Courses

• Augustine Golf Club

• Bristow Manor Golf Club

• Bull Run Golf Club

• Burke Lake Golf Center

• Forest Greens Golf Club

• Greendale Golf Course

• Herndon Centennial Golf Course

• Jefferson District Golf Course

• Laurel Hill Golf Club

• Old Hickory Golf Club

• Pohick Bay golf Course

• Potomac Shores Golf Club

• Reston National Golf Course

• Raspberry Falls Golf and Hunt Club

• Stonewall Golf Club

• Twin Lakes Golf Course

• Westfields Golf Club

• 1757 Golf Club

Augustine Golf Club

About a 45 minute drive south of DC, Augustine sits on the southern part of what could be considered “Northern Virginia”. It sits in a neighborhood, but most holes are heavily treelined making the property feel tucked into the woods. Holes curve around the woods and ponds and cause players to hit to certain parts of the fairway, instead of just bombing driver on every hole. Elevation changes to the greens make a good challenge on approach shots.

Overall, a good value course that’s fun and challenging, but still scorable with well placed tee shots. Further out of the way for most people visiting the area, but a great place to stop if you are driving past on i95.

Bristow Manor Golf Club

Sprawling across acres of old farm land in Bristow, Virginia, Bristow Manor gives a great escape from the busy feeling of the Northern Virginia area. About 35 minutes outside of the city, it sits on a mostly flat property with very few houses visible on the course. Although, the land does not have have many large elevation changes, the terrain is far from boring. Mounds and hills cover the course giving players all kinds of sloping lies, even on what looks like a flat fairway.

It sits out of the way for most people in the area, but the drive is worth it. It’s a great value for the area and very scenic with little houses or streets visible, lakes around the property, and an old plantation style clubhouse.

Bull Run Golf Club

In the surrounding hills of Bull Run Mountain, the course is a popular destination for golf lovers. The course is challenging, yet fair with a good mix of short and long holes. A frequent stop for amateur tours in the area as well due to to it’s consistently good conditions and ability to play just under 7,000 yards.

The course is very picturesque with the rolling hills and lakes around the course. It has a great practice area with a range and massive putting and chipping greens. It is on the pricier side but is a safe pick for a good course with great conditions.

Burke Lake Golf Center

The local spot, Burke Lake sits in the middle of Fairfax Station on Ox Road, making it an easy drive from Woodbridge, Lorton, or Fairfax. It has a two story driving range that stays open late with stadium lighting. It has a practice putting and chipping green, and a 18-hole par-3 golf course.

Walking only, the par-3 course provides variety with water, elevation changes, and holes that range from 90 to 200+ yards. The course can be in rough shape at times with the high amount of play it gets. It does host a ton of local leagues for seniors, men, women, and kids.

Forest Greens Golf Club

Right off of i95, The club sits back in the woods of Triangle, VA. There are no houses at all on the course and the think woods make each hole feel secluded from one another. Think brush right off the fairway penalizes wayward drives, putting a premium on driving accuracy. It has a wide range of hole lengths, so driver won’t be the only club you hit off the tee. Low rates that include cart, the only issue is getting there on weekday with all the traffic.

The practice area is small, but you can chip and putt on the same green and the grass range is open during the golf season. It’s always in pretty good shape, but the greens are never really fast. All in all, it’s a challenging course that can lead to a lot of lost balls on a bad day, but the 7,100 yard woodland escape is always a great value track.

Greendale Golf Course

Unfortunately, Greendale is the definition of “over-priced”. Conditions are sub par, the course is extremely flat with slow greens, and it is constantly crowded. It is a par-72 course that sits in a convenient spot right off of Telegraph road so it stays busy seven days a week. It has a few dog legs and a couple holes that play around the pond, but most of the holes are flat and straight.

It doesn’t have a range or chipping area and sits about mid price on this list, even though it probably shouldn’t. The price and constant busy tee sheet are due to the club’s location in Alexandria. Probably not a go-to when you have a guest in town, but it is still a decent place to play a round after work.

Herndon Centennial Golf Course

Great course the weekend round. Herndon Centennial is in the middle of the city of Herndon so the course is lined with houses and the nearby high way. The course is pretty flat, but the holes play a great mix of both right and left dog legs. Long hitters can get around without driver as the course maxes out around 6,200 yards from the tips. If you’re confident with driver, most holes have the option of an aggressive line to get close to the green. It is busy and gets a lot of play, but conditions tend to stay in the mid-range for public courses in the area.

It has a range, putting green, and short game area. It’s not a destination course by any means, but it is a great weekend round that isn’t too difficult for higher handicaps, but provides lots of great risk/reward looks for better players. It also has multiple leagues throughout the season for golfers in the area looking for a weekly golf group.

Jefferson District Golf Course

We will give them props, they did fit a golf course in Falls Church where one shouldn’t have been able to fit. The 9-hole course is short and plays about 3,000 yards from the back tees. Only three holes measure over 300 yards, and one of them is a par-5 at 399 yards. It doesn’t have a range, but it does have a putting and chipping green.

It’s located in the middle of the city and right off the highway. Not scenic at all and tall nets guard the houses and roads right off the fairways. It is the perfect place to take beginners or kids to play, but offers close to no challenge for better players.

Laurel Hill Golf Club

The premier course in the Fairfax county golf family. It has a history of hosting big amateur tournaments and local qualifiers. Laurel hill sits on the land the old Lorton Prison used to call home and some of the old prison buildings and farm silos are still visible on the course. Huge hills force players to play up or down hill multiple stories and drives can easily find the tall fescue grass that outlines most holes.

The course is always in good condition and presents plenty of challenge, even to the best players. It does com with a cost though, as the in-season rate is often above $100. It does have one of the best practice areas in the area with a grass range, large putting green, and short game area large enough to hit 50 yard shots into.

Old Hickory Golf Club

The go-to golf course in Woodbridge, VA. The area doesn’t have many courses that don’t require driving 30 minutes or more, so Old Hickory fills the hole in Woodbridge’s golf scene. It’s a mid price course with a decent layout, but conditions can span from pretty good to terrible.

It has a putting green and a small range, and any out-of-bounds ball will typically end up in someone’s yard. It is a decent course, but not a great one, but it fills a void for the area between Fairfax county and the southern part of Prince William where Forest Greens, Potomac Shores, and Bristow Manor reside. Not a great deal for the money, but it is a great spot to go with a discount or on a weekday.

Pohick Bay Golf Course

Pohick bay is one of the best value courses in the area at the lower price tier. A few minutes off route one in Lorton, VA, it sits in a completely different market to it’s neighbor, Laurel Hill. The conditions stay constant, but far from the best in the area. The greens are slow and some of the holes can seem boring with very slight doglegs. The one thing the course does have is plenty of elevation change. Controlling distances up and down hill is where the course presents all of it’s challenge.

It has a small practice area with a putting green, range, and tiny chipping area. Another course where driver isn’t needed for the long hitters, but the course is a better layout than Jefferson District or Greendale, but far from the grand visuals and championship layout of Laurel Hill or Potomac Shores.

Potomac Shores

The newest course in the area, built in 2014, the Jack Nicholas design quickly became a local favorite. In the upper part of the mid-price tier, it sits down the road from Forest Greens, but offers a much more premier course. It can play upwards of 7,000 yards and some holes have multiple stories of elevation changes. Great mix of tough holes and shorter risk-reward par-4s and par-5s.

Possibly the nicest practice facility on the list. The range sits a cart ride away from the clubhouse and away from any hole. The practice area boasts a large grass tee, long range matt, and a putting green behind the range. It also has it’s own restroom and water stand. The course itself is gorgeous and the views from all the massive elevation changes is what makes the stand out.

Reston National Golf Course

In the heart of the city of Reston, the course is one of the few on this list that squeezes into the surrounding neighborhood and buildings, but still measures over 6,800 yards. Although it’s fit into the city, most holes are fully tree lined to still provide some seclusion from the busy city around it.

The learning center and practice facilities are great for a course as little space as they have. It has a smaller range, but a large putting green and short game area. Middle of the road pricing and conditions, with the only real slight on course being that we found it a little boring to play. Tree lined on every hole and most holes have some elevation change, but most are just straight holes with some bunkers near the green.

Raspberry Falls Golf and Hunt Club

The furthest course on the list from DC, Raspberry Falls is our pick for the course with the best views. Located up in the mountains of Leesburg, VA, the course uses the elevation of the mountain to the player’s advantage, hitting down hill sometimes almost 100 feet. The Gary Player design has often listed as one of the area’s top courses.

It measures long at just under 7,200 yards, though it doesn’t play that full length since most large elevation changes are players hitting downhill. Great practice facility and course conditions. One of the more expensive courses on the list, but worth it in our opinion.

Stonewall Golf Club

One of the nicer courses on the list, the course runs along the the river in Gainesville, VA. There are lots of houses on the course, but the high dollar neighborhood surrounding the course doesn’t take too much away from the natural beauty. Not a very walkable course, as there is a lot of space between holes. Conditions are some of the most consistent on this list.

The views of the river are great and the course does have a full practice facility with grass range, putting green and short game area. Higher price tag during the weekend, usually above $100, but you can often get a tee time on a week day or afternoon for around $40. For the twilight or weekday price, we would call it a great deal.

Twin Lakes Golf Course

The biggest public golf facility in Fairfax county. Twin Lakes consists of two 18-hole golf courses, large putting and chipping greens, and a range that stays partially covered throughout the year. Both courses have different feelings with the Lakes course being wide open and difficulty coming from the water hazards, and the Oaks course being a tight treelined track on the other side of the property. Both courses measure about 6,700 yards from the back tees.

The practice areas are great for anyone working on their game, and the courses offer good layouts at a low cost. The greens are never fast, and conditions can get bad outside of the peak season, but a good value in the area.

Westfields Golf Club

Right down the road from Twin Lakes, Westfields offers a higher end course to the Clifton market. The course winds through the hilly woodland terrain and offers good views of nature, but plenty of isolation from the highways and towns nearby.

Higher end public course, in the same market as Stonewall and Laurel Hill. The rare Fred Couples design is a paradise for players that move the ball right to left. Great conditions and a full practice facility make a Westfields a great pick, especially if you get a deal on the greens fee.

1757 Golf Club

Heaven for range rats. The best practice facility at a public golf course in the Northern Virginia area. Two putting and chipping greens, but the largest short game area is reserved for members. It has a massive range that also has top tracer as an added option on the far left side, and a separate grass range for members. The massive club house also offers great food for the turn or a sit down meal.

The course itself isn’t long, but it has a lot of water. 14 out of the 18 holes have water in play. Easy course to walk as its almost entirely flat. Good condition and the course is a decent track. Great place to join or frequent if you love to practice or walk nine holes.