Not far from the beach bound traffic on I-64 just north of Williamsburg is the sleepy rural county of New Kent.

The area is ideal for any golf course; the rolling countryside and multitude of hardwood trees works with almost any type of design. But a course inspired by classic seaside links Royal County Down and Ballybunion seems to be a grand stretch of the imagination.

Replicating the treeless links, costal winds and stern elements of the Irish, Scottish and English climate is a task many designers this "side of the pond" have attempted. The embodiment of an authentic links course took thousands of years to cultivate; no amount of money or determination can fully capture its true essence.

But sometimes we get close. We get so close that with a little imagination you can almost taste the "salt in the air" and feel the "nip of a coastal breeze" at The Tradition at Royal New Kent in Providence Forge Virginia.

Designer Mike Strantz has created a distinctive tribute to classic seaside links with only a few aesthetic characteristics that give away the courses inland location..

The course itself provides and exact blue print of what most of us would expect when playing a "true links" course.

The fairways are firm and fast requiring thorough consideration when assessing club selection. Most fairways are framed with links type dunes providing ample protection of any wayward or overly aggressive shot.

In the fairway you gain appreciation for the exacting attempt of links authenticity by the various dips, swales and multitude of lies you'll encounter on the course.

The challenge of each green is multiplied by the varying design qualities testing your visual distance control, putting ability and creativity. The number 12-green alone is 86-yards long and can play three different clubs on approach.

The large size, varying undulation and multiply tiers will "dazzle the eye" and call on your short game creativity. Ending up on the wrong side of these greens can make some putts and chips seem almost impossible.

Negotiating the many bunkers, hitting ideal locations in the fairways and shooting for specific portions of the expansive greens are just a few of the many tests a round at Royal New Kent demands.

The course will "titillate your visual" sense and "golfing prowess" with its own distinctive style!

Amigos Favorite Hole: Royal New Kent has many holes vying for favorite, but we decided the Par 5 567-yard Number 10 was truly one of the best Par-5s we've ever played. The hole can play long or short depending upon your balls direction off the tee.

The long hitter who can blast past the crest of a hill on the left side of the fairway should get plenty roll tempting the gambler to go for the green in two.

The traditional route is 3 shots; straight down the center of the fairway off the tee and a lay-up shot to about 125-yards.

Luckily for us, we had played with Bubba a great golfer whose played the course many times. Before our approach shot, he told us the green has a huge downward slope in the middle of the green splitting the green into two tiers.

Our pin was on the right lower front tier taking the tricky slope out of play. Bubba said a good play was to use the slope as a back stop letting gravity take the ball back down to the hole when the pin is on the front portion of the green.

We were just happy to be on the green in three with one of our few birdie attempts on the day.