Virginia Beach National Golf Course Is Getting a Major Makeover. Here's What You Need to Know

One of Hampton Roads' most beloved public golf courses is at a crossroads and the proposal on the table could transform it into something the 757 hasn't seen before.

Virginia Beach National Golf Club, the 350-acre Pete Dye designed course tucked off Princess Anne Road north of the Municipal Center, has been a staple for local golfers since it opened in 1999. But after two decades of gradual decline including eroding shorelines, deteriorating cart paths, and aging infrastructure, the city has been quietly working on a plan to hand the keys to a private developer who promises to breathe new life into the property.

That developer is The Dragas Companies, one of Virginia Beach's most well-known homebuilders, and their proposal is ambitious.

What's Being Proposed

Virginia Beach based Dragas Companies wants to purchase the roughly 350-acre city-owned property for $17.94 million and funnel those proceeds along with $1.82 million from the Virginia Beach Development Authority and an additional $18.4 million in private investment into an estimated $38 million golf course overhaul.

The renovation would preserve all 18 holes as a public course, retaining 10 of Pete Dye's original holes including the beloved front nine and the signature 18th. Eight holes would be redesigned or relocated, with the new layout crafted by Timothy Liddy, a 28-year protégé of Pete Dye himself. Century Golf Partners, the firm that manages golf operations at Walt Disney World, would take over day-to-day operations.

The plan goes well beyond the fairways, though.

On roughly 40 acres where holes 12, 13, and portions of hole 14 currently sit, Dragas would build 659 for sale homes: a mix of 107 townhomes, 168 flats, and 192 terrace and veranda units. More than half would be priced at or below 120% of the area median income, which translates to about $129,240 for a family of four. A 1.8-acre site along Tournament Drive would be reserved for a new childcare center. Forty-five acres of woodlands would be preserved as open space.

The clubhouse would also get a full renovation, with upgraded dining, retail, and locker room facilities. Two new signature entrances with enhanced landscaping are planned, along with a new maintenance facility and public infrastructure improvements along Tournament Drive and Princess Anne Road.

"Virginia Beach National is a treasured community asset, and our vision is to secure its future for generations to come," said Helen Dragas, president and CEO of Dragas Companies. "This proposal combines substantial private investment with long-term public benefits, preserving the public's access to affordable, world-class golf while creating new recreational opportunities, generating meaningful tax revenue and helping address the community's need for attainable housing."

The City's Take

City officials project the fully built out development would generate approximately $3.4 million in new annual real estate tax revenue for Virginia Beach. The city would also retain a 99-year repurchase option if the course ever ceases to operate as a public golf facility, a provision designed to protect the public's long-term access to the course.

Vice Mayor Rosemary Wilson called it "a real legacy project." Councilmember Amelia Ross-Hammond described the proposal as a "win-win."

Not everyone is sold. Councilmember Barbara Henley, who represents the district where the course is located, raised concerns about traffic impacts and the strain additional housing could place on city services. And Glen Pierce, the PGA Director of Operations who has managed the course for 19 years, pushed back on the city's characterization of the course's condition.

"They're making it look like it's in disrepair, which is a false narrative," Pierce said. "It's frustrating because we've been here for 19 years and we've done exactly what we were supposed to have done."

Mayor Bobby Dyer struck a measured tone: "Let's have the public hearing; let's hear what the people have to say. Once again, what we want to do is get into a situation that is a win-win."

What Happens Next

A public hearing is scheduled for July 7, with a City Council vote expected on July 14. If approved, golf course renovations would begin in 2027, with the revitalized course projected to reopen in 2028. Any residential construction would require a separate conditional rezoning through the Planning Commission and City Council.

The developer is also holding their own public engagement meeting between June 23 and July 7. So, residents have multiple opportunities to weigh in before a final decision is made.

What It Means for the Neighborhood — and the Market

Projects like this one tend to move the needle on surrounding property values in ways that ripple outward well before the first shovel hits the ground. A $38 million private investment into a marquee public amenity, paired with 659 new for sale homes and improved road infrastructure on Princess Anne Road and Tournament Drive, signals growing developer confidence in this pocket of Virginia Beach.

The childcare component is worth noting, too. Childcare access has become an increasingly real factor in where young families choose to put down roots and having that built directly into a neighborhood plan is a draw that didn't exist for most Virginia Beach communities built in earlier decades.

Whether City Council approves the sale or not, the conversation around Virginia Beach National underscores something our team at WP Collective Homes sees playing out across Hampton Roads: quality-of-life amenities and housing development are increasingly intertwined, and the communities that get that balance right tend to attract buyers who stay for the long haul.

If you're curious about what this kind of development could mean for neighborhoods near Princess Anne Road or the Municipal Center area or if you're actively exploring a move to Virginia Beach, we'd love to talk.