 – 40 minutes south of Pittsburgh – we think you’ll agree this is the best value in golf.

West Virginia has plenty of other fabulous resort courses like the one at Lakeview Golf Resort. The featured Lakeview course is one of those old classic, tree line designs where you’re most important club could be a buzz saw. Breathtaking views of the surrounding lake and countryside from holes like elevated No. 7 – featuring a drop of 180 feet from tee to fairway - make the course a must play while in West Virginia.

The greats of golf – Sam Snead, Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus have all played this 4-star rated course (Golf Digest) and they all liked what they saw.

Add to this impressive list the likes of The Greenbrier Resort, second only to Pinehurst for golf history – it dates back 250 years - and you can see why West Virginia is quickly becoming known as the “Greens State.”